a way of talking about the past ‘used to’ a way of talking about the past

Look at the pictures 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 sports but I don’t do any now ‘I’m 89 years old. I used to do a lot of sports 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’.

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.

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

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.

Verb = S + Used to + V(base) Adj = S + Be used to + Ving Adj = S + Get used to + Ving

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?

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

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……

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

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?

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

Language Practice 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.

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.

‘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: 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

Answers: 1 - c 2 – a 3 – b