Past Habits (Used to...)
What kind of games did you use to play as a child?
Questions



Can you swim?
Do you play the piano?
Did you use to be a good student in High School?
Responses
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

Yes, I can.
Not anymore, but I used to play the piano.
No, I didn’t, but I used to be good at sports.
Follow Up Questions
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

When did you learn how to swim?
Where did you learn to play the piano?
Which sports did you use to play?
Responses
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

I learnt to swim when I was in Elementary School. I used to go to
swimming school every week.
I used to take lessons twice a week after school. I studied the
piano from 8 years old to 13 years old.
I used to play football, rugby and tennis. But I stopped playing
sports after High School. Now I run everyday.
Sounds like…
1) I used to play volleyball in High School.
2) Did you ever use to skip school?
3) I never used to get up early.
Practice i Use the information to ask and answer questions about past habits. i.e.

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
piano
A) Do you play the piano?
B) No, I don’t, but I used to.
eat junk food
smoke
drink alcohol
live alone
have a dog
play any sports
Practice ii Use the information to practice making statements about past habits. i.e.

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
she/tennis – now/golf (play)
She used to play tennis but now she plays golf.
they/London – now/Brighton (live)
we/swimming every week – now/swimming once a month (go)
he/never the newspaper – now/the newspaper everyday (read)
I/a lot of TV – now/never TV (watch)
she/a supermarket – now/a bank (work)
you/no dog – now/three dogs (have)
Exercise i Use a verb from the box to complete the sentences below. i.e.

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
He rarely used to ______ any exercise but now he goes to the gym
everyday.
He rarely used to do any exercise but now he goes to the gym everyday.
They never used to _______ golf but now they play every week.
I always used to _______ in my exams but I was never caught.
Tom and Jerry often used to _______ but now they don’t.
We sometimes used to _______ to school but we usually caught the bus.
When Samantha was a college student she occasionally used to ______ late
for lectures.
Jonathan usually used to _______ his homework in the library after school.
do
walk
play
do
be
quarrel
cheat
Exercise ii Match the statements on the left with the responses on the right.
a. Did you ever use to wear leg
warmers?
b. I used to listen to punk music
when I was in High School.
c. My brother used to love playing
Super Mario World.
d. What sports did you use to play
in High School?
e. When I was little, we lived in
Peckham, in South London.
f. The first album I ever bought
was ‘Rio’ by Duran Duran.
1. No way! I used to live there
too.
2. Well, I was never in any school
teams but I used to like playing
tennis.
3. That game was great! I used to
play it too.
4. I used to love that group. They
were the best!
5. Really? I preferred pop music.
6. Yes, I did. They were so cool
when I was in High School.
Two friends are talking about things they used to like doing when they were
teenagers.
Kevin: What kind of games were you into when you were in Junior High School?
Cindy: I used to like ‘Tetris’ – I used to play it everyday, whenever I had free time. How
about you? What did you use to like?
Kevin: I was a big fan of the SEGA game console. I used to play ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ a
lot. Then my friend got a Playstation so I used to go over to his house after school and we
would play ‘Tekken’ and ‘Gran Turismo’.
Cindy: I always wanted a Playstation but my parents wouldn’t let me have one. They
used to make me go to piano lessons after school. I had to practice everyday.
Kevin: Too bad. Do you still play the piano now?
Cindy: Not really. I don’t have any time, but I occasionally go to classical music concerts.
Do you still play video games?
Kevin: Yes, I do. I like online games now, like ‘World of Warcraft’ and ‘Final Fantasy.’
1) What did Cindy use to like playing in her free time?
2) Where did Kevin use to go after school?
3) What did Cindy use to do after school?