🕰️ Lesson 5.3: used to — Life in the Past

Some things in our lives change. Maybe you used to live in another city. Maybe your grandmother used to tell you stories. English has one beautiful little phrase for all these past habits and old realities that are gone now: used to. In this lesson you'll learn to talk about how life used to be — and compare it to how it is today. Let's look back. 📷

📚 What You'll Learn

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Use used to + base verb for past habits and past states that are no longer true
Make the negative (didn't use to) — with the important spelling change
Ask questions (Did you use to…?)
Compare then vs now to describe how life has changed

⏱️ Estimated Time: 45–55 minutes

🎯 Project: Describe how your life (or your hometown) used to be different in 6+ sentences using used to, comparing then and now — spoken to a partner or recorded on your phone.

In This Lesson

Looking Back

Think about your childhood. What did you do again and again? Maybe you walked to school every day, or you played in the street with friends, or you had long hair. All of these were true then, but they are not true now. English has a special phrase for exactly this feeling: used to. 🌳

When you say "I used to walk to school," you tell the listener two things at once: it happened regularly in the past, and it doesn't happen anymore. That little phrase carries a whole "before and after" inside it. It's one of the most useful tools for sharing memories.

🧠 Mindset

You already know the past simple ("I walked to school"). So why learn used to? Because it adds a warm extra meaning: this was normal for me, and now it has changed. You don't have to be perfect from the first try. Learning to look back and compare is a lovely, human thing to do in a new language. If it feels new, add the magic word: "I can't talk about my old habits easily… yet." 🌱

The Form: used to + base verb

The affirmative form is beautifully simple and never changes for the person. Whether it's I, you, she, or they, you always say used to + base verb.

I used to live in Madrid. · She used to smoke. · They used to play soccer every weekend.

Notice: no -s for he/she, no change at all. The base verb is the plain dictionary form — live, smoke, play, have, be.

Person	Affirmative	Example
I	used to + base verb	I used to live in Madrid.
you	used to + base verb	You used to have long hair.
he / she / it	used to + base verb	She used to smoke.
we	used to + base verb	We used to walk to school.
they	used to + base verb	They used to play outside.

graph LR
    S["Subject"] --> UT["used to"]
    UT --> V["base verb"]

⚠️ Watch Out: use the BASE verb

After used to, always use the plain base verb — not -ing and not past tense. ✅ "I used to play tennis." · ❌ "I used to playing tennis." · ❌ "I used to played tennis." The used to part already shows the past, so the verb stays plain.

Habits & States

We use used to for two kinds of past things — both true "again and again" or "for a long time", and both no longer true now.

1 — Past habits (repeated actions)

Things you did regularly, over and over, in the past:

"I used to walk to work every day." · "We used to visit our grandparents every summer." · "He used to smoke ten cigarettes a day."

2 — Past states (things that were true for a long time)

Situations or facts that were true in the past, but changed:

"I used to live in a small village." · "She used to have long hair." · "There used to be a movie theater here."

⚠️ Important Note: Used to is only for repeated habits or long states — not for a single action at one moment. Say "Yesterday I went to the doctor" (one time, past simple), not "I used to go to the doctor yesterday." For a one-time event, use the past simple.

💡 A quick test

Ask yourself: "Was this true many times or for a long time in the past — and is it different now?" If yes to both, used to fits perfectly. If it was just one action at one moment, use the past simple instead.

Negatives & Questions

Here comes the one tricky part — but it's easy once you see it. In negatives and questions, we use did, and the phrase changes to use to (no -d). Why? Because did already carries the past, so used drops its -d.

Type	Form	Example
Affirmative (+)	used to + base verb	I used to play soccer.
Negative (−)	didn't use to + base verb	I didn't use to like coffee.
Question (?)	Did … use to + base verb?	Did you use to play soccer?

⚠️ Important Note: After did / didn't, write use to — no -d. ✅ "Did you use to…?" · ✅ "I didn't use to…" · ❌ "Did you used to…?" · ❌ "I didn't used to…" (In fast speech use to and used to sound the same, so this only matters in writing — but it matters!)

