activities for students

Verbs
Used to


Used to vs would
Used to do vs used to doing
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Used to do vs would
"What is the different between used to and would?"
We can use both used to and would to talk about repeated events and actions in the past:
• My grandfather used to/would walk five kilometres each morning.
• She would/used to bake a big chocolate cake every Sunday.
If you want to talk about repeated states in the past, you must use used to:
• He used to be a baker (NOT He would be …)
• I used to have a black cat called Maisy (NOT I would have …)
This is only one use of the word would. It can be used in many other ways as well.
For more information about the use of used to and would see the following websites:
http://www.bartleby.com/64/C001/065.html
For many examples of the use of used to and would, see the Web Concordancer:
http://vlc.polyu.edu.hk/scripts/concordance/WWWConcappE.htm
Type used to or would into the 'search string' field, select any corpus in the 'select corpus' field, and then click on the 'search for concordances' button.
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Used to do vs used to doing
The use of used to do is dealt with above. Used to doing, or be used to doing has a different meaning. We use it to talk about things that are familiar, and not strange or new:
• It took him a while until he was used to driving on the left-hand side of the road.
• I am used to getting up at six o'clock in the morning.
Note that this structure can be followed by a noun or noun phrase, as well as an –ing form:
• We live near the airport, so we are used to the noise of planes.
• John lived in Mexico, so he is used to very hot food.
Apart from the verb to be, the verbs get, grow and become can also be used before used to doing. They are used to describe the process that leads to something being familiar. The first example above was:
• It took him a while until he was used to driving on the left-hand side of the road.
When he first arrived in England, he wasn't used to driving on the left-hand side of the road. But after a while, in which he was practising his driving (getting used to driving on the left), he ended up being familiar with it. See these other examples:
• She grew used to him staying up late at night and working.
• The gorilla eventually became used to its new cage.
To see examples of the use of used to doing in context, have a look at the Web Concordancer:
http://vlc.polyu.edu.hk/scripts/concordance/WWWConcappE.htm
Type any of the following words: be, am, is, are, was, were or been, get, got, become, became, grow, grew or grown + used to + any common –ing form into the 'search string' field, select any corpus in the 'select corpus' field, and then click on the 'search for concordances' button.
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USED TO vs. WOULD
WOULD can be used to talk about past routine. With WOULD we have to mention a specific time (if not, it sounds like a conditional).

USED TO is used to talk about past routine (discontinued habits and past states), and is much more common in modern English. Always remember this: IF YOU ARE IN DOUBT USE "USED TO".
e.g. When I was 25, I used to go on jogging every morning.
e.g. I would go jogging every morning when I lived in New York.
e.g. I used to have a small hairy dog. (not WOULD)
e.g. There used to be a post office on the corner of that street. (not WOULD)
e.g. He used to be a handsome man but now he is fat and bald !!
e.g. Slovenia used to be part of Yugoslavia.


School Lesson
Vocabulary
Language Focus - School subject, Irregular verbs
Follow-up activities - (1) Have students write out their class schedule and compare it with other students. Which students are studying the same subjects? (2)Have students write sentences using the irregular verbs.
Grammar
Language Focus - used to vs. would
Follow-up activities - Have students describe a typical day when they were little using "used to" or "would." (eg. I used to get up early and walk to school.)
Listening/Dialog
Language Focus - An elderly woman explains what it was like attending school in a one-room schoolhouse
Follow-up activities - (1) Have students read the dialog in pairs and/or act it out. (2) For homework, have students interview their parents, grandparents, or any elderly person that they know about how schools were different when they were young. Students present their information to the class at a later date.
Reading
Language Focus - 1872 Rules for Teachers
Follow-up activities - Have students discuss if they think that teachers today should have rules of behavior. If so, what should they be. Make a list of modern rules for teachers. (Activity described in "More Practice" section on reading page.)
Expressions
Language Focus - Common American English expressions
Follow-up activities - Have students write sentences using each of the expressions.
Dictation
Language Focus - spelling
Follow-up activities - Have students write any words they misspelled in the dictation in their notebook five times to practice spelling it.
Game
Language Focus - Match retired people with descriptions of what they used to do.
Follow-up activities - For homework, have students interview a retired person about what they used to do at their job.

