a way of talking about the past

• 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’.

• 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.

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?

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

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

I used to go to the seaside every summer
PA S T
I no longer go to the seaside in the summer
P R E S E N T

• 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.

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?

• 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

• ‘Used to’ + inf. to talk about ………
• ‘Be used to’ + ing. form to talk about……
• ‘Get used to’ + ing. form to talk about……

• ‘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

PA S T
I’m used to driving to work. It takes me half an hour
P R E S E N T

+
-
Subj.+ USED TO + _____
Subj.+ DIDN’T +____ TO + ____
?
DID + Subj.+ ____ TO + ____?
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!

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?

• How did you use to go to work when you lived in New York?
• Are you used to driving to work?

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

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

Keys
1. Mike used to go to football matches
2.
Did you use to live in Hobson Street?
3. Helen used to play with dolls when she was small
4. This lake used to be much bigger than it is now
5. I didn’t use to like jazz, but I’ve changed my mind
6. Chris always used to meet his friends after school
7. Phil gets up early every morning

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?
OK
2.
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?
OK
6.
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.
OK
8.
For years our parents used to go on holiday to France.
Now they go to Spain.

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.

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

1 - c
2 – a
3 – b

Further reflection on language:
You can find explanations and further practice on
‘used to’ in “Working with Grammar Gold” (Longman)
– Unit 20.6 - pages 397-398
You can find more info and examples on the following websites:
• http://www.englishgrammarsecrets.com/usedto/men u.php
• http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/usedto.html