Transcript Document

October 27, 2009
‘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
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.
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?
Listening Practice 2
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
Answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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
When I was a child…
I used to go to the seaside
every summer
PA S T
I no longer go to the seaside
in the summer
PRESENT
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 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’ + 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
To express the idea with a
graph…
I’m used to driving to
work. It takes me half an
hour
PA S T
PRESENT
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!
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?
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
Language Practice 1
Choose the correct form:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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
Keys
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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
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.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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:
1.
2.
3.
A single action in the past?
Repeated actions/states in the past?
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
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