Past and present Xmas 'used to' practice

Past and present Xmas 'used to' practice

 

Student A

Work in pairs or small groups, with one Student A and one Student B worksheet per group. Choose one fact from your worksheet. Change it into a question with two possible answers (either a Yes/ No question, or a Wh- question with a right answer and a wrong answer, like the example questions given with the first fact). See if your partner can guess which of the two answers is correct, then take turns doing the same.

1. People often used to eat goose for Xmas dinner. – Did people use to eat goose for dinner?/ Do people often eat goose for dinner (nowadays)?/ What did people often use to eat for Xmas dinner, pheasant or goose?

2. People didn’t use to eat turkey for Xmas dinner in the 15th century.

3. Quite a lot of people used to have aluminium Xmas trees in the 1960s.

4. People often used to get mandarins or satsumas in their Xmas stockings.

5. British people often pull a Xmas cracker that has gunpowder in it to make a noise.

6. In the 1800s, people used to cover their Xmas trees with flour.

7. People used to use oranges with cloves in as Xmas decorations.

8. Families sometimes make model houses from gingerbread.

9. People used to make Xmas decorations by putting popcorn on string.

10. Roasted chestnuts used to be sold on most shopping streets

11. People often burn candles around Christmastime.

12. British cities often have German-style Christmas fairs.

13. People used to fast for the month of Advent leading up to Xmas.

14. Mince pies used to have meat in them.

When your teacher stops you, ask about any sentences you don’t understand, think can’t be true, etc.

Work together to make similar questions about other festivals and celebrations to test other groups and/ or your teacher. Your teacher will tell you if you can do research to help.

Student B

Work in pairs or small groups, with one Student A and one Student B worksheet per group. Choose one fact from your worksheet. Change it into a question with two possible answers (either a Yes/ No question, or a Wh- question with a right answer and a wrong answer, like the example questions given with the first fact). See if your partner can guess which of the two answers is correct, then take turns doing the same.

15. Famous people turn on the Xmas lights in central London. – Do famous people still turn on the Xmas lights in central London? What do famous people do in central London – put the star on the Xmas tree or turn on the Xmas lights?

16. Many families have a new real Xmas tree every year.

17. Adults and children used to drink special ale in the winter season.

18. Dutch people often skate on canals when they are frozen.

19. British people think it is bad luck to leave Xmas decorations up after the sixth of January.

20. Victorian prisoners used to get a big Xmas feast.

21. A common person used to be made “Lord of Misrule” in the Xmas season.

22. British people used to eat a special kind of cake on the twelfth night of Xmas.

23. Most British people used to have an open fireplace for Santa to come out of.

24. Most British houses have chimneys on their roofs.

25. Children often sit on Santa’s lap to tell him what presents they want.

26. Orthodox Christians celebrate Xmas on a different day to Catholics and Protestants.

27. Xmas didn’t use to be celebrated on the twenty fifth of December in the first century (CE/ AD).

28. Most people used to have twelve days off over Xmas.

29. British people have a public holiday on Boxing Day on the twenty sixth of December.

When your teacher stops you, ask about any sentences you don’t understand, think can’t be true, etc.

Work together to make similar questions about other festivals and celebrations to test other groups and/ or your teacher. Your teacher will tell you if you can do research to help.