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Reading Worksheet

When We Were Young

A2 Used To: Past Habits and States Childhood and Hobbies 25 minutes
Before You Read

Discuss these questions with a partner before you read.

  • What hobbies did you have as a child? Do you still do any of them?
  • What is one thing you loved doing as a child that you don't do anymore?
  • Think about someone you know — how have they changed since they were young?
  • Do you think childhood hobbies influence the kind of adult you become? Why?
Key Vocabulary
Word Definition Example
hobby (n.) an activity you enjoy doing in your free time Collecting stamps was Keiko's favourite hobby as a child.
collection (n.) a group of similar things that you gather She had a collection of stamps from thirty countries.
choir (n.) a group of people who sing together Amara used to sing in the school choir.
confident (adj.) sure of yourself and your abilities Amara didn't use to be confident, but now she is.
marathon (n.) a race of 42 kilometres Keiko used to hate sport. Now she runs marathons.
shape (v.) to influence the way something develops Our childhood hobbies shape who we become.
Reading Text
Blog Post ~210 words

When We Were Young

This month, some of our readers are writing about their childhood hobbies for our school reunion blog. Here are three of their stories.

Keiko, 25, originally from Japan, now lives in the UK. 'I used to collect stamps when I was a child. I used to spend hours organising them into albums by country and colour. Every Saturday, I used to go to the library with my father to look at books about the world. I didn't use to like sport at all — I thought it was boring. But things change. Now I run marathons every year!'

Marcus, 26, grew up in London. 'After school, I used to play football in the park with my friends every single day. In the mornings, I used to watch cartoons before school. I didn't use to read much — I thought books were for school, not for fun. Now I work as a librarian, which is funny when I think about it.'

Amara, 24, originally from Nigeria, now lives in Canada. 'I used to sing in the school choir and I loved it. I also used to help my grandmother in the garden on weekends. I used to be very shy, and I didn't use to talk much in class. Now I work as a public speaker and give talks to hundreds of people!'

All three agree: the hobbies and habits we have as children shape who we become, even when we no longer do them.

Notice the Grammar

Look back at the article. Find five sentences that use 'used to'. Write them below. Then discuss with a partner: what do all of these sentences have in common? Why does the writer use 'used to' and not the past simple?

1 Reading for Gist

Answer these questions in a few words.

  1. What is this blog post about?
  2. How many people share their stories in the blog post?
  3. What do all three people agree on at the end?
2 Reading for Detail

Answer these questions. Write short answers.

  1. Where is Keiko originally from? Where does she live now?
  2. What did Keiko do every Saturday as a child?
  3. Why is it surprising that Marcus is now a librarian?
  4. Which person used to be shy as a child?  a) Keiko b) Marcus c) Amara 
  5. What does Amara do now that is very different from how she used to be?
3 True, False, or Not Given

Write T (True), F (False), or NG (Not Given). Use only information from the article.

  1. Keiko used to organise her stamps by country and colour.
  2. Marcus used to play football at school during lessons.
  3. Amara's grandmother also used to sing in a choir.
  4. Keiko used to dislike sport when she was young.
  5. Marcus has always loved reading.
4 Vocabulary in Context

Answer these questions about words and phrases in the article.

  1. In paragraph 2, what does 'organising' mean?  a) throwing away b) arranging things in a tidy or logical way c) buying new things 
  2. Keiko says 'things change.' In your own words, what does she mean by this in context?
  3. Find a word in paragraph 4 that means 'not wanting to talk to people or draw attention to yourself'. Write it here. 
  4. The article says childhood hobbies 'shape who we become'. What does 'shape' mean here? Write your own definition.
5 Grammar in Context

Complete these activities. Go back to the article.

  1. Find five examples of 'used to' in the article. Write the complete sentences.
    a)  b)  c)  d)  e) 
  2. Find two examples of 'didn't use to' in the article. Write the sentences.
    a)  b) 
  3. What does 'used to' tell us?  a) That something happened once in the past. b) That something happened regularly in the past but does not happen now. c) That something usually happens in the present. 
  4. Rewrite these sentences using 'used to' or 'didn't use to': (a) 'As a child, Marcus played football every day.' (b) 'Keiko didn't like sport when she was young.'
  5. Write three sentences about things you used to do as a child but don't do now. Use 'used to' or 'didn't use to'.
Personal Response — Discuss with a partner

Discuss these questions with a partner. Then share one idea with the class.

  1. Which of the three people in the article — Keiko, Marcus, or Amara — changed the most? Why do you think so?
  2. Think of a habit or hobby you used to have. Why did you stop? Do you miss it?
  3. Do you agree that 'the hobbies we have as children shape who we become'? Can you give an example from your own life?

Answer Key

When We Were Young — A2 — Used To: Past Habits and States

Exercise 1 — Reading for Gist

  1. Three people writing about their childhood hobbies for a school reunion blog.
  2. Three (Keiko, Marcus, and Amara).
  3. That childhood hobbies shape who we become, even when we no longer do them.

Exercise 2 — Reading for Detail

  1. She is originally from Japan. She now lives in the UK.
  2. She used to go to the library with her father.
  3. Because he didn't use to read much as a child — he thought books were for school, not fun.
  4. c)
  5. She works as a public speaker, giving talks to hundreds of people — even though she used to be very shy.

Exercise 3 — True, False, or Not Given

  1. T — Para. 2: 'I used to spend hours organising them into albums by country and colour.'
  2. F — Para. 3: he used to play football in the park after school, not during school lessons.
  3. NG — The grandmother is mentioned in connection with gardening, not singing. No information is given about her hobbies.
  4. T — Para. 2: 'I didn't use to like sport at all — I thought it was boring.'
  5. F — Para. 3: 'I didn't use to read much — I thought books were for school, not for fun.'

Exercise 4 — Vocabulary in Context

  1. b)
  2. She means that her interests and habits have changed since childhood — she used to hate sport but now loves running.
  3. shy
  4. To influence or affect the kind of person you develop into / to have an effect on how something grows or changes.

Exercise 5 — Grammar in Context

  1. Any five 'used to' sentences from any of the three profiles. For example: 'I used to collect stamps.' / 'I used to spend hours organising them.' / 'I used to go to the library with my father.' / 'I used to play football in the park.' / 'I used to watch cartoons before school.' / 'I used to sing in the school choir.' / 'I used to help my grandmother in the garden.' / 'I used to be very shy.'
  2. Any two of: 'I didn't use to like sport at all.' / 'I didn't use to read much.' / 'I didn't use to talk much in class.'
  3. b)
  4. (a) Marcus used to play football every day. (b) Keiko didn't use to like sport.
  5. Answers will vary. Answers will vary. Check: used to / didn't use to + infinitive (no -ing after used to).

Notice the Grammar — suggested answers

Accept any five correct examples from the article that use the target grammar. Students should be able to explain why the grammar is used in each case.

Personal Response

Answers will vary. This section is for spoken discussion or short written response. There are no single correct answers.