In this intermediate English lesson, we will look at the Used to construction, which is used in the past tense.

Some rules

1. The construction Used to describes regular actions or states in the past and means as "when that happened before."

2. The construction Used to is used only in the past tense (Past Simple Tense), after which the infinitive of the verb uses with the particle to.

3. This construction used to is used when the speaker wants to show that in the present tense some action is no longer taking place.

Some examples

I used to go swimming a lot.
I used to get up at seven but now I get up later.
He didn’t use to wake up so early.
What time did you use to wake up when you worked in a hospital? Warning!

Which is correct use to or used to?  

Used to refers to something familiar or routine as in "I'm used to getting up early for work," or to say that something repeatedly happened in the past like "we used to go out more." 

Use to typically occurs with did; "did you use to work there?" or "it didn't use to be like that," describing something in the past…

Used to is a phrase that can mean “accustomed or habituated to” or refers to something from the past that is no longer true. 

Use to and used to are also frequently used in English grammar as modal verb phrases.

Task. Rewrite sentences using construction the Used to.

Sample: He played toy cars when he was a boy. = He used to play toy cars when he was a boy.

1. He studied French. =
2. He was proud of his team.=
3. Peter had more pocket money. =
4. I lived near there. =
5. When Grandpa was a student, he did sports. =
6. She went to the disco every Sunday. =
7. They were lucky. =
8. He argued with his classmates. =
9. Mary went shopping on Friday. =
10. She had a short holiday in spring.=

Test

Larry ... work as a lorry-driver, bit now he works as a dispatcher at the station.

used to
didn't
use to

Our family ... live in Poland, but three weeks ago we moved to the UK.

used to
didn't
use to

Nancy ... forget about important meetings, but now she has bought a pocket planner.

used to
didn't
use to

Dean ... translate technical literature to earn money, but now he has found a wor of interpreter.

used to
didn't
use to

My girlfriend ... like men with long hair, but now she is dating with me, and she likes my long hair!

used to
didn't
use to

I ... wake up early and ... go to bed late before I started to work.

used to
didn't
use to

Our car ... break down all the time until Freddy fixed it.

used to
didn't
use to

Francesca ... travel a lot, and now she works as a journalist in international magazine.

used to
didn't
use to

I ... use my mobile phone only to call my friends, but now I use such functionsnof itnas the access to the Internet, camera, games.

used to
didn't
use to

The students ... know how to use "used to", and now they know it!

used to
didn't
use to

Affirmative form:

Peter: “I like stories by Jack London”.
Helen: “So do I”.

Negative form:

— He doesn’t like love stories.
— Neither does she.

Task. Agree or disagree using the construction So… .I / Neither… I

1. I don’t give way to despair. –
2. I am interested in football. –
3. I haven’t visited the new museum yet. –
4. I don’t forget to water the flowers. –
5. I can’t talk when somebody is interrupting me. –
6. I am fond of playing music. –
7. I am going to watch a movie tonight. –
8. I went to the cinema yesterday. –
9. I don’t like hot weather. –
10. I always tell the truth. –
11. She could swim when she was 5 years old. –
12. She was playing music from 5 till 6 in the evening. –
13. She wasn’t sleeping at midnight. –
14. She doesn’t like apples. –
15. She is not a good singer. –
16. She will do her best at her exams. –
17. She has baked a pie today. –
18. She hasn’t been at the cinema this week. –
19. She must do the work in time. –
20. She won’t take up dancing lessons. –

This construction is used when we say how long an action takes. For example, we can use it to ask how long it will take to get to your destination or how long it will take to get a taxi to the city center.

It takes me an hour to get to work.
The flight to Moscow takes 3 hours.
My morning exercises take me 15 min.
It takes just a moment.
It takes some / a lot of doing.
It takes pluck to do what she did.
It takes nerve to do what she did.
It takes greatly from the pleasure.
It takes me ten minutes to walk to work.

The absolute participle construction is a special participle construction in which there is a subject, and instead of an action verb the participle form is used. This construction characterizes the main sentence, explaining:

REASON: The hour being late, she hurried home.

