Mark Zuckerberg
"I used to code in my dorm room. My roommates and I would stay up all night working on projects. Now I run one of the biggest companies in the world."
Past habit/situation → Big change!
Talking about past habits and how life has changed
✓ Things that were TRUE in the past but are NOT true now
✓ Things we DID REGULARLY in the past but DON'T do now
✓ How life has CHANGED over time
I used to live with my parents
I live alone / with roommates
"I used to code in my dorm room. My roommates and I would stay up all night working on projects. Now I run one of the biggest companies in the world."
Past habit/situation → Big change!
"I used to write songs in my bedroom as a teenager. My dad would drive me to Nashville every weekend to sing at cafés. I never used to think I'd sell out stadiums."
Past habits → Current success!
"We used to use paper maps. We would call friends on landlines. We didn't use to have smartphones. Now everything is on our phones!"
Life before vs life now!
By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to talk about past habits, describe how your life has changed, and compare the past with the present using "used to" and "would"!
1. Past states (situations that were true)
2. Past habits (things you did regularly)
The action or situation is FINISHED - it's not true anymore!
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ➕ Positive | Subject + used to + verb | I used to play football. |
| ➖ Negative | Subject + didn't use to + verb | I didn't use to like vegetables. |
| ❓ Question | Did + subject + use to + verb? | Did you use to live here? |
Positive: used to (with D)
Negative/Question: use to (NO D!) - because we already have "did/didn't"
WRONG: I didn't used to like it.
RIGHT: I didn't use to like it.
These describe WHAT WAS TRUE
These describe WHAT YOU DID REGULARLY
Pattern: I used to [past situation], but now I [present situation].
Complete these sentences about yourself:
Past habits ONLY - repeated actions in the past
Often used when telling stories or sharing memories
"Would" sounds more nostalgic and storytelling!
WRONG: I would live in Paris. ❌
RIGHT: I used to live in Paris. ✓
WRONG: She would be shy. ❌
RIGHT: She used to be shy. ✓
For states (be, have, live, know, like, love, hate), use "used to" ONLY!
Works for EVERYTHING:
I used to live in Paris. ✓
I used to walk to work. ✓
ONLY for habits:
I would live in Paris. ❌
I would walk to work. ✓
Perfect for storytelling and memories:
"When I was young, we used to live near a beach. Every summer, my family would go to the beach every day. My brother and I would build sandcastles. My dad would swim for hours. In the evening, we would eat ice cream and watch the sunset. Those were the best times."
Notice: "used to live" (state) + "would + action verbs" (habits)
| Type | Verbs | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Being | be, exist | I used to be taller than my sister. |
| Having | have, own, possess | We used to have a dog. |
| Knowing | know, believe, understand | I used to know all the words. |
| Feeling | like, love, hate, want, need | She used to love chocolate. |
| Living | live, belong | They used to live next door. |
Tell a memory from your childhood using "would":
1. When I was five, I be afraid of the dark.
Hint: "be" is a state verb!
2. My grandmother tell us stories every night.
Hint: "tell" is an action - repeated habit!
3. I have long hair, but I cut it last year.
Hint: "have" is a state verb!
4. She smoke, but she stopped 5 years ago.
Both work, but "used to" is more common for this!
5. you live in this neighborhood?
Hint: Questions don't have "d" in "use to"!
6. I like coffee, but now I drink it every day!
Find and correct the error:
"I would live in Tokyo when I was a child."
Find and correct the error:
"Did you used to play basketball?"
Make sentences with these prompts:
Choose a topic and talk about how things have changed. Use "used to" and "would"!
Where did you use to live? What did you use to do for fun? What would you do every weekend/summer? What did you use to be like as a child?
What was school like? What did you use to wear? What would you do during breaks? What subjects did you use to love/hate? Who did you use to be friends with?
What didn't use to exist? How did people use to communicate? What would you do for entertainment? How has technology changed daily life?
How did your city/country use to be different? What used to be there that isn't there now? What didn't use to exist? What would people do differently?
Ask these questions:
Click a card and talk about how this has changed in your life:
Where did you use to live? Where do you live now?
What music did you use to listen to? What do you listen to now?
What time did you use to go to bed? What about now?
What did you use to eat? What do you eat now?
How did you use to communicate with friends?
Where did your family use to go on holiday?
Prepare a 2-3 minute presentation about how YOUR life has changed. Talk about at least 4 different aspects of your life.
What kind of child were you? What did you use to like? What did you use to be afraid of? What would you do every day?
"When I was a child, I used to be... I would always..."
Where did you use to live? Who did you use to live with? What was your neighborhood like?
"I used to live in... with my... The area used to be..."
What did you use to do for fun? What hobbies did you use to have? What would you do every weekend?
"In my free time, I would... Every weekend, we would..."
What did you use to want to be? What did you use to believe? How have your goals changed?
"I used to dream of... I used to think that..."
What's the biggest difference between then and now? What changed your life the most?
"The biggest change is that I used to... but now I... Everything changed when..."
"Let me tell you how my life has changed. When I was a child, I used to live in a small village with my grandparents. I used to be very shy and quiet. Every summer, we would go to the river and would swim for hours. I used to think I would become a farmer like my grandfather. But everything changed when I moved to the city for university. Now I live in a big apartment, I'm much more confident, and I work in technology. I didn't use to like cities, but now I love the energy here. The biggest change is that I used to be afraid of change, but now I embrace it!"
You've completed Lesson 4!
You can now:
Next lesson: Lesson 5 - Present Perfect Continuous (How long have you been doing something?)