Teaching “Used to” to ESL students

Here’s a way to introduce the structure “used to” to your ESL students.

1 Find or draw on the board a picture of someone who looks like they could have just won some money. A photo from a magazine of someone driving an expensive car, or sitting in a luxurious room, for example, would work well. Give the person a name, and set the scene for your students of someone who has just won the lottery, or elicit it from them (“Why is Jane driving an expensive car?”; “How did she afford her expensive clothes?” etc.)

2 Ask students about Jane’s life after winning the lottery. Depending on the imagination of your students, you might have to prompt them a little (“Where does she live?”; “Does she have a job?”; “Is she happy?”; “Where does she go on holiday?” etc.) Then ask students to describe how Jane’s life was different before winning the lottery (“Where did she live?”; “Was she happy?”; “What was her job?”) After you have built up some facts about Jane’s life before and after her lottery win, put your picture to one side...