TIME: His story told, he sighed.

RELATED CIRCUMSTANCES: He was standing there silent, a bitter smile curling his lips

An absolute participle construction in an English sentences is always separated by a comma.

An absolute participle construction is one of the most difficult participle constructions in the English language.

Some examples

The weather being cold, he put on his overcoat.
The weather having changed, we decided not to leave.
The bridge hav­ing been swept by the flood away, the train didn’t arrive.
There being little time left, they took a taxi to get to the theatre in time.
It being cold and damp, the weary travellers made a fire to warm themselves.
It being very late, they decided to put off their visit.
The sun having set an hour before, it was getting darker.
The weather being very warm, the windows were left open.
And the wind having dropped, they decided to set out to walk.
The next morning, it being Sunday, they all went to church.
There being nothing else on the ta­ble, the girl said that she wasn’t hungry.
The children being tired, they returned more slowly home.
The wind being very strong, our yacht couldn’t reach the bank of the island.
It being now pretty late, we took our candles and went upstairs.

The Preference constructions in English are divided into 3 groups:

1. Verbs that express a positive attitude to the action:

like, love, enjoy, prefer

Most importantly, after these verbs, the other action verb is always in the ING form:

I like reading.
I love reading books.
I enjoy listening to music.
I prefer playing football to playing basketball.

2. Verbs that express a negative attitude to the action:

dislike, hate, can’t stand 

I dislike cooking.
I hate washing up. 
I can’t stand getting up early. 

If you are not so categorical, then you can use the verb don’t mind:

I don’t mind cooking.
I don’t mind washing up.
I don’t mind getting up early.

3. The preference constructions «would rather» vs «would prefer»

We use preference constructs when we say what we would like to do something in a particular situation.

Remember: I would rather = I would prefer = I would like

Do not confuse the expressions I would rather do and I would prefer to do!

I’d rather stay home tonight.
I’ d prefer to stay home tonight. 

Attention: I like traveling (gerund). vs I would like to travel (infinitive).

Exercise 1. Insert the verbs bellow into sentences:

do, draw, go, listen, play, read, ride, swim, talk, visit, work, buy

Our grandfather enjoys ______ in the garden.
My little sister likes _______ dolls.
The boys prefer _____ to music.
The child hates ______ in the swimming pool.
I don’t mind ______ morning exercises.
I enjoy _____ short stories.
They want _______ a bike.
My brother hates ______ to museum.
Granny likes _____ about her garden.
Next time she is going to ____ a vase.

Exercise 2. Insert verbs in the blanks.

I hate (a, e, t, k) medicine.
He enjoys (e, e, m, t) new people.
We love (i, v, t, s, i) our country house.
She hates (e, g, t) up early.
Stop (l, t, a, k)!
They dislike (n, c, l, e, a) their room.
Do you like (y, p, a, l) the guitar?
They would like to (a, t, e) in the cafe.
I enjoy (a, i, n, t, p).
It stopped (n, r, i, a).

Exercise 3. Insert Infinitive VS Gerund.

“I don’t want ………… (play) the piano right now”, said the girl.
I had some problems with my English and my brother offered ………… (help) me.
I enjoy ……… (help) my friends.
"Romeo and Juliet" is a very interesting and romantic film. It is worth ………… (see).
The tourists come to Moscow ……… (see) its wonderful places of interest.
My mother wanted ………… (cook) a pie on my birthday.
She likes ………… (cook) for our family. She is good at it.
My uncle is fond of ……… (travel). He has been to ten countries!
I’d like ………… (travel) all over the world when I grow up.
When did he ………… (drive) a car? - When he was fourteen.
Little Nick would like ………… (learn) to ride a bicycle.
I’d like ………… (eat) five cakes, I’m so hungry.
My little brother hates ………… (eat) oranges.
I hope ……… (visit) many foreign countries when I grow up.
Clever students enjoy ……… (do) difficult exercises.

Exercise 4. Tell , what you would like to do.

Use the construction I would like to and the preposition instead of.

