ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tend to do sth

fixed phr..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

fixed phr.. to usually do something or be a certain way. You use this to describe a habit or a common pattern.

fixed phr.. to be likely to behave in a particular way or have a certain characteristic. This semi-auxiliary structure expresses habitual action or a general tendency.


SIMPLE

I tend to wake up early on weekends.

CONTEXTUAL

Prices tend to go up during the holiday season because everyone is shopping.

COMPLEX

While the younger generation tends to embrace digital transformation, older employees often require more comprehensive training to adapt to new software systems.

Usage

followed by an infinitive verb; often used to make a statement sound less direct or more polite.

Teaching tip

teach this as a way to avoid overgeneralizing with 'always'; it functions similarly to 'usually' but focuses on the inclination of the subject.

Pitfall

I tend to doing exercise.I tend to do exercise.the phrase must be followed by the base form of the verb (infinitive), not the -ing form.

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