AAAbdelkriem AcademyEducate Me Up

English Course · Level 2 (A2) · Week 12 of 12

Then and Now

Grammar: used to · subject and object questions

This week's plan

DayLearnListen / WatchPractise
Day 1Words: Changes · Sentences 1–2Learn English with Bob the Canadian: “10 English Phrases About Change” (podcast)Exercise 1
Day 2Words: Past and present · Sentences 3–4BBC 6 Minute Grammar: “How to use ‘used to’” (podcast)Exercise 2
Day 3Words: Old and new things · Sentences 5–6BBC 6 Minute Grammar: “Subject questions” (podcast)Exercise 3
Day 4Words: Childhood memories · Sentences 7–8Learn English with Bob the Canadian: “Learn How to Describe Your Childhood in English!” (podcast)
+ BBC Learning English Grammar: “Reminiscing” (podcast)		Exercise 4
Day 5Words: The old days · Sentences 9–10Learn English with Bob the Canadian: “How To Describe Old Things In English” (podcast)Write & Speak
Day 6Review all 30 words + 10 sentencesBBC 6 Minute English: “Keeping kids off smartphones” (podcast)Redo mistakes
Day 7Free day ☺BBC Learning English Stories: “Classic Stories: Around the World in Eighty Days” (podcast)Tick your tracker

30 minutes a day: review, learn, listen, practise, speak. Day 7 is a free day. Tap a resource to find it.

30 words to learn

Set 1 · Changes

  • changeيتغيّر / تغيير
  • becomeيصبح
  • get olderيكبر في السن
  • different fromمختلف عن
  • the same asمثل / نفس
  • developيتطور

Set 2 · Past and present

  • in the pastفي الماضي
  • in those daysفي تلك الأيام / زمان
  • at that timeفي ذلك الوقت
  • nowadaysفي الوقت الحاضر / دلوقتي
  • no longerلم يعد
  • not … any moreلم يعد … / مبقاش

Set 3 · Old and new things

  • landlineهاتف أرضي
  • letterخطاب / جواب
  • cassetteشريط كاسيت
  • smartphoneهاتف ذكي
  • social mediaوسائل التواصل الاجتماعي / السوشيال ميديا
  • onlineعبر الإنترنت / أونلاين

Set 4 · Childhood memories

  • toyلعبة (للأطفال)
  • hide and seekالاستغماية
  • cartoonرسوم متحركة / كرتون
  • pocket moneyمصروف الجيب
  • strictصارم / شديد
  • naughtyشقي

Set 5 · The old days

  • memoryذكرى
  • missيفتقد / يوحشه
  • generationجيل
  • the old daysأيام زمان
  • simple lifeحياة بسيطة
  • used toاعتاد أن / كان (يفعل)

10 sentences to memorise

  1. 1I used to play hide and seek with my cousins.كنت ألعب الاستغماية مع أولاد عمي.
  2. 2My grandfather used to send letters to his family.كان جدي يرسل الخطابات إلى عائلته.
  3. 3Did you use to watch cartoons after school?هل كنت تشاهد الرسوم المتحركة بعد المدرسة؟
  4. 4We didn't use to have a phone at home in those days.لم يكن لدينا هاتف في البيت في تلك الأيام.
  5. 5My father was very strict when I was young.كان أبي صارمًا جدًا عندما كنت صغيرًا.
  6. 6People no longer write letters; they send messages online.لم يعد الناس يكتبون الخطابات؛ إنهم يرسلون الرسائل عبر الإنترنت.
  7. 7Who told you the news?مَن أخبرك بالخبر؟
  8. 8What happened to the old cinema in our street?ماذا حدث للسينما القديمة في شارعنا؟
  9. 9Life used to be simpler, but nowadays it's faster.كانت الحياة أبسط، لكنها أصبحت أسرع في الوقت الحاضر.
  10. 10I really miss the old days.أفتقد أيام زمان حقًا.

Grammar: used to · subject and object questions

used to + verb = past habits or states that are not true now (I used to live in Tanta. = I don't live there now.)

Negative: didn't use to · Question: Did you use to …?

