http://gildartphoto.

com
Photo taken from:
1. Read the text in the box. Answer the following question:
What’s the best title?
a) The Time my Grandmother was Sprayed by Baby Skunks
b) The Time my Grandmother Raised Baby Skunks.
There was a time when we used to have baby skunks at my grandmother’s house. I was 1
about ten years old at the time. I used to think that skunks always stank. Later, thanks to my
grandmother, I learned that this wasn’t true.
The baby skunks were found on the side of the highway next to the mother, who had
been hit and killed by a car. When my grandmother found them, they were covered in maggots 5
from being near their dead mother. My grandmother took them home and washed them clean.
At first, she would feed them warmed milk from a baby bottle. At that time, I didn’t want to get
too close to the baby skunks. I used to be scared of them. I was afraid I would be sprayed and
stink forever. But soon I realized that they were similar to cats.
Every weekend I would come out to visit my grandmother and we would let the skunks 10
out of their cage and we’d walk them around the yard. We used to lift up rocks so that the
skunks could get to the beetles and insects underneath. My grandmother said that this was good
training for them so that we could release them once they were older.
After having them for nearly a year and naming them Peppy and Petunia, it was time to
release them. I didn’t want to release them into the wild since we had gotten so attached to 15
them, but my grandmother said that it was time to set them free.

2. Now read the text again and answer the questions below. Be sure to write the line numbers too.
The first one has been done for you.

Questions: Answers and Line Numbers:

1. How old was Mathew when there were baby skunks About 10 years old. Line 2
at his grandmother’s house?

2. What happened to the mother of the baby skunks?

3. What did the baby skunks eat when Mathew’s

grandmother started taking care of them?

4. What did the baby skunks eat during the walks

around the yard?

5. How long did Mathew and his grandmother raise

the skunks before it was time to release them?

3. Indicate on this time line when this story happened:

now

Page 1 of 5 Created by Mathew Armstrong and gagglebread

4. Answer the questions below:

Think about the story. Look at the sentence from line 11. Answer the questions below.

We used to lift up rocks…

1. Was this a long time ago or recently?
2. Did this happen once or many times?
3. Did this happen in a short moment or over a period of time?
4. Do Mathew and his grandmother do this now?
5. Does this action describe a habit or a state?

Now try a different sentence from line 8. Answer the questions.

I used to be scared of them.

1. When did Mathew feel this way? Recently or a long time ago?
2. Did he feel like this for only a moment or for a period of time?
3. Does he feel this way now?
4. Look at the underlined part. Is this about an action or a state?
5. Did all of this happen in the past?

Now try a different sentence from lines 10 and 11. Answer the questions.

…we would let the skunks out of their cage…

1. When did they let the skunks out? Recently or a long time ago?
2. Did this happen only once or many times?
3. Is this about a moment or a period of time?
4. Do Mathew and his grandmother still let the skunks out of their cage today?
5. Does this action describe an action or a state?

5. Now. Go through the text. Find all of the sentences with used to and would. Underline all of actions.
Circle all of the past states. When you are finished write the rules for used to and would based on the
text about skunks.

Used to is used to describe:

Would is used to describe:

6. Answer the following T/F questions. Make notes. Discuss why with one or two other people:

1. Would and used to are interchangeable.

2. Would and used to are interchangeable for describing past habits.
3. Would is used more frequently than used to in English conversations.
4. Would is more personal than used to.

Page 2 of 5 Created by Mathew Armstrong and gagglebread

7. How do you make sentences with used to and would?

Positive: We used to lift up rocks… Subject + used to + base verb

Negative:

Question:

Positive: We would let the skunks out…

Negative:

Question:

8: Pronunciation

With a partner, discuss and mark the stress on these sentences. Are there any areas where the
sounds may change when the sentences are spoken quickly? Underline them.

I used to be scared of skunks. She would feed them warmed milk.

Now listen to your teacher, and:

1) mark the sentences for stress;

2) underline any areas where the sounds change.

I used to be scared of skunks.

She would feed them warmed milk.

Page 3 of 5 Created by Mathew Armstrong and gagglebread

9. Consolidation

Do you know or remember somebody like Mathew’s grandmother?

Do you have any stories about animals and pets?

Write a similar text to the one at the beginning of this discovery pack. Try not to refer to it for language
ideas. Aim to demonstrate clear examples of ‘would’ and ‘used to’ to describe past states and habits.

There was a time when ……

10. Finally: Edit this story with one or two other people to see if ‘would’ and ‘used to’ are used
correctly.

Page 4 of 5 Created by Mathew Armstrong and gagglebread

Task 1: A

Task 2:

1. about 10 years old, line 2

2. hit by a car and killed, lines 4 and 5
3. warmed milk from a baby bottle, line 7
4. beetles and insects under rocks, line 12
5. nearly a year, lines 14-16

Task 3:

now
Task 4:
About line 11:
1. a long time ago
2. many times
3. over a period of time
4. no
5. a habit
About line 8:
1. a long time ago
2. a period of time
3. no
4. a state
5. yes
About lines 10 and 11:
1. a long time ago
2. many times
3. a period of time
4. no
5. an action
Task 5: Used to is used to describe a repeated action or a state in the past that no longer happens.
Would is used to describe a repeated action in the past that no longer happens.
Task 6: 1. F; 2. T; 3. F; 4. T
Task 7:

Positive: We used to lift up rocks… Subject + used to + base verb

Negative: We didn’t use to lift up rocks… Subject + did + not + use to + base verb
Question: Did we use to lift up rocks? Did + Subject + use to + base verb

Positive: We would let the skunks out… Subject + would + base verb
Negative: We woudn’t let the skunks out… Subject + would + not + base verb
Question: Would we let the skunks out? Would + subject + base verb

Page 5 of 5 Created by Mathew Armstrong and gagglebread