Here are short answers and Wh- questions:

Did you use to live here? Yes, I did. No, I didn't. Where did you use to work? What did you use to do?

Then vs Now

The real power of used to shines when you compare the past and the present. Say what used to be true, then say what is true now — often with the word but.

"I used to walk to work, but now I drive." · "She used to have short hair, but now it's long." · "We used to live in an apartment, but now we have a house."

graph LR
    THEN["Then: used to walk"] --> BUT["but now"]
    BUT --> NOW["Now: I drive"]

✅ A natural pattern

The "used to …, but now …" pattern is one of the most natural ways to tell someone about change — in your city, your job, your hobbies, or yourself. It works for happy changes and sad ones. It's how we share the story of our lives. 🌟

Comparing Lives

Here is a small vocabulary set for talking about life changes and childhood:

childhood
hometown
a habit
to move (to a new home)
to change
years ago
when I was young
these days
nowadays

Now let's hear two old friends comparing how life used to be:

A: This street has changed so much! Do you remember the old bakery?
B: Of course! There used to be a lovely little shop right on the corner. Now it's a coffee bar.
A: I know. We used to buy fresh bread there every morning. Did you use to walk here as a child?
B: Yes, I did! I used to play in this park with my brother. We didn't use to have phones, so we played outside all day.
A: Life used to be slower, didn't it? These days everyone is so busy.
B: True. But some things are better now. I didn't use to enjoy coffee — and now I love it! Should we try that new place?
A: Ha! Yes, let's. ☕

💡 "used to" in speech

When we speak, used to is usually said quickly, more like "yoosta". That's normal and natural to hear. But when you write, spell it fully: used to (affirmative) and use to (after did/didn't). Keep the fast sound for speaking only.

🔊 Hear It & Repeat — Model Sentences

Listen to each model sentence, then say it back. Use the 🎧 Audio control (bottom-right) to pick a UK or US voice and make the speed slower. These sentences use used to to talk about past habits and how life has changed.

I used to live in a small village.
She used to have very long hair.
We didn't use to have a car.
Did you use to play soccer when you were young?
I used to walk to work, but now I drive.

Practice & Project

🏋️ Exercise 1: used to or didn't use to?

Objective: Fill each gap with used to or didn't use to to match the meaning.

I live in Madrid, but now I live in London.
She like coffee, but now she loves it.
We play outside every day when we were young.
They have a phone, so they wrote letters.
He smoke, but he stopped last year.

✅ Answer

1. used to · 2. didn't use to · 3. used to · 4. didn't use to · 5. used to

🏋️ Exercise 2: use to or used to?

Objective: Fill each gap. Remember: after did / didn't, write use to (no -d). In the plain affirmative, write used to.

Did you play the piano?
I have a bicycle.
She didn't eat vegetables.
Where did they live?
We go to the beach every summer.

✅ Answer

1. use to · 2. used to · 3. use to · 4. use to · 5. used to

🏋️ Exercise 3: Then vs now

Objective: Write a "then vs now" sentence from each prompt. Use used to …, but now …

Example: (walk to work / drive) → "I used to walk to work, but now I drive."

(live in a village / live in a city)
(have short hair / have long hair)
(play soccer / watch soccer)

✅ Answer

1. I used to live in a village, but now I live in a city.
2. I used to have short hair, but now I have long hair.
3. I used to play soccer, but now I watch soccer.
(Your subjects and details can be different — check the pattern: used to + base verb, then "but now".)

🎯 Your Project: How Life Used to Be

Describe how your life — or your hometown — used to be different. Speak out loud (to a partner, in class, or into your phone's recorder), then write your sentences down.

(3 min) Think about your childhood or your hometown years ago. Say 6 or more sentences using used to: what you used to do, where you used to live, what there used to be.
(2 min) Include at least one negative ("I didn't use to…") and one "then vs now" sentence ("I used to …, but now …").
(2 min) Ask a partner (or imagine one): "Did you use to …?" and listen to their answer.
(1 min) If you recorded yourself, listen back. Did you use used to (affirmative) and use to (after did/didn't) correctly?

