era usage

Andrew S.A1Kwiziq community member

era usage

how do you distinguish the phrase, he used to be a good runner , from he was a good runner.
Asked 9 months ago
SilviaKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hola Andrew

Just as Marcos has already explained, the phrase "he used to be a good runner" implies that at some point in the past, he had the habit or regular activity of being a good runner, but this may no longer be the case.

On the other hand, "he was a good runner" simply states that, at a specific point in the past, he possessed the quality of being a good runner without implying any change over time.

In summary, "used to be" suggests a past habit or state that may have changed, while "was" describes a past state without indicating a change.

¡Buen finde!

Silvia

Marcos G.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

This sounds like a question about English. 

If we say “he was a good runner”, it could be used to set the stage of the story and to be a condition that continues into the time of the narrator. Imagine someone in the starting blocks at the beginning of the race. We could say, “He was a good runner. He knew it and he knew it well. But then why did he feel so anxious?”  

But “he used to be a good runner” is something that is over with and does not continue into the time of the narrative. “He used to be a good runner. If only he could run now like he could back then! But as it was, he knew that he had lost the race even before it started.”

era usage

how do you distinguish the phrase, he used to be a good runner , from he was a good runner.

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