Language focus: used to/didn't use to (past habits)
A2-B1 level
Description
Materials
Main Aims
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To provide clarification and practice of used to/didn't use to (past habits)
Subsidiary Aims
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To provide review of present habits
Procedure (15-26 minutes)
After greeting, I will give them the reading handout, and ask them to read the text and try to skip the unknown words and get the main idea of the text.
I want them to underline 6 phrases with ''sued to/didn't use to'' in the text.
I show them the 6 sentences on the TV, then I check the meaning by asking concept-checking questions (I will read some of them and ask question about them. Then I ask do these sentences refer to the past or present? did they happen only one time or for a long time?). Then I highlight that they happened in the past as habits. Then I work on pronunciation (used to/didn't use to). I pronounce the word "used to" and after drilling I write the phonetic under the word, next I pronounce "didn't use to'' and after drilling I write the phonetic next to it. Then, I work on the 6 sentences they already knew. Furthermore, I elicit the difference between ''to use'' and ''used to'' in terms of pronunciation.
I try to elicit from them by using the 6 sentences we worked on to write the affirmative structure: [S+used to+V], then I elicit the negative structure: [S+didn't use to+V] and the question structure: [Did+S+use to+V]. Besides, I give them the grammar handout and we read the items together from affirmative to question form. I ask CCQs : what we use for the present habits? do we use ''used to''? Then I elicit [usually+simple present] like: I usually cook in the evenings.
I hold up a worksheet and explain what I want them to do in pairs, next, I use ICCQs to make sure they understood. then we check the answers together. At first, we work on practice (a) and then practice (b)
I will give them a piece of paper and I want them to write their names on it and write one question like: what did you use to do when you were a child? what did you use to do at high school? Or use the examples of the worksheet that we covered, then I take them and give them to other students and they are supposed to answer the question.
I put them in different pairs by using number technique and want them to talk to each other and use the structures. I monitor them unobtrusively and make notes if there are errors, then write them on the whiteboard and work on them by involving students.