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Pop Question

31 July 2022 — Distant Past

 

How do you express an activity that occurred in the distant past?

 

Drone view of a shark in water near beach

When I was growing up, we had gone to the beach without worrying about sharks. But now, we have to be extremely watchful.

 

Read all of the following options.
 

1.

When I was growing up, we had gone to the beach without worrying about sharks. But now, we have to be extremely watchful.

2.

When I was growing up, we would go to the beach without worrying about sharks. But now, we have to be extremely watchful.

3.

When I was growing up, we used to go to the beach without worrying about sharks. But now, we have to be extremely watchful.

4.

When I was growing up, we went to the beach without worrying about sharks. But now, we have to be extremely watchful.

5.

When I was growing up, we were going to the beach without worrying about sharks. But now, we have to be extremely watchful.

 

GLOSSARY

  • awkward (Adj) – stiff, clumsy, inelegant; the wording is non-native sounding
  • propensity (N) – a natural inclination, tendency, preference or will to do something
  • used to / did not use to (quasi-auxiliary) expresses that (1) an activity was a past habit that occurred at an earlier stage of life and (2) it ended. The focus is on the past habit not its duration. This activity or habit occurred but no longer continues because of a change of circumstances or change of willpower. ( Huddleston 3 2.5.9)
  • willpower (N) – control exerted to do something or control an impulse, such as when dieting or stopping smoking.
  • would (modal) – expresses that (1) an activity was a past routine, typical behavior, having duration or repetition and (2) it was often related to another activity. The focus is on the past activity with no particular attention to whether it continues or not. (Huddleston 3 §9.8.1)