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practice ~ habit ~ custom

{Please, look up the word ‘tradition’, too.}

These three words in this set express more or less the same idea: ‘to do something regularly’; however, there are some situations where they cannot be interchanged.  Therefore, a simple list of the most common situations is given below, and as is the case with any list of words in English, this list is also not complete.  Learners are advised to make note of the words and the other common words that usually go with these words (the collocation) as they go along practising their English.

The list of common situations with simple examples is as follows:

PRACTICE

‘the act of doing something or the use of something (but not just keeping in ideas or theory) regularly in order to achieve something; the way of doing something regularly; the system of doing repeatedly or regularly, usually in order to learn or to make something perfect’ something; the way of doing something’

Examples:

In theory all are equal, but in practice women receive much lower wages than men.

There are numerous religious beliefs and practices in the present world.

It’s a common practice in several schools for students to so the same class if they fail in the speaking skills.

Lawyers do not consider it a good practice to reveal their clients’ secrets.

__________

HABIT

a habit is something that one does regularly

Examples:

Doing regular physical exercise is a good habit.

Some people are in the habit of taking a nap after lunch.

If you stopped taking lessons, you would go out of the habit of practising your English.

Smoking tobacco is a bad habit.

He’s often late for work these days. I’m afraid he’s making a habit of this.

‘… old habits die hard’ means ‘it is difficult to get out of a habit even when you realise its bad effects’

Instil decent eating habits in children.

__________

CUSTOM

‘a custom is something that is done by most of the people in a particular society or in a country often ‘not thinking about it because one has done it so many times before’

The custom of naming people after their favourite gods is very common in parts of Asia.

She woke up late on Sunday last, as was her custom.

It is the custom for the farmers to give a little part of their crops to their deities.

It is the custom in most Asian countries to take off one’s footwear before entering a place of worship.

The custom of sending gifts on Valentine’s Day is catching up in places like our small towns.

*** ‘Custom’ is sometimes used in place of “customers”, the people who buy or use the services of a business. For example, “Small shops lose a lot of custom to supermarkets.”

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