Help complete Maria's journal entry about how her life has changed.
📓 Maria's Journal:
"My morning routine is so different now! When I was in college, I ___ sleep until noon every weekend. Those lazy mornings feel like a distant memory. These days, after two years at my new job, I ___ waking up at 6 a.m.—it actually feels normal now!"
Choose the correct pair to fill both blanks:
The correct answer is used to ... am used to.
The first blank requires used to + base verb ("used to sleep") to describe a past habit that no longer exists. The second blank requires be used to + gerund ("am used to waking") to express being accustomed to something. Though both contain "used to," they have different structures and meanings: past habit vs. current familiarity.
Gerund
Gerund vs infinitive: the biggest source of errors for non-native speakers. Some verbs take only gerund (enjoy reading ✅), some only infinitive (want to read ✅), some take both with different meanings (stop reading ≠ stop to read). There's no logical rule — these must be learned by verb.
A gerund is the -ing verb form used as a noun. After prepositions = always gerund. After certain verbs (enjoy, avoid, finish) = always gerund. After to (preposition, not infinitive marker) = gerund (I look forward to seeing you).
Diagnostic: can you replace the -ing word with "it" or "something"? I enjoy it → yes, it's acting as a noun = gerund.
Infinitive
Infinitive vs gerund: the #1 verb-pattern confusion. Some verbs take only infinitive (want to go ✅), some only gerund (enjoy going ✅), some both with different meanings (stop to smoke ≠ stop smoking). No logical rule exists — learn by verb.
The infinitive = base verb form used non-finitely. To-infinitive (to go) after certain verbs. Bare infinitive (go) after modals and causatives.
Diagnostic: what's the main verb? Check whether it takes to-infinitive, bare infinitive, or gerund. If unsure, try both and see which sounds natural to native speakers.
Habitual aspect
Used to vs would: both describe past habits, but used to implies the habit has stopped and works for states (I used to live there). Would describes repeated actions within a known time frame and needs context (Every summer, we would swim). Mixing them up subtly shifts meaning.
The habitual aspect = present simple (current habits), used to (past habits, ended), would (past repeated actions in context).
Diagnostic: is it a past state? → only used to. A past repeated action with a time frame? → either works. Does it imply the habit ended? → used to is clearer.
B1 | Intermediate
B1 vs B2: B1 handles standard everyday communication and simple opinions. B2 handles abstract topics, sustained arguments, and nuanced register. If you can chat about your life but struggle to debate an issue or write a formal essay, you're B1.
B1 is the intermediate CEFR level: independent handling of familiar topics, second conditional, basic passive, reported speech, and linking words for cause and contrast.
Diagnostic: can you read a newspaper article on a familiar topic and summarise the argument? Comfortably → B2. Struggle with abstractions → still B1.
Medium
Medium vs Easy: Easy has one obviously correct answer and clearly wrong distractors. Medium has one correct answer but plausible distractors — you need to actually know the rule, not just guess from sound.
The Medium tag filters for A2–B1 challenges with realistic difficulty: one rule per question, plausible alternatives, everyday contexts.
Diagnostic: if you're scoring 90%+ on Easy, move here. If you're below 60% on Medium, go back to Easy for that topic. Target 70–80% accuracy for maximum learning.