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Unit 36 · Modals, imperative etc.

I used to ...

Study

A

Dave a few years ago:

›

I work in a factory.

Dave today:

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I work in a supermarket. I used to work in a factory.

›

Dave used to work in a factory. Now he works in a supermarket.

Dave used to work in a factory = he worked in a factory before, but he doesn't work there now.

B

You can say I used to work ... / she used to have ... / they used to be ... etc.:

I/you/we/they he/she/it used to be work have play etc.
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When I was a child, I used to like chocolate.

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I used to read a lot of books, but I don't read much these days.

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Lisa has got short hair now, but it used to be very long.

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They used to live in the same street as us, so we used to see them a lot. But we don't see them much these days.

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Helen used to have a piano, but she sold it a few years ago.

The negative is I didn't use to ...:

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When I was a child, I didn't use to like tomatoes.

The question is did you use to ...?:

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Where did you use to live before you came here?

C

We use used to ... only for the past. You cannot say 'I use to ...' for the present:

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I used to play tennis. These days I play golf.

(not I use to play golf)

›

We usually get up early.

(not We use to get up early)

Exercises (3)

0/3 exercises checked
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36.1

Look at the pictures. Complete the sentences with used to ... .

  1. 1Woman with long hair before, short hair now
    This is me a few years ago.
    long hair.example
  2. 2Man who used to play football
    When I was younger...
    He football.
  3. 3Woman who used to be a taxi driver
    I'm a hairdresser now. (A FEW YEARS AGO: taxi)
    a taxi driver.
  4. 4Family who used to live in the country
    We live in London now. (OUR HOUSE IN THE COUNTRY 20 YEARS AGO)
    in the country.
  5. 5Man who used to wear glasses
    This is me 20 years ago. I never wear glasses now.
  6. 6Building that used to be a hotel
    Now: building. (A LONG TIME AGO: HOTEL)
    This building .
36.2

Karen works very hard and has very little free time. A few years ago, things were different. Write sentences about Karen with used to ... .

  1. 1
    She .example
  2. 2
    She .
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
36.3

Complete these sentences. Use used to or the present simple (I play / he lives etc.).

  1. 1
    I tennis. I stopped playing a few years ago.example
  2. 2
    'Do you do any sport?' 'Yes, I basketball.'example
  3. 3
    'Do you have a car?' 'No, I one, but I sold it.'
  4. 4
    George a waiter. Now he's the manager of a hotel.
  5. 5
    'Do you go to work by car?' 'Sometimes, but most days I by train.'
  6. 6
    When I was a child, I never meat, but I eat it now.
  7. 7
    Mary loves watching TV. She TV every evening.
  8. 8
    We near the airport, but we moved to the city centre a few years ago.
  9. 9
    Normally I start work at 7 o'clock, so I up very early.
  10. 10
    What games you when you were a child?