Subject questions: when Who or What is the subject, don't use do / does / did: Who called you? (NOT Who did call you?) · What happened?

نعبّر بالعربية عن عادات الماضي بكلمة «كان»: «كنت ألعب»، فيترجمها المتعلم I was play ✗ أو I was playing (وهذا حدث مستمر في لحظة معينة وليس عادة). للعادة التي انتهت استخدم used to + فعل مجرد. وانتبه: بعد did و didn't نكتب use to بدون d. وفي الأسئلة عن الفاعل (مَن فعل؟ ماذا حدث؟) لا نستخدم did: Who broke the window? وليس Who did break the window?

PositiveNegativeQuestion
I used to walk to school.I didn't use to walk to school.Did you use to walk to school?
She used to be shy.She didn't use to like tea.Did she use to work here?
Object question (with do / did)Subject question (no do / did)
Who did you call? → I called Omar.Who called you? → Omar called me.
What did Mona say? → She said hello.What happened? → The car broke down.
Which bus do you take? → I take the 12.Which bus goes to Giza? → The 12 goes to Giza.

used to is only for the past. For present habits, use the present simple with usually: I usually walk to work (NOT I use to walk).

Don't use used to with a number of times: I visited Luxor three times (NOT I used to visit Luxor three times).

Exercises

Exercise 1 · Complete with used to, didn't use to or Did … use to.

  1. 1) I ___ live in Mansoura, but now I live in Cairo.
  2. 2) My father ___ smoke, but he gave up ten years ago.
  3. 3) ___ you ___ have long hair?
  4. 4) We ___ have a TV when I was young. (negative)
  5. 5) There ___ be a cinema in our street.
  6. 6) She ___ like vegetables, but now she loves them.
Show the answers
1) used to 2) used to 3) Did … use to 4) didn't use to 5) used to 6) didn't use to

Exercise 2 · Rewrite the sentences with used to.

  1. 1) When I was a child, I played in the street every day.
  2. 2) My grandmother made bread at home in the past.
  3. 3) In the past, people didn't have mobile phones.
  4. 4) Was Omar shy when he was a child?
  5. 5) Life was simpler in those days.
Show the answers
1) When I was a child, I used to play in the street every day. 2) My grandmother used to make bread at home (in the past). 3) In the past, people didn't use to have mobile phones. 4) Did Omar use to be shy when he was a child? 5) Life used to be simpler in those days.

Exercise 3 · Write the questions.

  1. 1) Mona broke the cup. (Who …?)
  2. 2) Mona broke the cup. (What … Mona …?)
  3. 3) Something happened at work. (What …?)
  4. 4) Omar called me last night. (Who called …?)
  5. 5) I called Omar last night. (Who did …?)
  6. 6) The 12 bus goes to Giza. (Which bus …?)
Show the answers
1) Who broke the cup? 2) What did Mona break? 3) What happened at work? 4) Who called you last night? 5) Who did you call last night? 6) Which bus goes to Giza?

Exercise 4 · Translate into English.

  1. 1) كنت أذهب إلى المدرسة سيرًا على الأقدام.
  2. 2) لم يكن أبي يشرب القهوة.
  3. 3) مَن أعطاك هذا الكتاب؟
  4. 4) ماذا حدث بعد ذلك؟
Show the answers
1) I used to walk to school. (or: I used to go to school on foot.) 2) My father didn't use to drink coffee. 3) Who gave you this book? 4) What happened after that?

Do each exercise in pencil first, then open the answers to check.

Write & Speak

Write & Speak — “Then and now”: write 80–100 words about how your life (or your town) has changed. Use used to and didn't use to for the past, and the present simple for now. Then interview an older person in your family: ask five questions like “Did you use to …?” and “What happened when …?”

Example: When I was a child, my life was very different. My family used to live in a small flat in Shubra. I didn't use to have a phone or a computer. I used to play football in the street and watch cartoons in the afternoon. My mother used to give me five pounds pocket money every week, and I felt rich! Nowadays I live in 6th of October City and I work in a bank. I no longer play in the street; I go to the gym instead. Life is easier now, but sometimes I miss the old days.