| Here's a way to introduce the structure "used to" | | | | Student: "The aeroplane. Before the aeroplane, |
| to your ESL students. | | | | people travelled long distances by ship. Now they |
| 1 Find or draw on the board a picture of | | | | fly." |
| someone who looks like they could have just won | | | | Teacher: "Good! So, people used to travel long |
| some money. A photo from a magazine of | | | | distances by ship, but now they fly. |
| someone driving an expensive car, or sitting in a | | | | 5 After the first round of feedback, students will |
| luxurious room, for example, would work well. | | | | be starting to catch on, so now do a second |
| Give the person a name, and set the scene for | | | | round, asking students to use the new structure |
| your students of someone who has just won the | | | | with their second invention. They will probably still |
| lottery, or elicit it from them ("Why is Jane driving | | | | need some prompting, but by the third round of |
| an expensive car?"; "How did she afford her | | | | feedback, using their third invention, they should |
| expensive clothes?" etc.) | | | | be producing "used to" without too much help. |
| 2 Ask students about Jane's life after winning the | | | | 6 Use one or two of the students' ideas to |
| lottery. Depending on the imagination of your | | | | highlight the written form of the structure on the |
| students, you might have to prompt them a little | | | | board. Don't forget the question and negative |
| ("Where does she live?"; "Does she have a job?"; | | | | forms! |
| "Is she happy?"; "Where does she go on holiday?" | | | | 7 Now it's time to go back to your picture of |
| etc.) Then ask students to describe how Jane's | | | | Jane. Ask the students if they remember Jane |
| life was different before winning the lottery | | | | and why she is driving her expensive car. Then |
| ("Where did she live?"; "Was she happy?"; "What | | | | ask them once again to tell you about her life |
| was her job?") After you have built up some | | | | before and after winning the lottery, this time |
| facts about Jane's life before and after her lottery | | | | using "used to". ("She used to live in a small flat, |
| win, put your picture to one side and tell them to | | | | but now she has a mansion"; "She used to work, |
| remember Jane because you will be returning to | | | | but now she doesn't"). Be sure to give students |
| her later in the class. | | | | plenty of practice with the question and negative |
| 3 Next, as a group, brainstorm important | | | | forms as well. You could have one student ask |
| inventions in history. Take one suggestion (it | | | | another a question about Jane's old life, and ask |
| doesn't matter which one, as this is just an | | | | some questions yourself that require a negative |
| example to model the exercise which will follow). | | | | response. |
| Elicit what life was like before this invention, and | | | | 8 For further controlled communicative practice of |
| how life changed with the invention. For example: | | | | "used to", you could devise a questionnaire about |
| "The internet. Before the internet, most people | | | | students' childhood for them to use in pairs. This |
| wrote letters, but now most people send emails." | | | | could contain some prompts, such as "go to |
| 4 Now put students into pairs and have them | | | | school"; "live". One student in each pair must then |
| think of three more important inventions, what life | | | | form a question ("Where did you use to live?") |
| was like before the invention and how life | | | | and the other must answer ("I used to live in |
| changed with it. When they have done this, have | | | | Paris"). |
| each pair share one of their ideas with the class, | | | | And there you have it, an easy way to introduce |
| but this time introduce "used to" by rephrasing | | | | "used to" to your ESL students. |
| their ideas as they give feedback. For example: | | | | |