28126 talking about past habits (1)

*Make sentences with USED TO describing the pictures, following the model:
1
2
3

My cousin used to buy lots of toys when he was a kid. ( - My cousin / he - a kid)
My brother and I didn’t use to surf when we went to the beach. (× My brother and I / we - to the beach )
Did your friends use to play chess when you were younger? (? Your friends you - younger)
*See the grammar notes on page 2 .

1

pretend to be
a rock star
8

7

play pin the
tail on
thevolleyball
donkey
play

9

10

prayplay
before
marbles

going to bed
11

do cartwheels
13

wear bunny
slippers

2

3

read sitting on the
ground

win sprint races

5

4

have pillow fights
with friends.

6

splash in the
puddles

1.................................................................................................................................................
( my cousin / she -five years old)
2.................................................................................................................................................
(× Tim / he - the 2nd year)
3.................................................................................................................................................
(? your brother Charlie / he – live- Italy)
4................................................................................................................................................
(? you and your sister / your family - live abroad)
5.................................................................................................................................................
(× my friend Samantha
/ she – primary school)
5
6................................................................................................................................................
(  You and Andrew / you – live - Brazil)
7.................................................................................................................................................
(? Sylvia and Martha / they – secondary school)
8................................................................................................................................................
( my sister Chris / at birthday parties)
9...................................................................................................................................................
(× Ann / she – eight)
10............................................................................................................................................
(? you and your
brother
/ you- on holiday)
12
fold
the laundry
11...........................................................................................................................................
(× Susan’s little brother / he – nursery school)
12.............................................................................................................................................

( All of us / we – school kids)
13...........................................................................................................................................
(? Michael / he – three years
play hide and
old)seek
14...............................................................................................................................................
( I / I – live in Scotland)
14
15.................................................................................................................................................
(x I - like playing with dolls / I – eight)

love playing
detective games

play football


Notes
Express past habits and states with USED TO.

Used to refers to things that happened at an earlier
stage of our lives and are now finished.

Use the present simple and add usually to express
habits in the present.

They usually have tea together on Fridays.
Forms:

Affirmative: I used to live in Denmark when I was a child.

Negative: I didn’t use to speak English when I was younger.
Interrogative: Did you use to stay home at weekends?
Short answer: No, I didn’t.

Write about three habits you (or someone you know) had when you were
younger.
1 .....................................................................................................................
2.....................................................................................................................
3.....................................................................................................................
Now, write about three habits you or someone you know have/has at present.
1 ..............................................................................................................................
2 ..............................................................................................................................
3 ..............................................................................................................................


KEY
1.
2.
3.
4.

My cousin used to pretend to be a rock star when she was five years old.
Tim didn’t use to read sitting on the ground when he was five years old.
Did your brother Charlie use to win sprint races when he lived in Italy?
Did you and your sister use to have pillow fights with friends when your family

lived abroad?
5. My friend Samantha didn’t use to splash in the puddles when she was in primary
school.
6. You and Andrew used to play football when you lived in Brazil.

7. Did Sylvia and Martha use to play volleyball when they were in secondary school?
8. My sister Chris used to play pin the tail on the donkey at birthday parties.
9. Ann didn’t use to pray before going to bed when she was eight.
10. Did you and your brother use to play marbles when you were on holiday?
11. Susan’s little brother didn’t use to do cartwheels when he was in nursery school.
12. All of us used to play hide and seek when we were school kids.
13. Did Michael use to wear bunny slippers when he was three years old?
14. I used to love playing detective games when I lived in Scotland.
15. I didn’t use to like playing with dolls when I was eight.