1. a way of talking about the past
October 27, ‘used to’
a way of talking about the past

2. Look at the pictures and answer the question:
What do the three old people have in common?

3. ‘I’m 89 years old. I used to do a lot of sport but I don’t do any now
‘I’m 89 years old. I used to do a lot of sport but I don’t do any now. The most important thing for me is to feel good about life and laugh every day’.
‘I can’t believe it but I’m 87! I used to smoke but I gave up when I was 55. I don’t do much exercise, but I like to keep my brain active. I love chess’.
‘I’ll be 85 on my next birthday. The thing that keeps me young is dancing. I didn’t use to do any physical exercise but now I dance every day’.

4. Answer:
They all talk about something that happened regularly or went on for a time in the past but that they don’t do now/they no longer do.
Picture 1: I used to do a lot of sport but I don’t do any now.
Picture 2: I didn’t use to do any physical exercise but now I dance every day.
Picture 3: I used to smoke but I gave up when I was 55.

5. Listening practice 1
Look at the photos of Melissa when she was at school and today. Listen to her talking about her school days. Then answer the question:
Was she a rebel or
a good girl at school?

6. Listening Practice 2
Listen again, mark the sentences True (T) or False (F):
Melissa is a teenager in the photo
She used to write things on the walls
She didn’t like any of the subjects at school
Her least favourite subject was PE (=Physical Education)
The PE teacher made them try to do difficult things
She used to break the rules about the school uniform
She wanted to be a doctor
Her parents wanted her to be a teacher

7. Answers: Melissa is a teenager in the photo T
She used to write things on the walls F
She didn’t like any of the subjects at school F
Her least favourite subject was PE (=Physical Education) T
The PE teacher made them try to do difficult things T
She used to break the rules about the school uniform T
She wanted to be a doctor F
Her parents wanted her to be a teacher F

8. I used to go to the seaside I no longer go to the seaside
When I was a child…
I used to go to the seaside
every summer
I no longer go to the seaside
in the summer
HFDJFPMV
PA S T
P R E S E N T

9. Some examples:
I used to live in the country (=once/a long time ago I lived in the country. Now I don’t)
Sam used to spend his summer holidays in Mexico (=now he doesn’t)
I used to smoke, but now I’ve stopped. NOT: I was used to smoke
Christine used to eat meat, but now she’s a vegetarian.
Sarah used to be fat, but now she’s thin.
Jerry used to study English, but he doesn’t now.

10. Don’t get confused between:
I used to live in the country
I am used to living in the country
I got used to living in the country
A question for you:
what’s the difference in meaning between these three sentences?

11. Answers: I used to live in the country
= I no longer live in the country, I live in a big city now
I’m used to living in the country = living in the country is familiar and no longer strange
I got used to living in the country
= living in the country has become familiar/normal

12. Now make up the rule yourself:
‘Used to’ + inf. to talk about ………
‘Be used to’ + ing. form to talk about……
‘Get used to’ + ing. form to talk about……

13. Answers:
‘Used to’ + Inf. ’ TO TALK ABOUT PAST HABITS & STATES WHICH ARE NOW FINISHED. ‘Used to’ CAN BE FOLLOWED BY BOTH STATE & ACTION VERBS
‘Be used to’ + -ing. form TO TALK ABOUT PRESENT HABITS & STATES
‘Get used to’ + -ing. form TO TALK ABOUT THINGS/STATES THAT ARE BECOMING NORMAL/FAMILIAR

14. To express the idea with a graph…
I’m used to driving to work. It takes me half an hour
HFDJFPMV
PA S T
P R E S E N T

15. ‘USED TO’ HAS NO PRESENT FORM!
Language Focus - Form:
Subj.+ USED TO + _____ +
Subj.+ DIDN’T +____ TO + ____ -
DID + Subj.+ ____ TO + ____? ?
Pronunciation:
Note the pronunciation /ju:st/ & /ju:s/ in these structures whereas the past of the verb ‘to use’ is pronounced: /ju:zd/
‘USED TO’ HAS NO PRESENT FORM!

16. Now it’s your turn! Form questions with these prompts:
go/work/to/live/you/how/to/in/use/did/you/New York/when?
be/driving/used/to/you/work/to?

17. Answers: How did you use to go to work when you lived in New York?
Are you used to driving to work?

18. Look at the pictures and use the prompts below to make sentences about Thomas e.g. Thomas used to …, now he…. Then listen and check your answers.
20 years ago
Do a lot of sport
Have a lot of hair
Be quite slim
Not have a girlfriend
Have a bicycle
Not have much money
Now
Not do any sport
Not have much hair
Be overweight
Be married
Have a car
Get a good salary

19. Language Practice 1 Choose the correct form:
Mike used to go / uses to go to football matches
Used you to / Did you use to live in Hobson Street?
Helen was playing / used to play with dolls when she was small
This lake used to be / was used to be much bigger than it is now
I didn’t use to / I not used to like jazz, but I’ve changed my mind
Chris always used to meet / was always meeting his friends after school
Phil gets up / uses to get up early every morning

20. Keys Mike used to go to football matches
Did you use to live in Hobson Street?
Helen used to play with dolls when she was small
This lake used to be much bigger than it is now
I didn’t use to like jazz, but I’ve changed my mind
Chris always used to meet his friends after school
Phil gets up early every morning

21. Language Practice 2 Did you see your grandchildren last summer?
Re-write the sentences with the necessary changes to the parts in bold when it is possible to use ‘used to’:
Did you see your grandchildren last summer?
When I lived in NY I went jogging in Central Park twice a week.
Did Mrs. Springle dress smartly when she was the Minister of Education?
My sister Renata didn’t eat any kind of vegetables when she was a child. Now she’s a vegetarian.
Were your parents in Rome last May?
Greenfall was a very quiet seaside resort once. Now it has become very crowded.
Bob took me to the airport in his car when I left last week.
For years our parents went on holiday to France. Now they go to Spain.

22. Keys Did you see your grandchildren last summer? OK
When I lived in NY I used to go jogging in Central Park twice a week.
Did Mrs. Springle use to dress smartly when she was the Minister of Education?
My sister Renata didn’t use to eat any kind of vegetables when she was a child. Now she’s a vegetarian.
Were your parents in Rome last May? OK
Greenfall used to be a very quiet seaside resort once. Now it has become very crowded.
Bob took me to the airport in his car when I left last week. OK
For years our parents used to go on holiday to France. Now they go to Spain.

23. ‘Used to’ vs. Simple Past
Both Simple Past & ‘used to’ can be used to describe past habits, events & states. However ‘used to’ is preferred to emphasize repetition of actions/situations that are now finished.

24. Language analysis Which of the following sentences describes:
A single action in the past?
Repeated actions/states in the past?
Repeated actions/states in the present?
We used to laugh a lot
We usually have toast for tea
I laughed when I saw him

25. Answers:
1 - c
2 – a
3 – b

26. Further reflection on language:
You can find explanations and further practice on ‘used to’ in “Working with Grammar Gold” (Longman) – Unit pages
You can find more info and examples on the following websites: