LLFE-A05 · I Used to Work in Sydney — Used To for Past Habits
🏙️ I Used to Work in Sydney
⏱ 5 minutes · 📚 CELTA-informed · 🎯 Cambridge B1
📖 From the teacher’s desk: I used to manage a team of 20 staff at The Ivy in Sydney. I used to taste wine every afternoon and write tasting notes. I used to commute by ferry across Darling Harbour. None of that is my life now — and “used to” is the perfect grammar structure for talking about a past life that has genuinely changed.
🎯 By the end of this lesson, you can: use “used to” correctly to talk about past habits that are no longer true.
🔥 Warm Up (1 min)
Think of something you did regularly in the past but don’t do anymore. A sport? A hobby? A job? A place you visited? Hold that thought…
📖 Learn It (2 min)
Structure: used to + base verb
✅ I used to work in Sydney. (= I worked there regularly; I don’t now)
❌ I didn’t use to live in France. (negative)
❓ Did you use to travel a lot? (question)
| ❌ Wrong | ✅ Right |
|---|---|
| I used to worked there. | I used to work there. |
| Did you used to play? | Did you use to play? |
| I didn’t used to like it. | I didn’t use to like it. |
⚠️ “Used to” is ONLY for things in the past that are no longer true. NOT for single past events.
✏️ Try It (2 min)
Complete using “used to”:
- She _______ (play) tennis every weekend, but now she’s too busy.
- They _______ (not/eat) sushi, but they love it now.
- _______ you _______ (live) in the city?
Write 4 sentences about your own past habits using “used to” and “didn’t use to.”
🗝️ Answer Key
- She used to play tennis every weekend.
- They didn’t use to eat sushi.
- Did you use to live in the city?
Cambridge CELTA course completed — 120 supervised teaching hours, 4 written assignments passed at the required standard.
Independent project; not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification.
✉️ Questions? sourovdeb.com