Study the rules, look at the examples, then do the exercises.
We often want to say that something was true in the past but is not true any more. Maybe you had a habit and you stopped it, or a place was different years ago. English has a special structure for exactly this idea: used to.
Here is the core idea in one line: used to + base verb describes a past habit or a past state that is finished now. When you hear "used to", you know two things at once: it was true before, and it is not true today.
The form is wonderfully simple. The subject never changes anything: it is always used to (with a d) plus the base verb (V1), for every person — I, you, he, she, we, they.
| Subject | used to | base verb | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / you / we / they | used to | live | We used to live in a small town. |
| he / she / it | used to | have | She used to have long hair. |
This is the most important spelling point in the whole unit. In the negative and the question, we use did / didn't. Because did already shows the past, the d of used drops off — we write use to, not "used to".
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | used to + V1 | I used to walk to school. |
| Negative | didn't use to + V1 | I didn't use to like vegetables. |
| Question | Did + subject + use to + V1? | Did you use to play football? |
| Short answer | Yes, I did. / No, I didn't. | "Did she use to dance?" "Yes, she did." |
This is where students make the biggest error. Used to is only for repeated habits or long states. For a single, finished action (something that happened once), you must use the Past Simple.
| Idea | used to | Past Simple |
|---|---|---|
| Repeated habit over time | I used to visit my grandparents every summer. | I visited them every summer. (also possible) |
| One single action (once) | ✗ not used | Last week I visited them. |
| Long past state | She used to live in Paris. | She lived in Paris for ten years. |
Careful: be used to and get used to look similar but mean something completely different. They mean be / become accustomed to — something feels normal because you do it often. The form is be/get used to + noun or -ing, NOT the base verb.
| Structure | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| used to + V1 | past habit, now finished | I used to get up late. (before, not now) |
| be used to + -ing | accustomed to (it feels normal) | I am used to getting up early. (no problem now) |
| get used to + -ing | becoming accustomed to | I am getting used to my new school. |
These are the errors B1 students make most often with "used to". Check your own writing against this list.
| Wrong ✗ | Right ✓ | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Did you used to live here? | Did you use to live here? | after "did", the d drops: use to. |
| I didn't used to like carrots. | I didn't use to like carrots. | after "didn't", the d drops: use to. |
| Yesterday I used to see my old friend. | Yesterday I saw my old friend. | a single event → Past Simple, not used to. |
| She used to has long hair. | She used to have long hair. | always the base verb after used to. |
| I am used to get up early now. | I am used to getting up early now. | be used to + -ing, not the base verb. |
Deniz walks around the old neighbourhood with his grandpa and they talk about how it has changed. Read it twice and notice how they use "used to" for the past and the Past Simple for single events.
Choose the correct answer. — 10 questions, each one is marked instantly. Questions get harder as you go.
Learn the words, then use them in your own sentences about your childhood.
Write 8 sentences about your childhood and how life used to be. Use at least 8 of the words above.
Sentence starters (you can begin with these):
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will review your task.)
Read the text about Deniz, then answer the questions.
Good readers prepare before they start. Before you read, think about these three questions (you do not need to write the answers):
Words to spot (from the Speaking section): childhood · memory · neighbourhood · tradition · generation · change · get used to
My name is Deniz, and I am eleven years old. Last summer, my family moved to a new town, and my whole life changed. Now, when I look at old photos, I love telling my little sister how things used to be.
When I was little, I used to be afraid of the dark. I didn't use to sleep without a night light, and I used to run to my parents' room whenever I heard a strange noise. I also used to hate vegetables, so my mum laughs when she remembers it, because nowadays I eat everything on my plate.
We used to live in a small flat near my old school, and I loved that neighbourhood. Every afternoon, my friends and I used to play football in the park until it got dark. There used to be a big old tree next to the playground, and we used to climb it almost every day. In the evenings, my family used to sit together and play board games or tell funny stories. We didn't use to have tablets or smartphones, so we made our own fun. My best friend Kaan used to live in the flat above us, and every morning I used to carry a heavy bag of books to my old school with him.
Then, last year, everything changed. My father got a new job in another town, so we packed everything and moved. On my very first day at the new school, I was extremely nervous. I was not used to the big building, the new teachers or the strange faces. In my old school I used to know everybody, but here nobody used to say hello to me. I used to feel very lonely, and I even cried on the way home.
