The Past

Target Structures:

Past Simple, Used to, Would

Goal:

Use different structures to describe past habits, repeated actions, and completed events accurately.

1. Warm-Up (3 min)

Questions (answer in full sentences):

1. What kind of music did you listen to when you were a child?
   Sample answer: “I used to listen to pop music all the time.”

2. Did you have any routines you always did after school?
   Sample answer: “Yes, I would play football with my friends every day.”

🗣️ Mini follow-up:
What’s the difference between used to and would when talking about the past?

2. Presentation (7 min)

A. Past Simple → completed actions in the past

✅ “I watched a movie yesterday.”
✅ “She went to Paris last summer.”
⏳ We use it for actions that happened once or at a specific time.

Form:
👉 Regular verbs → + -ed (worked, played)
👉 Irregular verbs → second column (went, had, saw)

B. Used to → past habits or states that are no longer true

✅ “I used to live in Madrid.”
✅ “He didn’t use to eat vegetables.”
✅ “Did you use to have long hair?”

💬 Focuses on past routines or situations that changed.

🧩 Tip: “Used to” ≠ “be used to” (different meaning — that means accustomed to).

C. Would → repeated past actions (not states)

✅ “When I was a kid, we would go to the countryside every summer.”
✅ “My father would tell us stories before bed.”

💬 Similar to “used to,” but only for repeated actions, not states.
🚫 “We would live in London.” → ❌ incorrect (use “used to live” instead)

💬 Mini Task:
Say two sentences about your childhood — one with used to and one with would.

3. Controlled Practice (7 min)

Choose the correct option to complete each sentence:

1. When I was younger, I _______ play video games every weekend.
   (a) used to (b) would (c) was

2. My grandparents _______ in a small village before moving to the city.
   (a) used to live (b) would live (c) lived

3. Every Sunday, my father _______ cook a big family lunch.
   (a) would (b) used to (c) had

4. I _______ travel a lot, but now I prefer staying home.
   (a) would (b) used to (c) did

5. When I was a student, I _______ stay up very late to study.
   (a) would (b) used to (c) both a and b

6. She _______ love swimming, but now she prefers running.
   (a) would (b) used to (c) had

7. They _______ to the beach last summer.
   (a) used to go (b) would go (c) went

8. My brother _______ be very shy, but now he’s confident.
   (a) would (b) used to (c) did

✅ Answer Key & Explanations

1 → (a) used to → shows a past habit that’s no longer true.
2 → (a) used to live → “live” is a state verb → use used to, not would.
3 → (a) would → repeated action in the past.
4 → (b) used to → general past habit that changed.
5 → (c) both a and b → would and used to are both correct for repeated actions.
6 → (b) used to → “love” is a state verb → would not used with states.
7 → (c) went → specific completed action, not a repeated one.
8 → (b) used to → “be” = state verb → would not correct here.

4. Interactive Practice (5 min)

Complete each sentence and expand with a short story:

1. When I was a child, I used to…

2. My family would always…

3. I didn’t use to…, but now I do.

4. Every summer, we would…

5. I used to be…, but now I’m different because…

🗣️ Tip: Mix all three forms — Past Simple, Used to, and Would.

💬 Sample Answers

1. When I was a child, I used to ride my bike everywhere.

2. My family would always eat dinner together.

3. I didn’t use to like vegetables, but now I love them.

4. Every summer, we would go camping in the mountains.

5. I used to be very shy, but now I’m more confident.

5. Free Practice (4 min)

Discuss with your partner or teacher:

1. What did you use to do every day after school?

2. What’s something you would always do during holidays?

3. What’s a habit you had before that you don’t have now?

4. What did people not use to have 20 years ago that they do now?

🎯 Challenge: Use at least one example of each structure in your answers.

6. Extra Discussion (3–4 min)

Answer and justify your opinion with examples:

1. Do you think childhood habits shape who we become?

2. Are traditions your family used to follow still common today?

3. What’s something people would often do in the past that’s rare now?

4. Do you believe people used to be happier without technology? Why or why not?

🗣️ Encourage long, opinion-based answers using the target grammar naturally.

7. Wrap-Up & Review (2 min)

🗣️ Quick Recap:

• Past Simple → completed actions (I watched a film yesterday)

• Used to → past habits or states that changed (I used to live in Spain)

• Would → repeated past actions (We would visit my grandparents every summer)

🎯 Mini Challenge:
Describe your childhood using at least four sentences — one with each form of the past tense from today’s lesson.