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Used to do
We use 'used to' for something that happened regularly in the past but no longer
happens.
I used to smoke a packet a day but I stopped two years ago.
Ben used to travel a lot in his job but now, since his promotion, he doesn't.
I used to drive to work but now I take the bus.
We also use it for something that was true but no longer is.
There used to be a cinema in the town but now there isn't.
She used to have really long hair but she's had it all cut off.
I didn't use to like him but now I do.
'Used to do' is different from 'to be used to doing' and 'to get used to doing'
to be used to doing
We use 'to be used to doing' to say that something is normal, not unusual.
I'm used to living on my own. I've done it for quite a long time.
Hans has lived in England for over a year so he is used to driving on the left
now.
They've always lived in hot countries so they aren't used to the cold weather
here.
to get used to doing
We use 'to get used to doing' to talk about the process of something becoming
normal for us.
I didn't understand the accent when I first moved here but I quickly got used to
it.
She has started working nights and is still getting used to sleeping during the
day.
I have always lived in the country but now I'm beginning to get used to living in
the city.
EXERCISE USED TO
Use used to plus a suitable verb to complete these sentences.
1. He _____ online to find the information he wanted.
He used to go online to find the information he wanted.
2. My sister _____ to school by bus but now she cycles.
3. I _____ thinner than my brother but now I am not.
4. My father _____ many cigarettes a day. He gave up smoking last year.
5. She _____ night after night for her degree in Economics.
6. They _____ football when they were younger.
7. I _____ the world was flat but now I realize its not true.
8. That building is now a cinema. It _____ a hotel.
9. When you lived near that shopping centre, _____ you _____ there very often?
10. _____ a lot of sweets when you were a child?
There are 11 mistakes in this letter, please find and correct them all.
To Dan,
Hey Dan, how is you? Im really good, I enjoying London. It is a very interested city.
There are so much to do. What have you doing? Do you have some news for me?
I had a great weekend, at Friday I went to Oxford Street and did some shopping with
my friends. On Saturday I went to Liverpool street, there are a cool market there. I
buyed some clothes. I had a rest on Sunday, I was so tired.
You have to come and visit me soon, you will loving London. I will show you all of the
sights, Big Ben, the London Eye and best of all, the pubs. There is a lot of great pubs
here in London.
Anyway, I have to go now, write back soon.
Best wishes, David
This story has lots of mistakes. There are 33 verbs in the wrong tense! Can
you find them all:
It's all in the past
I wake up yesterday morning and I get out of bed. It is a beautiful day. The sun was
shining and the wind was blowing. I decide that I would go for a walk. I start by walking
down my road. I push open my gate and close it behind me. I walk for miles and miles
along a country road. I even visit my aunt. Along the way I pass a young man selling
fruit. How much are the apples? I ask. 1 for a bag, he say. I pay the man and I
continue to walk. I eat all of the apples except for one, which I drop on the ground, they
are delicious.
After a while I meet another man, this man have a camel. The camel was a special
camel, it have no humps. What is his name? I ask the man. His name is Humphree,
say the man.
I walk for a very long time, soon the sun begin to go down. It is beautiful, I love
sunsets. I get home at about 12:30. I is very tired, normally I go to bed at 10:00. I put
on my pyjamas, rub my hands together and went straight to bed. As soon as my head
hit the pillow I fall asleep. That is the best walk of my life, I love it. The next day I call
my mother and tell her all about it.
Take a look at these 7 sentences. How many of them have mistakes? Can you
find the mistakes and do you know the reasons why?
1. Ever should be changed to never: "I've never been to France". Ever is only used
in questions "Have you ever been to France."
2. Although unicycle starts with a vowel, it is pronounced as y and so we must say "a
unicycle". The same rule applies with "a university".
3. Everyone is always singular and needs a singular verb: "Has everyone finished
eating?"
4. Lend means to give for a short time. In this sentence the speaker should use
borrow: "Can I borrow your newspaper...".
5. Should have + past participle is the rule: "We should have swum", not
swam (past simple).
6. Kindly is an adverb and is a mistake because an adjective is needed: "...were very
kind".
7. The base verb is required here: smoke. We don't use modal verbs ("should")
with -ing verbs.
How well do you know the finer points of grammar?
1. The present perfect tense is used to:
Talk about finished actions in the past.
Talk about actions in the past that have a present result.
2. Superlatives always have the word ___ before them.
The As
3. Regular verbs in the past simple tense always end with:
ed ing
4. Phrasal verbs and made by combining a verb and a:
Pronoun Preposition
5. Comparatives are always followed by the word:
Than As
6. The past continuous tense talks about:
An action in the past that interrupts a longer action.
A long action in the past that was interrupted by a shorter action
7. Some verbs e.g. agree, ask, promise, forget are always followed by the:
Gerund Infinitive