Mister Guru

alah satu cara untuk menceritakan kebiasaan di masa lalu adalah dengan menggunakan struktur "used to + infinitive". "Used to" memiliki makna bahwa suatu pekerjaan atau kegiatan hanya terjadi di waktu lampau, dan sekarang sudah tidak terjadi lagi. Jika diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Indonesia, "used to" kira-kira sama maknanya dengan "dulu biasanya" atau "dulu terbiasa". Jadi, "used" dalam "used to" sama sekali tidak berarti "menggunakan" atau "memakai".

Kompetensi dalam menggunakan "used to" untuk menceritakan kebiasaan di waktu lampau adalah salah satu kompetensi yang diujikan dalam Ujian Nasional Bahasa Inggris, khususnya untuk SMK. Karena itu, penggunaan "used to" harus dapat dikuasai dengan baik oleh pelajar SMA/MA dan SMK/MAK. Lihat beberapa contoh di bawah ini untuk menjelaskan penggunaan "used to":

• She used to work in a shop. Now she works in a restaurant.
• When I was younger, I used to swim in the river with my friends. Now it is heavily polluted with industrial waste.
• He used to come here for breakfast almost every morning, but now he has moved to another city.
• When I was a child, TVRI used to be the only domestic TV channel. Today, there are many channels available to choose.
• She has got short hair now but it used to be very long.

Structure of "Used to" Sentences

(+)	I We You They He She It	used to	be do write work have study play
(-)	I We You They He She It	did not use to didn't use to	be do write work have study play
(?)	Did I Did we Did you Did they Did he Did she Did it	use to	be? do? write? work? have? study? play?

Catatan:
Penggunaan "used to ..." hanya untuk kebiasaan lampau. Kita tidak bisa menggunakan "use to ..." untuk menceritakan kebiasaan-kebiasaan di masa sekarang. Untuk mengungkapkan kebiasaan di masa sekarang (present habit), gunakanlah bentuk Simple Present tense.

A. Combine the two sentences using "but", and use "Used to" for the past habits.

Example:
Shanti worked in an accountant office. Now, she runs her own business.
Answer: Shanti used to work in an accountant office, but now she runs her own business.

1. Lisa lived in a boarding house. Now, she lives in an apartment.
2. The woman was my next-door neighbor. She has moved to another town.
3. She took the bus to work. Now, she prefers cycling.
4. We worked in the same office. Now, she has been transferred to another branch.
5. The restaurant opened only on weekdays. Now, it opens in weekends too.

B. Complete these sentences. Use "used to" or the present simple ("I play" / "she lives" etc.)

Example:
He used to play football. He stopped playing a few years ago.

1. "Do you do any sport?" ~ "Yes, I ... basketball."
2. "Have you got a car?" ~ "No, I ... one but I sold it."
3. "How do you go to work?" ~ "I usually ... to work by motorcycle."
4. Wati ... a waitress. Now she works as a receptionist.
5. When I worked in the foreign company, I ... English everyday. Now, I seldom speak English.
6. Lia likes playing music. She ... the piano almost everyday.
7. This room ... the language laboratory. Once a week, our students practice their speaking and listening skill here.
8. I ... three glasses of coffee everyday, but my doctor suggested I drink less coffee.
9. I'm an early riser. I always ... at 5 am every morning.
10. I ... a monthly magazine. I stopped the subscription last year.

Reference:
Murphy Raymond, Essential Grammar in Use, pg. 58-59, Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom, 1998.

	KOMPETENSI DASAR
3.6	Menganalisis fungsi sosial, struktur teks, dan unsur kebahasaan teks interaksi transaksional lisan dan tulis yang melibatkan tindakan memberi dan meminta informasi terkait keadaan / tindakan / kegiatan / kejadian yang dilakukan/terjadi di waktu lampau yang merujuk waktu terjadinya dan kesudahannya, sesuai dengan konteks penggunaannya. (Perhatikan unsur kebahasaan simple past tense vs present perfect tense)
4.6	Menyusun teks interaksi transaksional, lisan dan tulis, pendek dan sederhana, yang melibatkan tindakan unsur dan meminta informasi terkait keadaan/tindakan/kegiatan/kejadian yang dilakukan/terjadi di waktu lampau yang merujuk waktu terjadinya dan kesudahannya, dengan memperhatikan fungsi sosial, struktur teks, dan unsur kebahasaan yang benar dan sesuai konteks.

---

The exercise below will check your understanding about the differences of usage between the Simple Past and the Present Perfect tense. To review those differences, read Contrasting The Simple Past With The Present Perfect Tense.

