Lesson 88: Unit 141 - Used To
Learn how to use 'used to + infinitive' to talk about habits and actions in the past that no longer happen, and understand the difference between 'used to' and the Past Simple.
About this lesson
In this lesson you will learn how to use the structure 'used to + infinitive' to describe habits and actions that were repeated in the past but no longer happen. You will read an entertaining collection of childhood fears and beliefs in which the structure is used in practice. You will learn when to choose 'used to' and when to choose the Past Simple – the key difference is whether the action happened once or was repeated. You will practise affirmative, negative and question forms with 'used to' through a variety of exercises.
40 minutes
What you'll learn
- Form affirmative, negative and question sentences with 'used to'
- Understand and use 'used to' for repeated actions and habits in the past
- Distinguish the use of 'used to' from the Past Simple
- Describe your own past habits and beliefs in English
- Recognise 'used to' in authentic texts
Lesson vocabulary
- used to + infinitive I used to work in the French embassy but now I work in a travel agency.
- bizarre I Used To Believe is a funny and bizarre collection of ideas.
- to flush the toilet Before flushing the toilet, I used to open the door and get ready to run.
- to roar I thought a gorilla was going to come out of the toilet, roaring at me.
- to skin one's knee He fell down and skinned his knee.
- misery I used to think the practice of putting animals out of their misery applied to humans as well.
- pope I used to think there was a different Pope in every country.
- incredibly I used to believe that it was incredibly difficult to drive.
- turn (noun) Making big turns and stopping was doable.
- tiny My parents constantly making the tiny adjustments with the steering wheel.
- adjustment Making the tiny adjustments with the steering wheel to track the lane.
- steering wheel Watching my parents making adjustments with the steering wheel seemed complicated.
- lane To track the lane seemed unbelievably complicated.
- convinced I used to be convinced that at some point, girls turned into boys.
- evidence It was a logical deduction, but I can't remember the evidence.
In other languages: Български