Used To
66 grammar questions and prompts
Answer in full sentences using “used to” or “didn’t use to.” Give details or tell a story when you can.
Practice former habits and past states. Choose A2, B1, or B2 prompts to suit your students. These are suggested speaking-task levels.
A2
A2 speaking practice
26 questions
- Where did you use to play when you were a child?
- Which subjects did you use to get good grades in?
- What used to be your favorite game to play?
- What is a food that you used to hate but now you like?
- What music did you use to dislike that you enjoy now?
- What did you use to be afraid of that doesn't scare you now?
- What did you use to think was boring that you like now?
- Where did you use to dream of living?
- What did you use to do when you felt shy?
- Who did you use to ask for advice?
- Who used to wake you up, and how?
- What did a teacher use to do that made everyone laugh?
- Tell us about an interesting job someone in your family used to have.
- Who did you use to share a room with?
- What did you use to do first when you got home from school?
- Where did you use to do your homework?
- What did you use to do on Sunday nights?
- What did you use to listen to while you worked or studied?
- What did you use to do during your school breaks?
- What did you use to spend your allowance on?
- What did you use to carry in your bag every day?
- What did you use to have on your bedroom walls?
- Which TV show did you use to watch every week?
- What did you use to wear almost every day?
- What did you use to do when a class was boring?
- What did you use to save up to buy?
B1
B1 speaking practice
28 questions
- How often did you use to get in trouble when you were younger?
- Tell us about something you used to believe because someone in your family said it.
- What job did you use to think would be easy?
- Describe an interest you used to keep secret.
- What advice did you use to ignore that you now follow?
- What did you use to blame on bad luck?
- Tell us about someone you didn't use to get along with.
- What didn't you use to care about that matters to you now?
- Tell us about a superstition you used to take seriously.
- What didn't you use to like about your name?
- Tell us about something you used to believe about a place before you visited it.
- What part of your appearance used to take the most time to get right?
- Tell us about something you used to apologize for but no longer do.
- Tell us about something your parents used to let you do that surprised other people.
- Tell us about someone who used to take games much too seriously.
- What did your family use to do when the power went out?
- What habit of someone you lived with used to drive you crazy?
- Who used to talk you into doing things that would get you into trouble?
- Tell us about a family tradition you used to enjoy but no longer follow.
- What used to upset your old boss or teacher?
- How did you use to react when someone disagreed with you?
- Tell us about a hobby you used to spend a lot of money on.
- Tell us about a job you used to do that you would never do again.
- What did you use to do to make a boring job more interesting?
- What did you use to leave until the last minute?
- Tell us about a class you used to look forward to.
- Tell us about something you used to practice when nobody was watching.
- What did you use to do when you had a whole day to yourself?
B2
B2 speaking practice
12 questions
- Tell us about an opinion you used to defend without knowing much about it.
- What did you use to consider a failure that you now see differently?
- Tell us about something you used to think you had to achieve by a certain age.
- What did you use to admire about a lifestyle you wouldn't want now?
- What problem used to seem like it would disappear if you had more money?
- What did you use to believe everyone agreed about?
- What didn't you use to feel comfortable discussing openly?
- What did you use to put up with from other people that you no longer accept?
- Tell us about something people used to praise you for that you no longer see as a compliment.
- What did you use to do at work that was never part of your job?
- What did you use to treat as a competition even though nobody else did?
- Tell us about a routine you used to have that worked well but was hard to maintain.