1 SPEAKING In pairs, ask and answer the questions.
1 Is it easy or hard for young people to move out of their family home and start living on their own?
2 What are the good/bad sides of sharing a flat with people your own age?
Students’ own answers
2 Read the article. Does it mention any of your ideas from Exercise 1?
Students’ own answers
When you were at school, you had to be there from 8.30 to 3.30 every day. You had to wear a uniform. You couldn't leave school at lunchtime and you couldn't bring food from home. But when you’re a student at university, you don’t have to follow the same rules.
I remember my first weeks at university. Suddenly I didn’t have to go to class every day. I could wear what I wanted. I didn’t have to eat school dinners – it was my decision. I could spend every evening with my friends.
I could eat when I wanted. But student life wasn’t perfect. Firstly, food didn’t just appear like it did at home. You had to buy it and then cook it! Secondly, there were four other guys in my flat and nobody wanted to clean the bathroom. I had to write a list so everyone knew when they had to clean it. It was then I realised two things: one, I was becoming an adult, and two, freedom has a downside.
Past modal verbs
3 Find sentences in the article that have the same meaning as the sentences below.
1 I was allowed to eat when I wanted.
I could eat when I wanted.
2 You weren’t allowed to leave school at lunchtime.
You couldn’t leave school at lunchtime.
3 It was necessary to eat meals at regular times.
You had to eat meals at regular times.
4 It wasn’t necessary to eat school dinners
I didn’t have to eat school dinners.
4 Study the Grammar box and find more examples of past modals in the article.
|
Past modal verbs could = it was possible or allowed in the past I could do what I wanted as a child. We couldn’t open the door yesterday. He had to wear a uniform to school. I didn’t have to get up early this morning |
You had to wear a uniform.; you couldn’t leave school...; you
couldn’t bring food...; Suddenly I didn’t have to go...; I could
wear...; I didn’t have to eat; I could spend...; I could eat...; You
had to buy it...; I had to write...; when they had to clean it;
► Past modal verbs are “must”, “could”, “might” and “may” with “have” + past participle to talk about suppositions or speculations regarding a past event.
5 Read about teenage life in Britain in 1958. Complete the sentences with the correct past modal verbs. Then listen and check.
1 Most teenagers had to leave school at sixteen so they could earn money.
2 Most young people couldn’t go to university.
3 Teenagers had to give most of the money they earned to their parents.
4 Most boys had to spend eighteen months in the army.
5 Most people couldn’t wash their clothes in a washing machine
6 Use the phrases below and the verbs from the Grammar box in Exercise 4 to make sentences about the time when you were ten.
| do a lot of homework go to bed early play video games wear school uniform |
When I was ten years old, I didn’t have to do a
lot of homework.
Suggested answers
I had go to bed early. I couldn’t play in the street. I couldn’t play video games. I had to tell my parents where I was going.
I couldn’t watch anything I wanted on TV. I had to wear a school uniform. I couldn’t wear what I wanted.
Workbook
Past modal verbs
1 Choose the correct modal verbs to complete the sentences.
1 I was allowed to stay for the night at my cousin’s house when I was five. Did you have to / Could you stay overnight with friends when you were younger?
2 We didn’t have to / couldn’t wear a school uniform; we were allowed to wear what we wanted.
3 You didn’t finish your History project in class. Did you have to / Could you stay behind after school to finish it?
4 Most of my friends didn’t have to / couldn’t go to the party because it was on a school night.
5 We had to / could walk into town yesterday evening because there was no bus.
6 Did you have to / Could you do homework when you were at primary school?
7 At summer camp, Tareq had to / could get up at seven o’clock every morning – he hated it!
8 When Mariam was young she had to / could watch TV when she came home from school – now she has to do homework..
2 Complete the questions with the correct forms of could or have to and the words in brackets.
1 What could you do (you/do) when you were younger that you can’t do now?
2 What did your parents have to wear (your parents/wear) to school that you don’t have to wear today?
3 When did you have to go/could you go (you/go) to bed when you were younger?
4 What did your parents have to do (your parents/do) for you when you were very young?
3 Complete the text with could, couldn’t, had to, or didn’t have to.
| When I was younger, I had to wash up every day because we didn’t have a dishwasher. Some children had to vaccum the floor. I didn’t have to vaccum because … we didn’t have a vaccum cleaner! I had to tidy my room every weekend. On Fridays and Saturdays, I _ could go out with my friends until 10 p.m., but if I had school the next day, I couldn’t go out at all. On school days, I had to finish my homework before I could watch TV. My friends could stay for the night and we could watch films in my bedroom, but we had to be quiet. |
4 Complete the conversation with the correct forms of could or have to. Add any other necessary words
2 had to study 3 could rest/take a break 4 Did he have to go 5 had to go
Ali I went to stay with my cousins in the USA for two months. I didn't have to do any chores or homework or anything! It was great – really relaxing. How about you? How was your summer?
Ziad OK, but I had to study French in the evenings twice a week. Mum wants me to get better at it.
Ali Oh, poor you!
Ziad Well, it wasn’t so bad. I could rest/take a break in August because the teacher went on holiday.
Ali What about Muneer? Did he have to go camping with his parents again? I know he doesn’t really like camping.
Ziad No, he didn't. He had to go on a beach holiday with his aunt and uncle.
Ali Great.