Talking About Routines
Learners watch Beth and Neil talk about their meal times and eating routines, then use used to and would to compare their routines now with when they were younger.
60 minutes · 1-to-1 or small group · teens and adults
Video: Real Easy English: Talking about routines (BBC Learning English, about 6 minutes)
- Understand the main points of a natural conversation about meal times
- Use used to, didn't use to and would to talk about past habits
- Interview a partner about how their routines have changed
habit, routine, regular, miss a meal, brunch, hangry · What time do you usually…? · used to + verb, didn't use to + verb, Did you use to…? · would + verb for repeated past actions
The lesson
Warm-up
Ask and answer. Give one extra detail each time.
Words to know
Complete the sentences. Use the words in the box.
- Biting your nails is a bad ______.
- My morning ______ is the same every day: shower, coffee, bus.
- ______ is breakfast + lunch: a big, late meal.
- When I don't eat, I feel hungry + angry. I'm ______!
- I woke up late, so I had to ______ breakfast.
- Doctors say ______ meal times are good for you.
Watch
Real Easy English: Talking about routines
BBC Learning English · Beth and Neil · about 6 minutes
First watch: number the topics in the order you hear them.
- awhat time they have lunch
- bbrunch at university
- cthe difference between a habit and a routine
- dmissing breakfast when they were young
- ewhat they eat for breakfast
- fa word for hungry and angry
Second watch: who says it? Write B (Beth) or N (Neil).
- 1I have breakfast at six every morning.
- 2I usually eat porridge for breakfast.
- 3Most days, I have some fruit: a banana and an apple.
- 4I usually have cereal or toast.
- 5Twelve o'clock is too early for lunch.
- 6I know a word for feeling hungry and angry.
- 7I had brunch with friends nearly every day at university.
- 8As a teenager, I slept a lot and got up very late.
Then and now
| Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| used to + verb | a past habit or state, not true now | I used to live in a small town. |
| didn't use to + verb | negative | I didn't use to like coffee. |
| Did you use to + verb? | question | Did you use to walk to school? |
| would + verb | a repeated past action | On Sundays, we would visit my grandma. |
Use would only for actions you did again and again. For states (live, have, like, be), use used to.
- I use to play soccer every day.I used to play soccer every day.
- I didn't used to eat fish.I didn't use to eat fish.
- When I was a kid, I would have a dog.When I was a kid, I used to have a dog.
Complete the sentences with the verb in brackets and used to, didn't use to or would.
- I ______ (live) near the ocean. Now I live in the mountains.
- ______ you ______ (eat) breakfast as a teenager?
- I ______ (like) vegetables, but now I love them.
- At college, my friends and I ______ (meet) at a café every Friday.
- My grandpa ______ (wake up) at five o'clock every morning.
- She ______ (have) long hair, but she cut it last year.
Write three sentences about your routines when you were a child. Use used to, didn't use to and would.
Say it smoothly
Used to and use to sound the same in fast speech: "yoos-ta". Listen for did or didn't to hear if it's a question or a negative.
Listen to your teacher. Say each line three times.
Highlighted = stressed words · ‿ = words that join together
- I used‿to have brunch every Saturday.
- Did‿you use‿to miss breakfast?
- I didn't use‿to like coffee.
- We would meet at a café after class.
- What time do‿you usually have lunch?
- 1Play the video from the brunch part.
- 2Pause after a line with used to or would.
- 3Say the line with the speaker, at the same speed.
- 4Change it to a true sentence about you.
Routine interview
Read your card. Do the interview for four or five minutes. Then swap cards.
A: Writer
You write for a website about how people's routines change. Interview your partner.
- Ask what time they eat their meals now.
- Ask what they used to eat for breakfast as a child.
- Ask if they ever miss meals, and when.
- Ask what they would do every weekend as a teenager.
- At the end, tell them the most interesting thing you heard.
B: Guest
A writer wants to know how your routines have changed since you were young. Answer with real details.
- Describe a normal weekday for you now.
- Use used to and would when you talk about the past.
- Name one old routine you miss and one you're happy to stop.
- Ask the writer one question about their routine.
- Did you use to…?
- When you were a kid, what did you…?
- What would you do on…?
- I used to…, but now I…
- I didn't use to…
- These days, I usually…
- That's changed a lot!
- explain the difference between a habit and a routine
- say what time you usually eat your meals
- use used to and would for past habits
- interview a partner about their routines then and now
How to run it
Timings
- 0–6
- Part 1. Learners ask each other the questions. Note any routine words they already use.
- 6–12
- Part 2. Word box, then the bubble question. Smog (smoke + fog) and motel (motor + hotel) are good extra examples.
- 12–25
- Part 3. Watch once for the order of topics and check. Watch again for who said what. Download the video in advance in case of Wi-Fi trouble.
- 25–38
- Part 4. Table, the would rule and the mistakes, then the practice sentences and writing.
- 38–44
- Part 5. Model each line slowly, then at natural speed so learners hear "yoos-ta".
- 44–56
- Part 6. Interview, swap, then each learner reports two changes their partner told them about.
- 56–60
- Feedback: two positives, three corrections, one pronunciation point. Learners tick the checklist.
Notes
- Meal times and food can touch on fasting, diets or money. Learners can skip a question or keep answers general, and don't ask why someone misses meals.
- Porridge is oatmeal in American English. Marmalade is a jam made from oranges.
- Hangry is informal. It's fine with friends and family but sounds odd in a work email.
- Keep used to (past habits) apart from be used to (be familiar with). Don't teach be used to in this lesson. If it comes up, say it's a different phrase for another day.
- Typical errors: "I use to…" for the past, "didn't used to" and would with states. Point back to the table and the Watch out box.
- BBC publishes a free transcript of the episode. Learners can read along after the second watch.
Answer key
Part 2
- habit
- routine
- brunch
- hangry
- miss
- regular
Part 3: first watch
1 c · 2 e · 3 a · 4 f · 5 b · 6 d
Part 3: second watch
1 N · 2 B · 3 B · 4 N · 5 N · 6 B · 7 B · 8 N
Part 4: practice
- used to live
- Did … use to eat
- didn't use to like
- used to meet (or would meet)
- used to wake up (or would wake up)
- used to have
Adapting the lesson
- Group class
- Run Part 6 as a mingle. Writers interview three guests, then share the biggest change they found.
- Lower level
- Turn on English subtitles for the first watch. Teach used to first and leave would for the next lesson.
- Higher level
- Add any more and these days. Learners discuss which habits change most as people get older, and why.
Next lesson idea: Real Easy English: Talking about mornings
The video is by BBC Learning English and plays from YouTube. Ribbit Pond isn't connected to the BBC. The lesson tasks and worksheet are our own.
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