Used to and Would (‘d) Answer Key
We use, Used to to talk about an action we did as a habit in the past but we don’t now.
(I used to smoke, but I quit.) Would + verb can also describe a habit in the past. (When
I was in university, I would often study all night.)
(used to is a periphrasitc modal, would is a simple modal)
Summers on the Farm
I used to spend the summer with my Uncle Joe on his farm. I’d get up at the crack of
dawn and I’d milk cows, bring in the hay, and feed the chickens. I’d complain like hell
about the work, but it really was a good experience.
Writing My Thesis
When I was completing my thesis, I used to write from 9:00 in the morning until 11:00 at
night. I did that seven days a week for 4 months. I’d grab a cup of coffee, sit down at
the computer and boot it up. I’d review my notes and my data, and I’d get busy typing.
Sometimes, I’d forget to take a break. At the end of the day, everybody would leave and
I’d still be writing. I was often the only person left in the building. When I finally left for
the night, I’d often feel quite nervous.
Answer these questions:
1. Where does used to occur? (beginning of the paragraph)
2. Where does would (‘d) occur? (throughout the paragraph)
3. Which form introduces the topic? (used to)
4. Which form introduces supporting details? (would)
5. Which form expresses past habits most clearly?(would)
6. How is the past tense used? What kind of information does it introduce? (to
provide background information)
First Job Away from Home
My son’s first job away from home _________ (be) at a summer resort in the off-season.
It __________ (be) very isolated. There __________ (be) no TV and the radio only
__________ (pick up) one station. He __________ (be) really lonely and bored. He
_______________(wait) until 6:00 p.m. when the long distance became free, and then
he ____________ (begin) phoning everyone he knew. First he ____________ (phone)
me and we ____________ (chat) for awhile. Then he ____________ (phone) his two
grandmas. He ____________ (call) each of his friends then and talk to them. At about
11:00, he ____________ (call) me again and we ____________ (do) a crossword
puzzle over the phone. Finally, he _____________ (go) to bed and read until he fell
asleep.
Now write a paragraph about something you used to do.


Used to

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FORM Used to

[USED TO] + [verb]

EXAMPLES:

I used to go to the beach everyday.


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USE 1 Habit in the Past

"Used to" expresses the idea that something was an old habit that stopped in the past. It says that something was often repeated in the past, but it is not usually done now.

EXAMPLES:

Jerry used to study English.

Sam and Mary used to go to Mexico in the summer.

I used to start work at 9 o'clock.

Christine used to eat meat, but now she is a vegetarian.


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USE 2 Past Fact

"Used to" can also be used to talk about past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.

EXAMPLES:

I used to live in Paris.

Sarah used to be fat, but now she is thin.

George used to be the best student in class, but now Leena is the best.

Oranges used to cost very little in Florida, but now they are quite expensive.


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ACTIVE / PASSIVE Used to

EXAMPLES:

Jerry used to pay the bills. ACTIVE

The bills used to be paid by Jerry. PASSIVE


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PART A
Some of the sentences below contain common verb form mistakes. Find the sentences with errors and correct them using either "Simple Past," "Used to" or "Would Always." If you are confused, go to the Simple Past Page, the "Used to" Page or the "Would Always" Page .
EXAMPLE:
used to
A) I would always be unhealthy as a child.



1. When I was a child, I rode my bike everyday.

2. She would always be beautiful when she was young.

3. I used to go to the beach on holidays.

4. Margie loves horses because she used to have one as a child.

5. James would always have a very important test last week.

6. Jerry always used to cook dinner for himself, but now his wife prepares dinner.

7. Jamie would always have a dog when she was a child, but now she has a cat.

8. Laura would always bake cookies for us when we were kids.

9. I used to graduate from Georgetown University in 1992.

10. He would constantly embarrass himself by asking stupid questions in class.

11. They would spend Easter with us every year until we moved.

12. They used to spend Easter with us every year until we moved.

13. They spent Easter with us every year until we moved.

14. I used to be fat, but I lost a lot of weight in high school.

15. I would always be fat, but I lost a lot of weight in high school.


Verb Tense Exercise 10 Answers
PART A
1. When I was a child, I rode my bike everyday. Correct
used to be / was
2. She would always be beautiful when she was young.

went
3. I used to go to the beach yesterday.

4. Margie loves horses because she used to have one as a child. Correct
had
5. James would always have a very important test last week.

6. Jerry always used to cook dinner for himself, but now his wife prepares dinner. Correct
used to have / had
7. Jamie would always have a dog when she was a child, but now she has a cat.

8. Laura would always bake cookies for us when we were kids. Correct
graduated
9. I used to graduate from Georgetown University in 1992.

10. He would constantly embarrass himself by asking stupid questions in class. Correct

11. They would spend Easter with us every year until we moved. Correct

12. They used to spend Easter with us every year until we moved. Correct

13. They spent Easter with us every year until we moved. Correct

14. I used to be fat, but I lost a lot of weight in high school. Correct
used to / was
15. I would always be fat, but I lost a lot of weight in high school.