Example: James would like to read a book instead of working in the garden.

Commentary: A gerund is placed after the preposition instead of

1. James / read the book / work in the garden.
2. Chris / play football / do one's homework.
3. Jane and Mary / sunbathe / clean up.
4. Laura / watch TB / wash up.
5. Nick and Peter / ride one's bicycles / play the computer.
6. Mr. Robertson / drink tea / make a bird house.
7. Mrs. Smith / talk over the phone / cook.
8. Irene / write a letter / go to work.
9. The children / swim / repair the car.
10. The dog / walk about the field / look through the window.

Exercise 5. Use the construction I would prefer to … rather than

Example: James would prefer to read a book rather than work in the garden.

Commentary: After rather than the infinitive of the verb is put without the particle to:

1. James / read the book / work in the garden.
2. Chris / play football / do his homework.
3. Jane and Mary / sunbathe / clean up.
4. Laura / watch TB / wash up.
5. Nick and Peter / ride their bicycles / play the computer.
6. Mr. Robertson / drink tea / make a bird house.
7. Mrs. Smith / talk over the phone / cook.
8.Ireen / write a letter / go to work.
9. The children / swim / repair the car.
10. The dog / walk about the field / look through the window.

Look

LOOK: — смотреть

Look after — заботиться

Look back — припоминать

Look for — искать

Look forward to — ждать с нетерпением

Look in on — навещать

Look up to — уважать

HAVE:

have a bath

have a shower

have a drink

have a good time

have a haircut

have a relationship

have a rest

have lunch

have sympathy

DO:

do business

do someone a favour - to do a kind and helpful act for someone ...

do the cooking

do the housework

do the shopping

do the washing up - cleaning the dishes

do the laundry - washing the clothes

do your best

do your hair

do your homework

MAKE:

make a difference

make a mistake

make a noise

make an effort - to work towards a goal...

make furniture

make money

make progress

make trouble

TAKE:

take a break - to stop doing something for a short period of time ...

take a chance - to give an opportunity to succeed when there is a risk ...

take a look

take a rest

take a seat

take an exam

take notes

take someone's place

take someone's temperature

COME:

come close - Example: Their explanation was simpler but came closer to the truth ...

come complete with - when something comes complete with something else ...

come early

come first

come into view - get into someone's or something's visibility ...

come last

come late

come on time

come prepared

come to a compromise

come to a decision

come to an agreement

come to an end

come to a standstill - a situation or condition in which there is no movement or activity at all ...

come to terms with - Example: She had come to terms with the tragedies in her life ...

come to a total of - Example: I currently come to a total of two billion dollars ...

come under attack

GO:

go abroad

go bad

go bankrupt

go blind

go crazy

go dark

go deaf

go fishing

go mad

go missing - to become lost or disappear ...

go on foot

go online

go out of business - to lose your job or go bankrupt ...

go quiet

go sailing

go to war

GET:

get a job

get angry

get divorced

get drunk

get frightened

get home

get lost - go away (used as an expression of anger or impatience) ...

get married

get pregnant

get ready

get started

get the impression - Example: I have the impression that she's very good at her job ...

get the message

get upset

get wet

get worried

Some useful set expressions to add to your English vocabulary box:

dead on time - точно в назначенное время
from dawn till dusk - от заката до рассвета
make time for - найти время для ...
the next few days - в ближайшие несколько дней
right on time - как раз вовремя

Forms

be used to + noun/gerund
get used to + noun/gerund

Meaning

1) Be used to is used to express that a situation is not new or strange, or is no longer new or strange.

Examples

I’ve lived here for ten years now so I’m used to driving in the city.
He’s not used to working at night so he sometimes falls asleep.
Are you used to the climate?
I wasn’t used to working such long hours when I started my new job.

2) Get used to is used to express that an action/situation becomes less strange or new, or becomes more comfortable.

Examples

It took them a long time to get used to their new boss.
Have you got used to driving on the left yet?
She is getting used to waking up early for her new job.
He doesn't like that small town, but he'll get used to it.
She found the heels too high, but she got used to them.