✅ Project Completion Checklist

☐ I said 6+ sentences about how life used to be
☐ I used the base verb after used to (not -ing, not past tense)
☐ I included one negative (didn't use to)
☐ I made one "used to …, but now …" comparison
☐ I asked and answered a "Did you use to…?" question

🎯 Quick Quiz

Question 1: Choose the correct sentence.

Question 2: Complete: "___ you ___ play soccer?"

Tips & Common Mistakes

✅ Do's

Use used to + base verb for past habits and states that are no longer true.
The affirmative is the same for every person — no -s for he/she.
After did / didn't, write use to (drop the -d).
Compare then and now with "used to …, but now …".

❌ Common Mistakes

⚠️ Watch Out

"I didn't used to smoke." ❌ → "I didn't use to smoke." ✅ (no -d after did/didn't).
"Did you used to play?" ❌ → "Did you use to play?" ✅ (drop the -d in questions).
"I used to lived there." ❌ → "I used to live there." ✅ (base verb after used to).
"Yesterday I used to see a movie." ❌ → "Yesterday I saw a movie." ✅ (one time = past simple, not used to).

📓 Learning Journal

Keep your learning journal going. After this lesson, take a few minutes to write down:

Key concepts you learned
Things that clicked for you
Questions or confusion points to revisit
Ideas you want to try
Your progress and feelings about talking about the past

✍️ This lesson's prompt: Write three sentences about things you used to do as a child that you don't do now — for example, "I used to play in the park after school." Then write one "then vs now" sentence about how your town or your life has changed, like "There used to be a small shop here, but now it's a big supermarket."

📝 Lesson Summary

🎓 Key Takeaways

used to + base verb = a past habit or state that is no longer true.
The affirmative never changes for the person: I / she / they used to…
Negative: didn't use to; question: Did … use to? — drop the -d after did.
Use it for repeated habits or long states, not single past events.
Compare eras with "used to …, but now …".

🎉 What You've Accomplished

You can now talk about the person you used to be, the places you used to go, and the world that used to be around you. This lets you share memories, compare then and now, and connect with people over how life changes. Together with the past simple and past continuous, you've completed a full toolkit for talking about the past. That's a wonderful A2 achievement. 🎉

❓ Common Questions at This Stage

What's the difference between "I used to live there" and "I lived there"?

Both are correct! "I lived there for two years" simply states a finished fact. "I used to live there" adds the feeling: it was true for a long time, and now it's different. Use used to when you want to highlight that the situation has changed.

Why do we drop the "-d" in "didn't use to"?

Because did and didn't already carry the past tense. English doesn't like to mark the past twice, so used loses its -d and becomes use. It's the same idea as "I didn't go" (not "didn't went"). In speech you can't hear the difference, but in writing it matters.

Can I use "used to" for the future or the present?

No — used to is only for the past. For present habits, use the present simple with an adverb: "I usually walk to work." (Careful: "be used to" — with am/is/are — is a different phrase meaning "familiar with". You'll meet that at a higher level.)

🔭 Looking Ahead

You've now explored the past from every angle — finished actions, actions in progress, and old habits. It's time to turn toward the future and possibility. In Lesson 6.1: First Conditional — Real Possibilities, you'll learn to talk about what will happen if something else happens: "If it rains, I'll stay home." A whole new door of "what if" is about to open.

✅ Before the Next Lesson

Say six sentences about things you used to do as a child.
Make one negative with didn't use to and one question with Did … use to?
Describe one way your town or life has changed using "used to …, but now …".
Write your Learning Journal entry for this lesson.

🌟 Encouragement for the Journey

Looking back on how life used to be is something every person does — and now you can do it in English. Every "I used to…" is a small window into your own story. You've built a complete set of past tenses this module. Be proud of how far you've come. See you in Lesson 6.1! 👋