Describing habits

Here are some ways that we use to describe people's habits:
We can use 'will' to describe present habits and behaviour whether it is good or bad.

  • She'll tell you all about her life even if you're not interested.
  • He will always wake up early.
To express annoyance we tend to use the 'present continuous + always, keeps + ing' or 'will keep + ing' in the same way.

  • My sister is always telling me what to do.
  • He keeps texting me.
  • They will keep reminding me to go and visit them.
For past habits we can use 'would'.

  • My father would take me fishing every Saturday.
It is important to remember that 'will/would' are used to describe habits not states:
He would get angry very quickly. NOT He would be angry very quickly.
And the 'present continuous + always, keep +ing and would keep + ing' are used the same way.
'Keep on' is used to emphasise that the action is repeated frequently.

  • I'm sorry but I keep forgetting your name.
'Tend to' is used to describe typical states.
  • She tends to be rather shy in new company.


Other expressions about habits:

  • I'm inclined to.../I have an inclination to...
  • I tend to.../I have a tendency to...
  • I'm prone to...
  • I'll spend hours.../I'd spend hours...
  • As a rule, I....
  • Nine times out of ten, I...
  • Andy is inclined to act first and think later
  • I'm prone to failing asleep in front of the TV in the evenings.
  • He has a tendency to be very critical, and this makes him unpopular with colleagues.