In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 25 in the category of PAST simple is defined as:
habitual states or actions.
PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE:
They always went back late.
Chinese male, level 3, writing class.
EXPERT EXAMPLE:
He would take me with him on his jobs and say, ” Come on Jo, let’s go do something to make this world a better place.”
His hands were wide and calloused, and they always reminded me of displaced tree roots.
Both examples in the EGP follow the pattern ‘always + past simple verb’
An iWeb search for:
always _VVD * * *
1 ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WOULD BE 680
2 ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS A 656
3 ALWAYS KNEW I WANTED TO 582
4 ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A 554
5 ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS THE 256
6 ALWAYS FELT LIKE I WAS 255
7 ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE A 253
8 ALWAYS STRUCK ME AS A 235
9 ALWAYS KNEW THAT I WANTED 233
10 ALWAYS LIKED THE IDEA OF 231
11 ALWAYS THOUGHT HE WAS A 190
12 ALWAYS SEEMED TO HAVE A 189
13 ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS JUST 186
14 ALWAYS TOOK THE TIME TO 185
15 ALWAYS LOVED THE IDEA OF 172
16 ALWAYS KNEW SHE WANTED TO 162
17 ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE THE 161
18 ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE IN 156
19 ALWAYS SEEMED TO ME THAT 156
20 ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN 145
21 ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT IT WAS 143
22 ALWAYS MADE ME FEEL LIKE 141
23 ALWAYS KNEW HE WANTED TO 140
24 ALWAYS FOUND IT TO BE 133
25 ALWAYS TOLD ME , ” 133
26 ALWAYS WANTED IT TO BE 133
27 ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT IT WOULD 131
I always wondered what it would be like to be on one of them.
28 ALWAYS THOUGHT OF IT AS 129
29 ALWAYS MADE IT A POINT 124
30 ALWAYS GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT 115
31 ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT HAPPENED TO 115
32 ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WAS A 114
33 ALWAYS FELT THAT I WAS 112
34 ALWAYS FELT THAT IT WAS 108
35 ALWAYS FOUND THEM TO BE 108
36 ALWAYS THOUGHT I WAS A 108
37 ALWAYS KNEW IT WOULD BE 106
38 ALWAYS CAME BACK TO THE 105
39 ALWAYS WANTED TO GO TO 103
40 ALWAYS WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND 101
41 ALWAYS KNEW IT WAS GOING 97
42 ALWAYS THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING 97
43 ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT I 96
44 ALWAYS WANTED. 95
45 ALWAYS WANTED TO HAVE A 94
46 ALWAYS WENT THE EXTRA MILE 93 (UNLISTED IDIOM)
They always went the extra mile to ensure I was happy.
47 ALWAYS KNEW I WAS GOING 91
48 ALWAYS KNEW THERE WAS A 88
49 ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE 88
50 ALWAYS KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING 86
51 ALWAYS LOVED THE LOOK OF 86
52 ALWAYS SEEMED TO ME TO 85
53 ALWAYS WONDERED IF IT WAS 85
54 ALWAYS THOUGHT I WOULD BE 84
55 ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS WEIRD 78
56 ALWAYS THOUGHT THIS WAS A 78
57 ALWAYS TOLD ME I WAS 78
58 ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT IF 76
59 ALWAYS LIKED THE LOOK OF 75
60 ALWAYS SEEMED TO HAVE THE 75
61 ALWAYS WONDERED IF THERE WAS 75
62 ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE ON 74
63 ALWAYS STOOD OUT TO ME 74
64 ALWAYS STRUCK ME AS ODD 74
65 ALWAYS FELT THE NEED TO 73
66 ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY 73
67 ALWAYS FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO 72
68 ALWAYS SAID TO ME , 72
69 ALWAYS WANTED ONE OF THESE 72
70 ALWAYS THOUGHT I WAS THE 69
71 ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS AN 69
72 ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU HAD TO 69
73 ALWAYS WANTED TO DO SOMETHING 69
74 ALWAYS ASSUMED IT WAS A 68
75 ALWAYS KNEW THAT I WAS 68
76 ALWAYS THOUGHT OF MYSELF AS 68
77 ALWAYS KNEW THAT I WOULD 67
78 ALWAYS THOUGHT THEY WERE A 66
79 ALWAYS WANTED ME TO BE 66
80 ALWAYS FOUND IT HARD TO 65
81 ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS MY 65
82 ALWAYS FELT THAT THERE WAS 64
83 ALWAYS FOUND HIM TO BE 63
84 ALWAYS SAID I WANTED TO 62
85 ALWAYS THOUGHT THERE WAS A 62
86 ALWAYS KNEW WHAT WAS GOING 61
87 ALWAYS KNEW YOU WERE A 60
88 ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS SO 60
89 ALWAYS WENT OUT OF HIS 60
90 ALWAYS FELT LIKE I HAD 59
91 ALWAYS REMINDED ME OF THE 59
92 ALWAYS SAID THAT I WOULD 59
93 ALWAYS FELT IT WAS A 58
94 ALWAYS FELT THAT I HAD 58
95 ALWAYS SAW IT AS A 58
96 ALWAYS WANTED TO MAKE A 58
97 ALWAYS FOUND IT A BIT 56
98 ALWAYS MADE ME LAUGH . 56
99 ALWAYS TOLD ME , ‘ 56
100 ALWAYS FELT LIKE IT WAS 55
A2:
bit, came back, extra, happened, idea, if, just, laugh, myself, point, so, stood
B1:
look out, mile, reminded, seemed, struck, wondered