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 village. |
| 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 maths. |
| 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 the 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 P.E. | I didn't use to like P.E. | after "didn't", the d drops: use to. |
| Yesterday I used to meet an old friend. | Yesterday I met an old friend. | a single event → Past Simple, not used to. |
| She used to has a red bike. | She used to have a red bike. | 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. |
Two friends walk past their old primary school and 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, 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 fifteen years old. Last month, our history teacher gave the whole class an interesting project. We had to interview an older person in our family and write about how life used to be when they were young. Most of my friends chose their parents, but I decided to talk to my grandmother instead. I am really glad I did, because her stories turned out to be more exciting than any video I have ever watched on my phone.
My grandmother, Ayşe, is eighty years old, and she loves telling me how life used to be when she was young. 'The world was completely different,' she always says. 'We didn't use to have televisions, computers or mobile phones. In the evenings, the whole family used to sit together and tell stories.'
Ayşe grew up in a small village near the mountains. There used to be only about twenty houses, and everybody knew each other. 'We used to walk to school for an hour every morning,' she remembers, 'and in winter the roads used to freeze. But we were happy.' Life was hard in many ways. Her family did not have running water, so the children used to carry water from a well.
When I asked her what children used to do for fun, she laughed. 'We didn't use to have any screens, so we invented our own games,' she told me. 'We used to make toys out of wood and old boxes, and in summer we used to swim in the river every afternoon. Nobody used to stay inside.' She said the village children used to play together in one big group, and the older ones always used to look after the younger ones. It sounded so different from my own childhood, when I used to spend hours playing games on a tablet.
My grandmother also told me a lot about her old school. There used to be only one teacher for all the children, and they used to write on small blackboards because paper was very expensive. 'We didn't use to have many books,' she said, 'so we used to learn poems by heart and say them out loud together.' After lessons, the children used to help their parents on the farm. Ayşe used to feed the animals every evening, and, although she was often tired, she used to enjoy it.
Things started to change when Ayşe was a teenager. In 1965, the village got electricity for the first time. 'I will never forget that night,' she says. 'Suddenly the streets were full of light.' A few years later, the first road was built, and buses began to come to the village.
Ayşe moved to the city when she got married, and at first she did not like it. She was not used to the noise and the crowds. However, she slowly got used to city life, and now she loves it. 'I used to miss the village every day,' she admits, 'but the city has become my home.'
Today, Ayşe still keeps some old traditions from her childhood. 'Every generation forgets a little,' she says, 'so I am glad my grandchildren can hear these old stories.'
After the interview, I started to think about my own life, and I realised that even I have seen many changes. When I was in primary school, I didn't use to have a smartphone, and none of my classmates used to bring one to class. We used to play football in the yard every break, and we used to trade football cards instead of following our favourite players online. Nowadays almost everyone in my class has a phone, so we spend much more of our free time on social media.
My hobbies have changed too. I used to collect stickers and comic books, but these days I usually watch videos and play games with my friends online. My best friend, Kerem, and I used to ride our bikes to the park every weekend; now we often just send each other messages instead. Our school has changed as well, because we didn't use to have computers in the classroom, but now we use tablets in almost every lesson. Sometimes I miss the simple afternoons we used to have.
Sport is another thing that has changed for my generation. My father tells me that he used to play outside with the neighbours until it got dark, and they didn't use to need a coach or a special uniform. My friends and I still love sport, but nowadays we usually book a pitch online and follow professional teams on our screens. I am used to watching matches on my phone now; however, there is something special about the simple games my grandmother and my father used to play.
When I finished my project, I understood something important. Every generation grows up in a different world, and the things that feel normal to us today will probably seem strange to our own grandchildren one day. I am used to my phone and my games now, but I do not want to forget these old stories. Life used to be slower and simpler, and, although I really love modern technology, I still think we can learn a lot from the way people used to live.
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 daily life hard for Ayşe's family in the village?
2. How did Ayşe feel about the city at first, and how does she feel now?
3. Why do you think Ayşe is glad her grandchildren 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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