Grammar Exercise: Contrasting the Simple Past with the Present Perfect tense.

Choose the correct form of the verbs.

1. A: Where's Diva? She isn't here.
   B: Oh, she ... shopping.
   1. went
   2. has gone
2. My parents ... married in Probolinggo in 1992.
   1. got
   2. have got
3. Do you know about Renee? She ... her job. She ... to quit last week. (choose 2 answers; A or B, and C or D)
   1. gave up
   2. has given up
   
   
   3. decided
   4. has decided
4. A: Ipin is in the hospital. He ... his leg.
   B: Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. How ...?
   1. broke
   2. has broken
   
   
   3. did it happen
   4. has it happened
5. A: ... her number before leaving?
   B: Yes, but I'm afraid I ... it.
   1. Did she leave
   2. Has she left
   
   
   3. lost
   4. have lost
6. I ... French at school but I ... most of it.
   1. studied
   2. have studied
   
   
   3. forgot
   4. have forgotten
7. A: It ... a lot last week.
   B: Yes, but it ... at all this week.
   1. rained
   2. has rained
   
   
   3. did not rain
   4. has not rained
8. My brother lives in Jakarta. He ... there since 1990.
   1. lived
   2. has lived
9. I ... my great grandfather who ... about 45 years ago.
   1. never met
   2. have never met
   
   
   3. died
   4. has died
10. When I ... home last night, I ... very tired.
    1. went
    2. have gone
    
    
    3. was
    4. have been
11. A: I'm looking for Aji. ... him?
    B: Don't you know about him? He ... transferred to Surabaya branch office since last week.
    1. Did you see
    2. Have you seen
    
    
    3. was
    4. has been
12. Your car looks clean. ... it?
    1. Did you wash
    2. Have you washed
13. Albert Einstein ... the scientist who ... the theory of relativity.
    1. was
    2. has been
    
    
    3. developed
    4. has developed
14. He is a productive novelist. Up to now, he ... more than five best-selling novels.
    1. wrote
    2. has written
15. Look at the crowd! There ... an accident.
    1. was
    2. has been
16. A: ... today's newspaper?
    B: No. I think the manager is still reading it.
    1. Did you read
    2. Have you read
17. He ... in a bank for fifteen years. Then he ... it up.
    1. worked
    2. has worked
    
    
    3. gave
    4. has given
18. A: Your hair looks nice. ... a haircut?
    B: Yes. I ... it cut on Sunday.
    1. Did you have
    2. Have you had
    
    
    3. had
    4. have had
19. Your English is more fluent now. I think you ... a lot.
    1. improved
    2. have improved
20. A: I ... to Bromo last week.
    B: ... the sunrise?
    1. went
    2. have gone
    
    
    3. Did you see
    4. Have you seen

To do the computer-based version of this exercise and find out your score, click HERE.

Can you tell the difference between the sentences on the left and those on the right?

The sky is dark. I think it's going to rain soon.	Don't worry. It will rain someday.
There are signs of recovery. He's going to get well soon.	There is no sign of recovery. But I'm sure he will recover.
Workers are preparing their equipment. They are going to repair the building.	If you overload it, the machine will break down.

There are several different verb-forms that can be used to talk about the future. The most common structures are be going to structure, will, and the present continuous / present progressive.

Those three structures often have different meanings which are sometimes difficult to tell. Therefore, it is not always easy to choose the correct form. In this post, we are going to talk about the difference between the be going to structure and will by contrasting how they are used.

Contrasting Future "Be Going To" With "Will"

