Different ways of expressing a concept

In English, there are several different ways to express a concept.

Study the sentence given below.

• When we were in Chennai, my mother used to go to the temple every day.

This sentence expresses a past habit. We can express the same idea using some other structures.

• When we were in Chennai, my mother would go to the temple every day.
• My mother was accustomed to going to temple every day.
• My mother was in the habit of going to temple every day.

Another example is given below.

When we were children we used to go to bed early.

We can express this idea using three other structures.

• When we were children we would go to bed early.
• When we were children we were accustomed to going to bed early.
• When we were children we were in the habit of going to bed early.

Now consider the sentence given below:

• I took a wrong decision and that landed me in trouble.

You can express your regret in three other ways.

• It was foolish of me to have taken that decision.
• If I hadn’t taken that decision, I wouldn’t have landed in trouble.
• I repent taking that foolish decision.

Another sentence is given below.

• I would advise you not to wait for him. He won’t come.

This sentence shows one way of giving advice. We can express the same idea using three other ways.

• You had better not wait for him. He won’t come.
• It is no use waiting for him. He won’t come.
• There is no point in waiting for him. He won’t come.