Step 48: I Used To…
How life changed — Used to for past habits
📖 Read — Grandma Rose Remembers
Grandma Rose is showing Ethan old photos of her hometown. “When I was young, we used to write letters,” she says. “We didn't use to have phones in our pockets! I used to walk two miles to school, and we used to play outside until dinner. Ah, the good old days!”
Ethan laughs. “Times change, Grandma. I used to hate vegetables, but now I love them. And you — you didn't use to like computers, but now you video-call me every week!” Grandma Rose smiles. “True! Some changes are good. But I still write one letter every Christmas.”
🧩 Grammar — Used To — Past Habits That Stopped
Use used to + verb for past habits and states that are finished now: I used to write letters. (I don't now.) Negative: didn't use to — We didn't use to have phones. Questions: Did you use to…? Careful with spelling: after did/didn't, it's USE to (no -d). For things you still do now, use the present simple with usually.
- I used to play outside all day.
- She didn't use to like coffee.
- Did you use to live in Chicago?
- Now I usually take the bus, but I used to walk.
🏗️ Key structures
- I used to ___ — I used to get up at five.
- Did you use to ___? — Did you use to play soccer?
- I didn't use to ___, but now I ___ — I didn't use to like fish, but now I love it.
⭐ Idiom & natural phrases
Grandma loves talking about the good old days.
🔤 New words
something you remember from the past
My best memory is our trip to the lake.
something you do regularly, often without thinking
Reading before bed is a good habit.
a written message on paper that you send by post
She writes a letter every Christmas.
the town or city where you grew up
My hometown is Austin.
a box or app that plays music and news through the air
We used to listen to the radio in the car.
printed pages with the news, sold every day
Dad reads the newspaper with his coffee.
the area behind or in front of a house where plants grow
Grandma grows tomatoes in her garden.
a bike; a vehicle with two wheels that you pedal
He used to ride his bicycle to school.
🎧 Say it with me
I used to hate vegetables, but now I love them. We didn’t use to have phones in our pockets — those were the good old days!
🎤 Your turn to speak
Talk about how life has changed: two things you used to do, one thing you didn't use to do, and what you do now instead.
Say it out loud three times. Even better: record it on your phone and listen — your ear is your best teacher.
✍️ Your turn to write
Write 4 sentences about your childhood or your town with used to / didn't use to, and finish with one 'now' sentence.
See a model answer
I used to play outside until dinner. We used to ride our bicycles to school. I didn't use to read books, but my grandmother used to tell me stories every night. Now, I read every day — and I still love her stories.
Self-check: capital letters? Full stops? Did you use the grammar of this step?
📝 Quick check
Go deeper
This step is a doorway — the full lesson goes much further:
Used To: Past Habits & States — full lesson + 50-question quiz
🎉 Saved in your progress!