Expressing Habits and Annoying Behaviour

• In clinical practice, we often need to talk about recurring actions and frustrating personal habits of colleagues using specific modal and continuous structures.
• Structure
• Function
• Example
• will + infinitive
• Predictable annoying behaviour
• Dr. Vance will interrupt every clinical meeting.
• would + infinitive
• Past repeated annoying habits
• During ward rounds, Dr. House would belittle residents.
• be always + -ing
• Continuous irritation in present
• She is constantly undermining her junior colleagues.
• keep (on) + -ing
• Persistent repetition of an action
• He keeps taking credit for my research papers.
• Remember
• Use 'will' to describe typical, predictable annoying traits in the present.
• Use 'would' for characteristic past habits of colleagues.
• Use 'be always + -ing' to emphasize irritation about frequent present actions.
• Use 'keep (on) + -ing' to highlight persistent repetition despite complaints.
• Examples
• Dr. Smith will always arrive late to surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
• When we worked in London, he would make passive-aggressive comments.
• The clinical lead is always dismissing valid safety concerns.
• She keeps interrupting ward rounds at Massachusetts General.
• Common mistakes
• He always leaves his pager in the office.
• He is always leaving his pager in the office.
• She kept to interrupt the consultant during surgery.
• She kept on interrupting the consultant during surgery.

Complete the sentences

• Dr. Evans (will) ____ always talk loudly outside the operating theatre at Mayo Clinic.
• When we were at Cleveland Clinic, he (would) ____ leave the hardest tasks for the junior residents.
• That consultant (be always) ____ making condescending remarks during our morning briefings.
• She (keep on) ____ questioning my clinical judgment at Seattle Grace Hospital.
• Why (will) ____ he always arrive unprepared for grand rounds in Boston?
• Back in Chicago, my supervisor (would) ____ constantly undermine my surgical confidence.

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