Instructors Page

Used To and Would

Marketing and the Media
Activity type: Student Interview
Level: High Intermediate

Purpose: Students practice speaking,

listening, and writing about marketing
and different types of media using used
to and would.

Set-up: Whole class or small groups

Time: 5 minutes to prepare / 20 minutes
to do the activity

Materials Preparation:
1. Make one copy of the Students Page
for each student.
2. Be sure each student has a pen or
pencil.

younger? Teacher: Yes, I did. Student:

What shows would you watch? Teacher:
Id watch cartoons and sitcoms. The
student writes: Ms. Green used to watch
a lot of TV when she was younger. She
would watch cartoons and sitcoms.
Point out that the first row in the chart
has also been completed as an
example.
4. If the class is large, have students get
into small groups to ask and answer the
questions on the Students Page. If the
class is larger, have students walk
around the room to interview as many
classmates as possible. Offer help if
needed. Make sure students are using
used to and would correctly in speaking
and in writing.
5. When students have completed their
charts, have volunteers copy sentences
from their chart on the board. Ask
students to look at the range of answers
and discuss any similarities or
differences they see.

Procedure
1. As a warm up, write questions about
past media habits on the board: What
kind of TV shows did you use to watch
as a child? Did you use to listen to the
radio or read magazines as a child? Do
you remember any of the ads that you
saw? Why or why not? Write students
ideas on the board as they discuss their
answers.
2. Pass out one Students Page to each
student. Tell them they are going to talk
to their classmates and ask and answer
questions about advertising and
different types of media (TV, radio,
newspapers, and magazines). They will
record answers in the chart.
3. Model the activity with a volunteer.
Have a student ask the questions next
to number 1. Give an answer, and have
the student write a short sentence or
two on the board recording your answer
(make sure they use the third person).
For example: Student: Did you use to
watch a lot of TV when you were

Grammar and Beyond Communicative Activities

Follow-up
Have students use their personal
experience to answer a question about
advertising. (Which type of media is the
most effective for advertising to
children? Why? ) Tell them to use used
to and would to support their answers to
the question.
Example: I think TV is the best way to
advertise to children because children
watch a lot of TV. For example, I used to
watch five hours of TV every Saturday
morning.

Cambridge University Press 2012

Photocopiable

Students Page

Used To and Would | Student Interview

Marketing and the Media
1 Talk to your classmates about different media and advertisements that you remember
from the past. Write your classmates names in the chart.
2 Write sentences about their answers using used to and would.
Example:
Student A: Elena, did you use to watch a lot of TV when you were younger?
Student B: Yes. I used to watch a lot of TV. I would watch soap operas.

Questions
1. Did you use to watch a lot of
TV when you were younger? If
yes, what shows would you
watch?

Name
Elena

Sentence
Elena used to watch a lot of
TV. She would watch soap
operas.

2. Would you watch TV with

your family or by yourself?
3. Did you use to pay attention
to TV commercials when you
were young? If yes, which ads
do you remember?
4. Did you use to listen to the
radio when you were young? If
yes, what type of radio stations
would you listen to?
5. Where would you listen to the
radio? (For example, in the car,
in your room, or somewhere
else?)
6. Did you use to pay attention
to radio commercials when you
were young? If yes, which ads
do you remember?
7. Did you use to read
newspapers or magazines
when you were young? If yes,
which magazines or
newspapers would you read?
8. Did you use to pay attention
to newspaper and magazine
ads when you were young? If
yes, which ads do you
remember?

Grammar and Beyond Communicative Activities

Cambridge University Press 2012

Photocopiable