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Learning Objectives

2 minutes reading
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Use "used to" to describe past habits and states that are no longer true
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Form negative and question structures with "used to"
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Contrast past and present situations in professional contexts
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Discuss process changes, evaluations, and workplace evolution
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Key for this lesson

"Used to" describes past habits or states that are no longer true. It emphasizes the contrast between then and now: "I used to work in an office, but now I work from home."

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Grammar Explanation

4 minutes reading
Used to + base verb

Past Habits & States (No Longer True)

Subject + used to + base verb

Positive: I used to work in sales.

Negative: I didn't use to work remotely.

Question: Did you use to travel for work?

before in the past years ago when I started
Contrast with Now

Then vs Now Pattern

Used to + verb... but now + present

Example: "I used to commute daily, but now I work from home."

Example: "We used to use spreadsheets, but now we have a CRM."

but now these days nowadays currently
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Common Confusion

"Used to" (past habit) vs "be used to" (be accustomed to) vs "get used to" (become accustomed to). This lesson focuses on "used to" for past habits only.

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Context & Professional Usage

5 minutes reading

Professional Context (70%)

🔄 Change Management: "We used to do everything manually."
📈 Process Evolution: "The team used to meet weekly; now we meet daily."
📋 Performance Reviews: "She used to struggle with deadlines, but she's improved."
🏢 Company History: "We used to be a small startup."
💼 Career Progression: "I used to work in a different department."

Everyday Usage (30%)

🚗 Lifestyle: "I used to drive to work."
🏠 Living situation: "I used to live in Paris."
☕ Habits: "I used to drink a lot of coffee."
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Business English Examples

6 minutes reading
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Correct Professional Usage

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"We used to hold monthly meetings, but now we meet bi-weekly."

Past habit contrasted with present

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"I didn't use to enjoy public speaking, but I've improved."

Negative - past state no longer true

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"Did the company use to have an office in London?"

Question form - note "use to" not "used to"

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"The department used to be much smaller before the merger."

Past state - used to + be

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Common Business Mistakes

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"I use to work in marketing."

Use: "I used to work..." (always "used to" in positive)

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"I used to work here since 2010."

Use: "I've worked here since 2010." (still true = Present Perfect)

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"Did you used to manage a team?"

Use: "Did you use to manage...?" (base form after did)

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Professional Listening Exercise

6 minutes

Listen to Maria, a senior manager, discussing how her company has changed over the years:

🎵 Audio: Company Evolution
Ready
0:00 / 0:00
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Speed:

Maria (Senior Manager):

"When I joined this company fifteen years ago, things were very different. We used to be a small team of just twenty people. Now we have over three hundred employees across five countries.

The way we work has completely transformed. We used to communicate mainly by email and phone. Meetings used to be in person only - we didn't use to have video conferencing at all. Can you imagine? Now, of course, Zoom and Teams are essential for our daily operations.

Our approach to project management used to be quite traditional. We used to plan everything in advance with detailed Gantt charts. The project managers used to spend hours creating these plans. Now we use Agile methods, and we're much more flexible.

I remember when I used to work from the office every single day. I didn't use to have any flexibility with my schedule. But nowadays, most of our team works hybrid - three days in the office, two from home.

One thing that hasn't changed is our commitment to quality. We used to say 'quality first' back then, and we still believe that today. Some things are worth keeping the same."

Question 1: How many employees did the company use to have?

💡 Hint: Listen for "We used to be a small team of..."

Question 2: What didn't they use to have for meetings?

💡 Hint: Listen for "we didn't use to have..."

Question 3: Complete: "I _______ work from the office every single day."

💡 Hint: This is a positive statement about a past habit.
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Quick Comprehension Quiz

4 minutes

Choose the correct option for each situation:

1

Discussing past company policy: "We _____ require suits in the office, but now the dress code is casual."

A used to
B use to
C are used to
2

Asking about past experience: "_____ you _____ work in the finance sector?"

A Did / used to
B Did / use to
C Do / used to
3

Negative statement: "I _____ enjoy networking events, but now I find them valuable."

A didn't used to
B didn't use to
C not used to
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Professional Practice Exercises

7 minutes

Exercise A: Complete with the correct form of "used to"

1.

The company _______ (have) only one office in London.

💡 Hint: Positive statement about past state: used to + base verb
2.

We _______ (not/offer) remote work options before the pandemic.

💡 Hint: Negative: didn't use to + base verb
3.

_______ the team _______ (meet) in person every week?

💡 Hint: Question: Did + subject + use to + base verb?
4.

I _______ (work) in marketing, but now I'm in HR.

💡 Hint: Positive statement contrasting past with "but now"

Exercise B: Rewrite using "used to"

1.

In the past, our team worked from the office every day. (Rewrite with "used to")

💡 Hint: Replace "In the past, [subject] [past verb]" with "[Subject] used to [base verb]"
2.

Before, we didn't have flexible hours. (Rewrite with "didn't use to")

💡 Hint: Replace "Before, we didn't [verb]" with "We didn't use to [base verb]"
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Speaking Preparation

4 minutes
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Preparation for Class

Practice contrasting past and present using "used to" structures.

💼 Task 1: Workplace Changes (Controlled - 1 min)

Complete these sentences about how your workplace has changed:

  • "We used to _______, but now we _______."
  • "I didn't use to _______, but now I _______."
  • "The company used to be _______, but now it's _______."
📊 Task 2: Career Journey (Guided - 2 min)

Describe how your role or career has evolved:

  • What did you use to do when you started your career?
  • What skills didn't you use to have?
  • How has your industry changed? What did companies use to do differently?
🔄 Task 3: Discussion (Free - 1 min)

Discuss with your teacher:

  • What aspect of your work life used to be better? What's better now?
  • How did your industry use to operate before technology changed it?
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Module 1 Complete!

You've completed Module 1: Past and Present Experiences.
Key structures: Present Perfect (for/since, already/yet), Past Simple (specific times), Used to (past habits)
Next: Module 2 - Talking About the Future

Next lesson →