Be Going To Verb 1	Will Infinitive
Planned intentions To express a planned intention, or a plan with an intention. The plan is made before the moment of speaking and some preparations may have been made. Untuk mengungkapkan maksud terencana, atau rencana yang disengaja. Rencana tersebut dibuat sebelum saat berbicara dan mungkin sudah dilakukan persiapan untuk itu. Workers are preparing their equipment. They are going to repair the building. He has bought building materials. I think he's going to renovate his house. Note: When it is not known whether the intention has been planned or not, either be going to or will may be used. Jika tidak diketahui apakah sesuatu maksud direncanakan atau tidak, baik "be going to" atau "will" bisa digunakan.	Unplanned intentions To express an unplanned intention. The intention or decision to do something is made right at the moment of speaking, usually with no preparation. Untuk mengungkapkan maksud tak terencana. Maksud atau keputusan untuk melakukan sesuatu dibuat tepat pada saat berbicara dan biasanya tanpa ada persiapan. There's the doorbell. I'll open the door. Have you heard from her? ~ No, not yet. I'll call her now. Note: Using will infinitive is the best way to express a strong determination. Menggunakan "will infinitive" adalah cara terbaik untuk mengungkapkan kebulatan tekad. Okay. I will help you. (with stress on "will") We will make it!
3rd and 2nd person's intentions To express or ask about an intention made by the second person (you), or the third (he, she, it, they). The negative form shows that there is no intention. Untuk mengungkapkan atau menanyakan maksud orang kedua (you), atau ketiga (he, she, it, they). Bentuk negatif menunjukkan tidak adanya niat untuk melakukan sesuatu. Are you going to renovate the room? He isn't going to stay here.	1st person's intentions Will is almost always used to express first person's intentions. However, the negative form may be used for all persons, and usually means "to refuse to do something". Bentuk will hampir selalu digunakan untuk orang pertama. Tetapi, bentuk negative bisa digunakan untuk semua orang dan biasanya bermakna "menolak melakukan sesuatu". I will leave now! He won't stay here. (He refuses to stay.)
Near future To indicate near future events / actions. Untuk menyebutkan peristiwa / kegiatan yang akan terjadi dalam waktu dekat. The sky is dark. I think it's going to rain soon. Where's today's paper? I'm going to read it.	Near and Remote future To indicate near or remote future events / actions. Untuk menyebutkan peristiwa / kegiatan yang akan terjadi baik dalam waktu dekat maupun masih lama. The local government will build more schools in rural areas. It's a nice place. We will enjoy staying here.
Assumptions To express assumptions when there is a sign or symptom that something is certainly going to happen in the near or remote future. Untuk mengungkapkan asumsi / dugaan jika ada tanda atau gejala bahwa sesuatu pasti akan terjadi dalam waktu dekat atau relatif lama. The sky is dark. I think it's going to rain soon. There are signs of recovery. He's going to get well soon.	Assumptions To express assumptions, expectations, belief, or doubt that something will happen in the future. Untuk mengungkapkan asumsi / dugaan, harapan, keyakinan, atau keraguan bahwa sesuatu akan terjadi dalam waktu yang akan datang. Don't forget your coat. It'll probably be cold up there. (I expect it will be cold.) Onions will be expensive when harvests fail.

Exercise

Put the verbs into future "be going to" or "will infinitive".

1. Why are you moving the sofa? ~ I (repaint) this room.
2. The printer doesn't work again. ~ Really? I (call) the technician. I hope he's not busy.
3. How do we get to the museum from here? ~ I don't know, but I (ask) the policeman over there.
4. You (lend) me your dictionary, please? I need it. ~ Yes, certainly. Here it is.
5. You (buy) a new computer? ~ No, this one is still good.
6. My car is being repaired. You (give) me a lift?
7. Where's the flashlight? ~ It's in the drawer. What you (do) with it? ~ I (search) the warehouse. It's dark in there.
8. What a beautiful painting. Where you (put) it?
9. This curtain is very dirty. ~ Very well. I (have) it washed.
10. You (play) games all night? You are going to school tomorrow.

Reference:

1. Azar B.S. Understanding and Using English Grammar (2nd Ed). NJ: Prentice-Hall. Inc, 1989.
2. Thomson & Martinet. A Practical English Grammar (4th Ed). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986.
3. Swan, M. Practical English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980.

Also read:

	KOMPETENSI DASAR
3.6	Menganalisis fungsi sosial, struktur teks, dan unsur kebahasaan teks interaksi transaksional lisan dan tulis yang melibatkan tindakan memberi dan meminta informasi terkait keadaan / tindakan / kegiatan / kejadian yang dilakukan/terjadi di waktu lampau yang merujuk waktu terjadinya dan kesudahannya, sesuai dengan konteks penggunaannya. (Perhatikan unsur kebahasaan simple past tense vs present perfect tense)
4.6	Menyusun teks interaksi transaksional, lisan dan tulis, pendek dan sederhana, yang melibatkan tindakan unsur dan meminta informasi terkait keadaan/tindakan/kegiatan/kejadian yang dilakukan/terjadi di waktu lampau yang merujuk waktu terjadinya dan kesudahannya, dengan memperhatikan fungsi sosial, struktur teks, dan unsur kebahasaan yang benar dan sesuai konteks.

---

It gets a bit tricky for English learners when they want to talk about past events. They have to consider whether the time of the event/action is known or not, and whether the action or situation is continuing up to the present or has finished. Based on my teaching experience, English learners often have difficulties in using the Simple Past and the Present Perfect correctly. The students are not accustomed to using different forms of verbs in relation with the time of event. Now let's take a look at the form of verbs in the Simple Past tense and the Present Perfect Tense.

