2. Habits in the past
USED TO WOULD
Action
verbs
Stative
Verbs
I used to go camping
when I was a kid.
I used to love camping
when I was a kid.
I would go camping when I
was a kid.
Action
verbs
I didn’t use to go
camping when I was a kid.
I wouldn’t go camping when
I was a kid.
When I was a kid I would love to go camping
I would TO go
I AM used to
3. The good old days
I was born in 1936 and I lived with my family in a village near Bristol. My father was a fruit farm advisor and my
mother was a housewife. But when our teacher retired from my school, my mother asked for the school books
and started a small school at home. I think about nine children used to come to study with us. Mother taught us
French and English, even though she was very deaf!
Because it was the war, most people didn’t use to have much food. We were lucky as we had lots of land so we
used to grow our own vegetables and we had chickens, rabbits and a pig. But mother would feed us lentils every
day, which I hated! I still can’t stand them now. I remember hiding lentils in my pockets – and I’d sow them in the
garden. Luckily I didn’t ever wait for them to grow! I think that was the beginning of my gardening career,
because after I left home that’s what I studied at college!
4. The good old days
We didn’t have a television until I was about ten. Instead, we listened to the radio a lot after school, and we
would play cards and board games, and play with friends outside. We couldn’t really afford many holidays –
people didn’t in those days. There wasn’t much petrol, and it was very expensive. But when I was a bit older
we had a caravan and I remember it had a tin bath that hung down under the
fl
oorboards. We used to love
bath time on holidays! Nowadays people buy so many clothes, but when I was little people used to make them
all. My grandmother would cut up old clothes and make skirts and blouses from them. And she used to give us
a home made jumper every year that she knitted from wool she took from old jumpers. These jumpers were
lovely – bright and stripy. And when we made holes in our socks grandmother would always mend them for us.
Mmm … we didn’t have a lot in those days, but I had a very happy childhood.
5. How did you use to spend your summer holidays as a kid?
Every summer…
I didn’t use to…
In the morning…
In the afternoon…
At night…
USED TO / WOULD
6. How was your routine when you were in college?
Every September…
I didn’t use to…
In the morning…
In the afternoon…
At night…
USED TO / WOULD
7. How was your routine during lockdown?
Every day…
I didn’t use to…
In the morning…
In the afternoon…
At night…
USED TO / WOULD
8. What was a typical Christmas like for you when you were 10 years old?
Every year…
I didn’t use to…
In the morning…
In the afternoon…
At night…
USED TO / WOULD
9. How did people use to communicate (in their personal life, at work) before
smartphones?
Every time…
I didn’t use to…
In the morning…
In the afternoon…
At night…
USED TO / WOULD
10. Casette
It reminds me of…
I vaguely/clearly remember…
If I remember right…
I can recall…
I have vivid memories of…
That doesn’t ring a bell
I don’t recall…
I don’t remember…
11. VHS and video clubs
It reminds me of…
I vaguely/clearly remember…
If I remember right…
I can recall…
I have vivid memories of…
That doesn’t ring a bell
I don’t recall…
I don’t remember…
12. Phone cabins
It reminds me of…
I vaguely/clearly remember…
If I remember right…
I can recall…
I have vivid memories of…
That doesn’t ring a bell
I don’t recall…
I don’t remember…
13. Camera reel
It reminds me of…
I vaguely/clearly remember…
If I remember right…
I can recall…
I have vivid memories of…
That doesn’t ring a bell
I don’t recall…
I don’t remember…
14. Yellow Pages
It reminds me of…
I vaguely/clearly remember…
If I remember right…
I can recall…
I have vivid memories of…
That doesn’t ring a bell
I don’t recall…
I don’t remember…
15. Encyclopedias
It reminds me of…
I vaguely/clearly remember…
If I remember right…
I can recall…
I have vivid memories of…
That doesn’t ring a bell
I don’t recall…
I don’t remember…
16. Walkman & CD players
It reminds me of…
I vaguely/clearly remember…
If I remember right…
I can recall…
I have vivid memories of…
That doesn’t ring a bell
I don’t recall…
I don’t remember…