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All B1 questions for “Used to vs Would Practice: Life Before the Internet – B1 Grammar”, each with the correct answer and a short explanation. Try the interactive exercises above, then check your answers here.
1. When I was young, I ______ a thick paper map to find my way.
Answer: Both are correct
Using a map is a repeated action, so both forms work.
2. My family ______ a huge television that took up half the room.
Answer: used to have
'Have' is a state of possession. We cannot use 'would' for states.
3. Every Saturday, we ______ to the library to research our homework.
Answer: Both are correct
Going to the library is a repeated action.
4. I ______ very shy before I started using social media.
Answer: used to be
'Be' is a state. 'Would' is only for actions.
5. People ______ long letters by hand before email was invented.
Answer: Both are correct
Writing is a repeated action.
6. Did you ______ collect stamps when you were a kid?
Answer: use to
In questions with 'Did', we drop the 'd' and use 'use to'.
7. We ______ live in a small village without any internet connection.
Answer: used to
'Live' is a state. You can't say 'would live' for a past habit.
8. My grandfather ______ tell us stories about life in the 1950s.
Answer: Both are correct
Telling stories is a repeated action.
1. _____ have a rotary phone. It was attached to the wall, so you couldn't walk around! Every morning, my father _____ walk to the corner shop to buy a physical newspaper. He _____ read it for hours with his coffee. We didn't _____ get news alerts on our wrists back then! In the evenings, my sister and I _____ play board games on the carpet for hours. I _____ have a massive collection of marbles that I kept in a tin box. Did you _____ do the same? Life _____ be much simpler before everyone was constantly connected.
Answer: used to, would, would, use to, would, used to, use to, used to
1. Which option does not belong?
Answer: I would have long hair.
'Have' is a state. 'Would' cannot be used with state verbs.
2. Which option does not belong?
Answer: Did you used to play Atari?
In questions, 'Did' already shows the past, so we use 'use to' without the 'd'.
3. Which option does not belong?
Answer:
1. _____
Answer: I used to have a cassette player
State habit using 'used to'.
2. _____
Answer: I used to have a cassette player and I would listen to music every night
Combining a state (used to) with an action (would).
3. _____
Answer: I used to have a cassette player and I would listen to music every night because I didn't use to have a phone
Full B1+ contrastive sentence.
1. Describe something you owned.
2. Describe a morning routine.
3. Describe something missing.
4. Describe a childhood trip.
5. Ask about a childhood hobby.
6. Describe your previous home.
7. Describe a musical habit.
8. Describe a food preference you changed.
9. Describe a family routine.
10. Ask about a past pet.
1. Question 1
'Live' is a state. Use 'used to' instead.