The Simple Past (Verb 2)	The Present Perfect Simple (Have/has + V3)
Affirmative / positive I went to the museum last Sunday. He visited us two weeks ago. Negative I didn't go to the museum last Saturday. He didn't visit us last week. Interrogative / Question Did you go to the museum last Saturday? Did he visit you last week?	Affirmative / positive I have visited the museum twice this week. He has visited us a few times. Negative I haven't visited the museum for ages. He hasn't visited us this week. Interrogative / Question Have you visited the museum? Has he visited you this week?

To decide whether we should use the Simple Past tense or the Present Perfect Simple tense, look at the following guidelines.
1. Do we know when the event or situation happened? Which is important to talk about, the time of the event or the event itself?

The Simple Past

The Present Perfect Simple

To talk or ask about an event or situation which occurred at a specified time in the past. The time of event is important to talk about. Untuk membicarakan atau menanyakan kejadian atau situasi yang terjadi pada waktu lampau tertentu. Waktu kejadian penting untuk dibicarakan. When did you meet him? ~ I met him this morning. Where did you learn French? ~ I learnt French when I was at college.

To talk about events or situations which occurred at an unspecified time in the past. The event or situation is more important to talk about than the time of event. Untuk kegiatan atau kejadian yang terjadi di masa lampau dan waktu kejadian tidak diketahui secara pasti. Kejadian lebih penting untuk dibicarakan daripada waktu kejadian itu sendiri. Have you met him? ~ Yes, I have. I have finished reading the book.

2. Is the event or situation continuing up to the present time, or has it finished?

The Simple Past

The Present Perfect Simple

To indicate an event/situation which occurred in a period of time or at a moment in a period of time now terminated. The time of event is known and may be omitted from the sentence. Menggambarkan kejadian/situasi yang terjadi pada waktu atau suatu jangka waktu yang sekarang sudah berakhir. Waktu kejadian sudah diketahui dan tidak perlu disebutkan. He lived in Surabaya for six years. (He doesn't live there now) Andi Meriem Matalatta, who died in 2010, released at least twenty-six hit songs. Did she call you yesterday? ~ Yes, she called me three times yesterday. How long did you stay in Jakarta? ~ I stayed there for a week.

To indicate events or situations which began in the past, and have continued up to (or just before) the moment of speaking. Untuk kegiatan atau kejadian yang dimulai di masa lampau dan berlanjut hingga (tepat sebelum) saat berbicara. He has worked here for two years. (She has worked here since 2009, and is still working here.) Wali Band has released several hit songs so far. (They still exist.) Has she called you? ~ Yes, she has rang me up twice today. How long have you lived here? ~ I've lived here all my life.

3. Does the event or situation still have results in the present or not?

The Simple Past	The Present Perfect Simple
To indicate a past event/situation which no longer has results in the present. Menggambarkan kejadian/situasi lampau yang tidak lagi berdampak pada masa sekarang. The computer broke down. (but it's working again now) The students cleaned their classroom. (but it's probably dirty again now) He broke his right leg in the accident. (but he has recovered)	To indicate a recent event or situation which still has results in the present. Untuk kegiatan atau situasi yang baru saja terjadi dan masih berdampak pada masa sekarang. The computer has broken down. (We cannot use it now) The students have cleaned their classroom. (It's clean now) He has broken his right leg in the accident. (He is still in the hospital)

4. Just or Just now? British or American English?

The Simple Past	The Present Perfect Simple
1. Used with just now, meaning a moment ago, both in British and American English. She left just now. (She left a moment ago) The school bell rang just now. (It rang a moment ago) 2. Used wih just, meaning a moment ago, in American English. She just left. (She left a moment ago) The school bell just rang. (It rang a moment ago)	Used wih just, meaning a moment ago, in British English. She has just left. (She left a moment ago) The school bell has just rang. (It rang a moment ago) It has just stopped raining. (It stopped raining a few minutes ago) Has he just arrived?

5. Delivering news in British or American English?

The Simple Past	The Present Perfect Simple
To report news in American English. Did you hear the news? The Police arrested Nazaruddin. The government announced a new tax regulation.	To report news in British English. Have you heard the news? The Police have arrested Nazaruddin. The government has announced a new tax regulation.

Now practice what you've just learned and do the exercise on the link below. Reference:

1. Thomson & Martinet. A Practical English Grammar (4th Ed). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1986
2. Swan, M. Practical English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1980