Table of Contents
Introduction
This is a lesson plan suitable for intermediate learners. The aim is to develop students’ ability to talk about past habits using ‘used to’ in the context of childhood.
Let’s start with the lesson overview!
Used to Lesson Plan: Lesson Overview
The lesson plan follows a PPP (i.e. Presentation, Practice, and Production) model of grammar teaching and starts with a situation that generates the target structure.
Used to lesson plan:
- Materials needed: pictures of an old man and a child
- Level: Intermediate
- Timing: 45 min
- Objective: The students will be able to use ‘used to’ to talk about past habits.
The lesson begins with a warm-up and lead-in to engage students and set the stage for learning. Next, students are introduced to a context where the target language is naturally used. They then move on to practice the target structure in a guided setting. This progression culminates in the production stage, where students apply what they’ve learned in a more open-ended, less controlled task.
Preparation
Warm-up:
The teacher starts with a warm-up to put the students in the mood of learning.
Command drill:
- Sit down.
- Hold up your right hand.
- Show me your pen…
Lead-in:
To prepare the students for the target structure, the teacher reviews the simple past tense
Presentation
The teacher shows a picture of an old man:
The teacher asks the following questions:
Prompt Questions:
- In your opinion, where is this man from?
- Is he married?
- Does he have children?
- Does he work?
- What did he do when he was younger?
After discussing the above questions in small groups and then reporting their answers to the whole class, the teacher provides the following information:
- This man is retired now.
- He used to be an English teacher.
- He used to teach both little children and adults.
- He used to make his students laugh with his funny way of teaching.
- His students used to love him.
- Now he is very old. He is retired.
Then the teacher writes the following sentence on the board:
- He used to be a teacher.
The teacher proceeds to check comprehension and asks the following concept-checking questions:
- Was he a teacher?
- Is he still a teacher now?
Then the teacher elicits the rule of use and form
1. Rule of Use:
We use ‘used to’ to talk about habits or repeated actions in the past which are no longer true.
2. Form
Used to + bare infinitive
The teacher provides a diagram to clarify the use of the target structure:
Practice
Match the first part of the sentence with the second part:
- It’s strange that she works with dogs now
- I was very healthy when I was younger.
- He used to be an English teacher.
- 5. They live in a huge house now.
a. But when they were poor, they used to live in a tiny flat.
b. But now he is retired.
c. I used to exercise regularly.
d. She didn’t use to like animals.
Put the verbs in brackets in the correct form:
- He … (live) in a small house.
- He … (take) the dog out in the evening.
- He … (wake up) early in the morning.
- He …. (not go) to bed late.
- He … (read) one book every week.
- What about your grandfather? … (be) a teacher too?
Production
What was your life like when you were young?
Use the phrases:
- ‘used to’
- ‘didn’t use to..’
Conclusion
“This “used to lesson” plan effectively followed the PPP approach to grammar teaching. The lesson began with a warm-up and lead-in to engage students and set the context. The target language was then introduced within a relevant situation, allowing students to see its practical use. After guided practice to reinforce their understanding, students had the opportunity to apply the target structure in a freer, more creative activity, ensuring a well-rounded grasp of the concept.”