Grammar Exercises with Used to

Say how things happened some time ago and how they happen now:

1. Travel on horseback/travel by car, train

2. Wash things by hand/wash in machine

3. Write letters/ send e-mails

4. Write books by hand/ print books

5. Read more books/ watch more TV

6. Have large families/ have smaller families

7. Die early / live longer lives

8. Walk upstairs, downstairs/ use lifts

9. My little sister doesn’t cry much now, but she …every night month ago.

10. Ben Wilson …in York, but he is living in Chester now.

11. She … a lot of sweets, but now she is in a diet.

12. Tom …tennis a lot, but now his studies don’t give him much time to play.

Complete the sentences with appropriate forms of used to:

1. I (not, watch) didn’t used to watch football matches, but now I watch them every week.

2. My uncle (eat) a lot of French fries, but now he prefers mashed potatoes.

3. Pete’s elder sister (live) in a flat, but now she lives in a cottage.

4. My granny (not, take) long walks, but now she walks 3 km every day.

5. Bob (read) at night, but now he goes to bed at 10 p.m.

6. When Molly was little, she (not, drink) orange juice, but now she drinks it every morning.

7. Dad (drive) to work, but now he goes to work by metro.

8. They (not, spend) their holidays by the sea, but now they go to the sea every summer.

Make sentences negative:

1. When bill was 5, he used to play with his friends. – When Bill was 5, he didn’t use to play with his friends.

2. Jane used to play tennis four times a week, when she was a teenager.-

3. When my mother was young, she used to take long walks.-

4. When Mark lived in the country, he used to drive a lot.-

5. In the past people used to catch dangerous diseases more often than now. –

6. When my granny was younger, she used to work in the garden.-

7. When I was a child, I used to collect stamps. –

8. In the past this team used to score goals easily.-

9. When Pauline fell in love with Paul, she used to write poems.-

10. Nick used to climb trees when he was 10 years old.- Put questions:

1. When he was young, Mr. Black used to climb hills. - Did Mr. Black use to climb mountains when he was young?

2. Women used to wash clothes by hand some time ago.-

3. Mike used to play the guitar when he was ten. –

4. In the Middle Ages people used to have big families with a lot of children. -

5. Karen and Tim used to jog when they went to college.-

6. Sarah used to go in for sport when she was at school.-

7. Doris used to read at night when she was a student. –

8. When Tim was six, he used to collect stamps.- Complete the sentences with used to+ verb:

1. Molly used to eat junk food, but now she is on a diet.

2. Mr. Smith ___ a lot, but now he is a pensioner.

3. Dan and Tracy ____ in London, but they have moved to Seattle now.

4. My cousin doesn’t watch TV at night, these days, but she ____ TV at night last year.

5. My parents____ a car, but now they prefer to walk.

6. Andrew ____ computer games, but he has sold his computer lately.

7. Lulu ___ a lot, but now she has bought a car.

8. Roy ___ baseball, but now he doesn’t have time for it. Paraphrase the sentences:

1. Mary played volleyball at college but doesn’t do it anymore.-

2. When Tom was a teenager he played football every week.-

3. Though Chris had played rugby for 8 years, he stopped playing it when he became 23.-

4. My dad did judo when he was young, but he never does it now.-

5. Mr. Brown played golf twice a month, but he is in hospital now as he has broken his arm.-

6. Jim was a tennis champion fifteen years ago. –

Translate:

a) I’m not used to getting up early.

b) I don’t think I can get used to a situation like that.

c) Soon Jane got used to the strange sounds.

d)At first I wasn’t used to a strict discipline.

e)It took me a long time to get used to their language.