Talking about the past

Habits in the past‘used to’

Look at the pictures in the next slide and answer the question:

What do the three old people have in common?

‘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’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’.

‘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’.

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.

When I was a child…

I used to go to the seaside

every summer

I no longer go to the seaside

in the summer

PA S T P R E S E N T

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.

Don’t get confused between:

1. I used to live in the country

2. I am used to living in the country

3. I got used to living in the country

A question for you: what’s the difference in meaning between these

three sentences?

Answers:

I used to live in the country = I no longer live in the country, I live in

a big city nowI’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

To express the idea with a graph…

I’m used to driving to work. It takes me half

an hour

PA S T P R E S E N T

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 agoDo a lot of sportHave a lot of hairBe quite slimNot have a girlfriendHave a bicycleNot have much money

NowNot do any sportNot have much hairBe overweight Be marriedHave a carGet a good salary

Language Practice 1

Choose the correct form:

1. Mike used to go / uses to go to football matches2. Used you to / Did you use to live in Hobson Street?3. Helen was playing / used to play with dolls when she

was small4. This lake used to be / was used to be much bigger

than it is now5. I didn’t use to / I not used to like jazz, but I’ve

changed my mind6. Chris always used to meet / was always meeting his

friends after school7. Phil gets up / uses to get up early every morning

Keys

1. Mike used to go to football matches2. Did you use to live in Hobson Street?3. Helen used to play with dolls when she was small4. This lake used to be much bigger than it is now5. I didn’t use to like jazz, but I’ve changed my mind6. Chris always used to meet his friends after

school7. Phil gets up early every morning

Language Practice 2

Re-write the sentences with the necessary changes to the parts in bold when it is possible to use ‘used to’:

1. Did you see your grandchildren last summer?2. When I lived in NY I went jogging in Central Park twice a week.3. Did Mrs. Springle dress smartly when she was the Minister of

Education?4. My sister Renata didn’t eat any kind of vegetables when she

was a child. Now she’s a vegetarian.5. Were your parents in Rome last May?6. Greenfall was a very quiet seaside resort once. Now it has

become very crowded.7. Bob took me to the airport in his car when I left last week.8. For years our parents went on holiday to France. Now they go

to Spain.

Keys

1. Did you see your grandchildren last summer? OK2. When I lived in NY I used to go jogging in Central Park

twice a week.3. Did Mrs. Springle use to dress smartly when she was the

Minister of Education? 4. My sister Renata didn’t use to eat any kind of vegetables

when she was a child. Now she’s a vegetarian.5. Were your parents in Rome last May? OK6. Greenfall used to be a very quiet seaside resort once. Now it

has become very crowded.7. Bob took me to the airport in his car when I left last week.

OK8. For years our parents used to go on holiday to France. Now

they go to Spain.

‘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.

Language analysis

Which of the following sentences describes:

1. A single action in the past?

2. Repeated actions/states in the past?

3. Repeated actions/states in the present?

a) We used to laugh a lot

b) We usually have toast for tea

c) I laughed when I saw him

Answers:

1 - c

2 – a

3 – b