ESL Used to Activities, Games and Worksheets

In this engaging 'used to' activity, students conduct a survey to find out what their classmates' lives were like as a child by asking and answering 'Did you use to...?' questions. Give each student a copy of the worksheet. Students complete the worksheet with a 'Did you use to…?' question for each category. For example, in the games category a student might write 'Did you use to play hide and seek as a child?' When everybody has finished, students go around the class, asking each other their questions and noting down the answers by putting a tick for yes and a cross for no in the appropriate column on the worksheet. When the students have finished, they summarize and report back their findings to the class.

In this free 'used to' board game, students practice 'used to' and the past simple by discussing and answering questions about childhood memories. It is ideal for teenagers and adults. This game also provides students with a great opportunity to practice building a conversation about growing up. Give each group of three or four a copy of the game board, a dice and counters. The players take it in turns to roll the dice and move their counter along the board. When a player lands on a square, the student on their right asks the player the question on the square about their experience of growing up. The player then uses 'used to' and the past simple to answer the question. The group then explores the topic by asking follow-up questions and giving comments. The first student to reach the finish square wins the game.

In this free 'used to' activity, students play a game where they talk about how things were different in the past using 'used to' and 'didn’t use to'. Give each group of three a set of topic cards, which they shuffle and place face down in a pile on the desk. The students then take it in turns to pick up a card and talk about the topic on the card, saying how the thing was different in the past using 'used to' and 'didn’t use to'. The students must talk about each topic for a minimum of 30 seconds. Each time a student makes a sentence with 'used to' or 'didn’t use to', they score one point. For example, if the topic was computers, a student might say, "Computers used to have floppy disks. The monitors didn’t use to be slim and flat like they are today, etc…" When a member of the group is talking, the other students time the speaker and award points. The student with the most points at the end of the game is the winner. Afterwards, there is a class feedback session to discuss how each thing was different in the past using the target language.

This 'used to' activity is ideal for practicing or reviewing the various forms of 'used to', e.g. get used to, getting used to, etc. In the activity, students ask and answer questions about the past and present using the various forms. Give each student a copy of the worksheet. The students answer questions on their worksheet by writing short answers in a random order in speech bubbles. When the students have finished, divide them into pairs and have them exchange worksheets. Students then take it in turns to choose an answer from one of their partner's speech bubbles and ask them questions to find out what the answer refers to. For example, if a student wrote the word 'beach' in one of the speech bubbles, their partner might ask 'Did you use to go to the beach all the time?' 'Did you use to go to the beach on holiday?, etc…' The student replies yes or no accordingly. When a student asks the right question, their partner explains their answer, e.g. 'Yes, I did. I used to live near a beach when I was younger. I used to play on the beach after school with my friends, etc.' After the answer has been explained and discussed, the student puts a tick next to the bubble and the students swap roles. At the end of the activity, students report back to the class on the most interesting things they found out about their partner.

Here is a fun 'used to' board game to help students practice asking and answering questions about things they usually do, used to do, or could/couldn’t get used to doing. Give each pair of students a copy of the game board, a dice and two counters. The students place their counters on the start square. The students then take it in turns to roll the dice and move their counter along the board. When a student lands on a square, the student forms a question from the prompt on the square with either 'Do you usually...?', 'Did you use to...?' or 'Do you think you could get used to...?' The student then asks the question to their partner who answers accordingly. If the question is formed correctly, the student stays on the square. If not, the student goes back to their previous square. The first student to reach the finish wins the game.

In this insightful 'used to' teaching activity, students practice expressions with 'used to' by talking about past habits and memories. Give each student a copy of the worksheet. The students begin by writing true short answers for the items on the worksheet in a random order in the speech bubbles, e.g. I used to be really into it - skateboarding. When the students have finished, divide them into pairs and have the students swap worksheets with their partner. Students then take it in turns to choose an answer from one of their partner's speech bubbles and ask them to talk about it, e.g. 'Tell me about skateboarding'. Their partner uses the expression with 'used to' to talk about the topic, e.g. 'I used to be really into skateboarding. I would go to the skate park every day and practice for hours'. The student then asks follow-up questions and the pair develops a short conversation about the topic, e.g. 'Why did you stop skateboarding?' After their partner has explained the answer and it's been discussed, the student puts a tick next to the speech bubble and the students swap roles. At the end of the activity, the students report back to the class on the most interesting things they found out about their partner.

In this entertaining 'used to' activity, students play a card game where they describe changes that have happened in their lives using used to, didn't use to, getting used to, would and wouldn't. Give each group of four a set of cards, which they shuffle and deal out equally. Each card shows a change that has happened in the student's life. The students' task is to think of sentences that demonstrate that change using used to, didn’t use to, getting used to, would and wouldn’t. When the students are ready, they begin the game. Students take it in turns to choose one of their cards and make sentences, describing the change on the card using would(n't) and the various forms of 'used to'. The other students listen and try to guess the change. The first student to guess correctly wins the card. The student with the most cards at the end of the game wins.