USED TO

USED TO

We use used to to express PAST HABITS, things that we did in the past that we don't do now.

I used to play football when I was 5, but now I play basketball.
I didn't use to like lentils as a kid, but I love them now.
Did she use to ride a bike when she lived in Belgium?

In affirmative: USED TO + verb in infinitive
In negative: DID NOT / DIDN'T USE TO + infinitive
In questions: DID....(SUBJECT) USE TO + infinitive

Mrs Bell is a hundred years old. She's the oldest person in the village.  A radio reporter is interviewing her. Put in used to with the verb in brackets. 

Mrs Bell:    I've always lived in the village, but not always in this house.

Reporter:   Where ( ► )  did you use to live  (you / live)?

Mrs Bell:    When I was a girl, we lived at Apple Tree Farm. (1)………………………………………………  (we / like) it there. 

Reporter:   But life was hard, wasn't it?

Mrs Bell:    Oh, yes. Things (2) …………………………………….(be) different from the way they are now. In those days (3) ……………………………………….(we / not / have) electricity.

Reporter:   And (4) …………………………………………… (you / help) with the farm work?

Mrs Bell:    Yes, (5)  ………………………………………………(I / look after / the hens)

2Match the statements a-fwith the responses below (1-6).

a. Did you ever use to wear leg warmers?

b. I used to listen to punk music when I was in High School.

c. My brother used to love playing Super Mario World.

d. What sports did you use to play in High School?

e. When I was little, we lived in Peckham, in South London.

f. The first album I ever bought was ‘Dookie’ by Green Day.

1. No way! I used to live there too.

2. Well, I was never in any school teams but I used to like playing tennis.

3. That game was great! I used to play it too.

4. I used to love that group. They were the best!

5. Really? I preferred pop music.

6. Yes, I did. They were so cool when I was in High School.

 

ANSWERS

 

RELATIVE CLAUSES

RELATIVE CLAUSES

Relative clauses are introduced by a relative pronoun (which, that, who, whom, whose, where, when, why). 

Relative pronouns have a double function:
a) They refer to the noun that goes before them (ANTECEDENT)
b) They have a function in the relative clause 

RELATIVE PRONOUNS:
1. WHO: for people
    The man WHO lives on the second floor is a doctor

2. WHICH: for objects/animals/things
    The book WHICH you gave me is interesting.

3. THAT: can substitute WHO or WHICH (never in non-defining clauses), and it is more informal.
     The man THAT lives on the second floor is a doctor
     The book THAT you gave me is interesting.
   
4. WHOM: it is the same as WHO, but when it has a preposition before
     The man to WHOM you spoke is my brother.

5. WHOSE: indicates posession. It cannot be omitted. 
    I saw the boy WHOSE father is a doctor (...cuyo padre...)


6. WHERE: for places
    This is the place WHERE I was born

7. WHEN: for time
    The year WHEN I was born was very cold

8. WHY: for reasons
    The reason WHY I am here is to teach you English.


As we briefly (and quickly) saw in class, there are two types of clauses: defining and non-defining.

1. DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (ESPECIFICATIVAS)
- They add essential information and specify something about the person/thing/place... 
- They can be introduced by all the pronouns above
- WHO, WHICH and THAT can be omitted when they are NOT the subject of the relative clause:
     The medicine [ WHICH/ THAT/ ------ the doctor gave me ] tastes horrible.
                                                                   subject

2. NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES (EXPLICATIVAS)
- They add extra information, that is not necessary to understand the sentence
- They go between commas.
- The relative pronoun CANNOT be omitted
- They CANNOT go with THAT
     My doctor, who is very nice, game me the medicine yesterday.
     Pedrajas, which is a town in Valladolid, is famous for its pine nuts.


Now, let's practice a little bit:

1.- COMPLETE THESE SENTENCES USING WHICH / WHO / WHEN / WHERE / WHOSE / THAT / NOTHING:

    1- There’s the man _________ taught me English.
    2- Do you know a bar _________ sells cheap beer?
    3- Do you know a shop _________ I can buy a laptop computer?
    4- The police haven’t found the person _________ killed Jack Dover.
    5- John Skull, _______ book "English made simple" sold a million copies, died today.
    6- The language ________ people speak in Wales is called Welsh.
    7- Ted, _________ fixes my car, has just won the lottery.
    8- This is Joe Biggs, _________ works in Greenwich.
    9- I’d like to speak to the person _________ deals with accounts.
    10- I hate it ________ my boss asks me to work overtime.
    11- Have you got a typewriter _________ I can borrow?
    12- The job ________ he got wasn’t very interesting.

2.- DECIDE   WHETHER  IT  IS  POSSIBLE  OR  NOT   TO   LEAVE  OUT   THE UNDERLINED WORD.

1. The parcel that contains your present is on the table.

2. Do you like the neighbour who lives next door?

3. There is no one whom I would prefer to you as a school mate.

4. It’s the short dark days that really depress most people.

5. The letter that I received this morning had bad news.

6. There is only a book written by Roald  Dhal which I haven’t read.

Quite easy, right? Check your answers here: 

ANSWERS

REVIEW - QUESTIONS

How to ask questions in English:



Questions about the object:
(WH-) + AUXILIARY + SUBJECT + VERB + OTHER COMPLEMENTS?


Where do you work?
When are they  coming back?
Why have you  said that?
Who did she  call the other day?
What were we  doing when he called?

Remember that in YES/NO questions, there is no Wh- word, but the structure is the same:

Are you listening to me?
Have you studied for the exam?
Do you want some more cake?

Questions about the subject: 
WH + VERB  + OTHER COMPLEMENTS?


Who is coming to the party?
Who is your favourite actor?
Who are you?
What is that thing?
What animal hunts zebras?
What animals hunt zebras? 

Remember that in this type of questions, the subject is the wh- word, so the verb appears like in an affirmative sentence, and agreeing to the question word.

If what/which appear with a word after it (which language/ which animals/ what color...), it can be singular or plural, depending on that word, so pay attention to number (notice the last two questions above)


Wh- words:
WHO
WHAT
WHERE
WHEN
WHY
WHICH
HOW -- HOW MUCH
              HOW MANY
              HOW OFTEN
              HOW LONG


Practice asking questions for the following answers

1. ..............................................................? I have lived here for 3 years.
2. ..............................................................? That shirt is $20
3. ..............................................................? We didn't go to the amusement park because it was raining.
4. ..............................................................? They usually go skiing twice a year.
5. ..............................................................? When the accident happened, I was looking out the window.
6. ..............................................................? No, I have never been in India
7. ..............................................................? Yes, of course I would like to travel to New York.
8. ..............................................................? We will probably buy the tickets tomorrow.



Answers