Little by little, however, things got better. I joined the football team, I made new friends, and I slowly got used to my new school. Now I really love it! I got used to walking there every morning, I got used to the noisy playground, and I even started to enjoy things that I never used to understand, like the science club and playing chess.
My grandmother often tells me that change is a normal part of life. She grew up in a tiny village near the mountains, and her childhood was very different from mine. 'When I was young, we didn't use to have televisions or phones,' she says. 'In the evenings, the whole family used to sit around the fire and tell stories.' Life was hard, too. Her family did not have running water, so as a child she used to carry water from a well every single morning.
'Every generation forgets a little,' Grandma says, 'so I am glad you can hear these old stories.' I used to think the past was boring, but now I love listening to her old traditions.
Today, I am happy in my new home, and I have wonderful memories of both places. I sometimes miss my old friends and the big tree in the park, but I can always visit them in the summer. One day, I will tell my own children how life used to be when I was young. Some things always change, but our best memories never disappear.
Choose the correct answer.
Are these sentences true or false, according to the text?
Complete each sentence with ONE word from the text. Mind the form (used to / be used to / get used to).
Write your answer in your own words. These questions are not marked automatically.
1. How was Deniz's life different before he moved to the new town?
2. How did Deniz feel on his first day at the new school, and how does he feel now?
3. Why do you think Grandma is glad that Deniz can hear her old stories?
Find these connectors in the text — each one appears at least once: and, but, so, when, however. (You will use these same connectors in the Writing section.) Note them down, then check.
Todd and Rachael remember how things were different when they were children.
You will hear two friends, Todd and Rachael, talking about things that used to be normal when they were children — but that are strange or even illegal today. You will listen TWICE. First listen: answer questions 1-5. Second listen: answer questions 6-10. (Kaydı İKİ kez dinleyeceksin: ilk dinlemede 1-5, ikinci dinlemede 6-10.)
Write and submit your paragraph; your teacher will review it.
A list of short, separate sentences is not real writing. What connects your ideas is linking words. At A2 you used and, but, so, because. At B1 you add four more powerful connectors: also, when, while, although and however. These let you compare the past and the present like a confident writer.
| Connector | Use it to... | Example |
|---|---|---|
| and | add information | We used to play outside, and we knew all our neighbours. |
| but | show a small contrast | Life was simple, but we were happy. |
| so | show a result | We had no phones, so we talked more. |
| because | give a reason | I loved summers because we used to visit my grandparents. |
| also | add an extra point | Our town used to be small. It also used to be very quiet. |
| when | say at what past time | When I was a child, we used to walk to school. |
| while | two things at the same time | While my parents worked, I used to stay with my grandmother. |
| although | show a strong contrast | Although we had little money, we did not use to worry. |
| however | contrast between two sentences | I did not use to like the city. However, I got used to it. |
See the difference — the same facts, written two ways:
| Separate sentences ✗ | Connected, fluent writing ✓ |
|---|---|
| I used to live in a village. It was small. We had no cars. We used to walk everywhere. I moved to the city. I like it now. | I used to live in a small village, and we had no cars, so we used to walk everywhere. When I moved to the city, I did not like it. However, I got used to it, and now I love it. |
A "how life used to be" paragraph has three parts. The skeleton stays the same every time — you change the content, not the structure:
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Opening | A general topic sentence with "used to" | Life used to be very different when I was a child. |
| 2. Body | Old habits and states with "used to" and "didn't use to", plus one single event in the Past Simple, linked with connectors. | We used to play outside all day. One summer, I fell and broke my arm. |
| 3. Closing | A comment about now, using "nowadays" or "get used to" | Nowadays life is faster, but I am used to it now. |
Write about how your life, your town or the world used to be different in the past. Use "used to" a lot, and mix in the Past Simple for single events.
Değerlendirme öğretmenin tarafından yapılacak. (Your teacher will evaluate your writing.)
Mixed questions from the whole unit, then check what you can do.
14 questions: grammar + vocabulary + reading + listening. Each question is marked instantly.
Tick what you can do now. Honest answers help your teacher.
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