Unit 2 — Growing Up

Track E · Klasse 7 · Niveau E

Template: Activate → Input → Practise → Produce → Reflect.
Niveau: E. Practise has G and M variants. Same Klassenarbeit at Niveau M.

Learning objectives Link to heading

By the end of this Unit, students can:

  • I can describe how something about me has changed since primary school using “used to”.
  • I can read a short narrative about a peer’s growing pains and identify three concrete changes the writer notices.
  • I can write a short text (60–120 words depending on Niveau) comparing then and now using comparatives and “used to”.

Bildungsplan alignment Link to heading

  • 3.2.1 Soziokulturelles Orientierungswissen / Themen — peer groups, identity, daily life of teenagers.
  • 3.2.3.2 Leseverstehen — read a short narrative for gist and detail.
  • 3.2.3.5 Schreiben — write short personal texts that compare past and present.
  • 3.2.3.8 Verfügen über sprachliche Mittel – Grammatik — use used to and comparative adjectives.
  • 3.2.4 Text- und Medienkompetenz — recognise the narrator’s perspective in a short first-person text.

(Source: https://www.bildungsplaene-bw.de/,Lde/LS/BP2016BW/ALLG/SEK1/E1)

Lead-in story Link to heading

Ben opens his old jacket on a hanger in the hallway. It looks shorter than he remembers. He puts it on, just to check, and the sleeves stop above his wrists like two embarrassed flags. Last winter, the same jacket was a kind of cave. He used to push his hands deep into the pockets and forget about the cold. Now the pockets sit somewhere near his ribs, like two extra pencil cases that have lost their place. Aisha is standing in the doorway with her bag on her shoulder. She looks at the jacket and says, “Did the jacket shrink?” Ben says, “No. I think I grew.” Ms. Reyes walks past and nods. “Welcome to seventh year,” she says. “Half of you will need new shoes by Christmas.”

1. Activate Link to heading

Two-minute partner pair. Tell your partner one thing about you that has changed since primary school. It can be small. Some ideas:

  • I used to wear glasses but now I have contact lenses.
  • I used to like cartoons but now I prefer …
  • My hair used to be …

Listen carefully. Your partner will tell the class about you, not about themselves.

This warms up the used to construction without naming it as grammar yet. The form will surface in Input.

2. Input Link to heading

Reading text — Ben’s Jacket Link to heading

When Ben turned twelve, he stopped fitting his old jacket. The sleeves used to cover his hands; now they ended above his wrists. His mother laughed and said, “I didn’t see this coming.” The strange thing was that nothing else in the house had changed: the kitchen table, the loud fridge, the cat asleep on the radiator. Only Ben was different. He used to like the jacket because the pockets were enormous. He still liked the pockets. But now they sat too high on his ribs to be useful.

Aisha said the same thing happened to her shoes. They used to feel like boats. Now they felt like sleeping bags two sizes too small. “Maybe we should swap,” Ben said. “I’ll take your old shoes; you take my old jacket.” Aisha frowned. “We are not the same shape, Ben.”

She was right. They never were.

Quick comprehension check (oral, no points):

  • What changed about Ben?
  • What did not change in the house?
  • Why does Aisha say “We are not the same shape”?

Language focus — used to and comparatives Link to heading

Used to + base verb describes a habit or state in the past that is no longer true.

  • The sleeves used to cover his hands. — they did, but not now.
  • Aisha used to wear short hair. — she doesn’t anymore.
  • Negative: He didn’t use to like maths. (Note: no -d on use in negatives and questions.)
  • Question: Did you use to play the recorder in primary school?

Comparatives describe how two things or two times differ.

Adjective typeComparativeExample
short (1 syll.)+ -ertall → taller
ending -y-ierhappy → happier
2+ syll.more + adj.difficult → more difficult
irregular—good → better; bad → worse; far → farther/further

Spelling traps: big → bigger (double consonant), nice → nicer (drop final e), easy → easier (y → i).

Used to is not the same as to be used to + -ing (“I’m used to early mornings” = I am accustomed to). Keep them apart. We use only the past-habit used to in this Unit.

3. Practise Link to heading

Niveau G — controlled Link to heading

A. Match the past habit to the present truth.

Past (used to)Present
1. Ben used to fit his old jacket.a. Now they end above his wrists.
2. The sleeves used to cover his hands.b. Now Ben’s bedroom is full of books.
3. Ben’s bedroom used to be full of toys.c. Now it is too short.
4. Aisha used to wear small shoes.d. Now her shoes feel small.

B. Comparative gap-fill.

  1. This year, Aisha is __________ (tall) than her cousin.
  2. Ben’s voice is __________ (deep) than last year.
  3. The walk to school feels __________ (short) on sunny days.

Niveau M — productive Link to heading

C. Build a sentence with used to.

  1. Ben / fit / his old jacket → ___
  2. Aisha / have / short hair → ___
  3. Ms. Reyes / live / in a different city → ___

D. Comparatives — finish the sentence with your own words.

  1. My handwriting is __________ now than it was in Klasse 5.
  2. The school cafeteria is __________ at lunch than at breakfast.
  3. My favourite subject is __________ this year than it was last year.
Answer key

Niveau G

1234
cabd
  1. taller, 6. deeper, 7. shorter.

Niveau M

  1. Ben used to fit his old jacket.\
  2. Aisha used to have short hair.\
  3. Ms. Reyes used to live in a different city.
    11–13. Open answers; check that the comparative form is correct (e.g. better, busier, more interesting) and that the sentence makes sense.

4. Produce Link to heading

Writing task — Then and Now. Write a short personal text comparing yourself in primary school with yourself now. Use used to at least twice and at least two comparatives.

You may write about:

  • a habit (food, sport, hobby),
  • something you owned (a toy, a backpack, a piece of clothing),
  • a friendship,
  • a place you used to spend time in.

Niveau G — 60–80 words, three sentences with used to and two comparatives.
Niveau M — 100–120 words, four sentences with used to and three comparatives.

Sample student response (Niveau M, 116 words) Link to heading

When I was in primary school, I used to ride my bike to the bakery every Saturday morning. I used to buy two pretzels: one for me and one for my brother, who is now taller than me. The bakery was closer to our old house, so the trip used to be shorter. Now we live further away and the bakery feels like a serious expedition. My bike is also smaller than it used to feel — I think the bike has stayed the same and I have grown. The pretzels are still warm and salty, though, and that part is better than ever. Some things are worth a longer ride.

Strong moves: a small concrete subject (bakery + pretzel), used to in three places, three comparatives (taller, shorter, smaller, better), and a closing line that holds the piece together. Improve by varying connectives (“though”, “so”, “but”) rather than only “and”.

5. Reflect Link to heading

Tick what you can do now.

  • I can talk about a past habit using used to.
  • I can read a short narrative and pick out three changes the writer notices.
  • I can write a short comparing-text with used to and at least two comparatives.

One sentence in your notebook: What is one comparative I keep getting wrong, and what will I do about it this week?

Exam example Link to heading

class test ("Klassenarbeit") — Niveau E (45 minutes)
Materials allowed. A monolingual dictionary (Niveau M only).
Time. 45 minutes.
Total. 60 points.

Task 1 — Reading (15 BE) Link to heading

Read the short text below.

When Ben turned twelve, he stopped fitting his old jacket. The sleeves used to cover his hands; now they ended above his wrists. His mother laughed and said, “I didn’t see this coming.” The strange thing was that nothing else in the house had changed: the kitchen table, the loud fridge, the cat asleep on the radiator. Only Ben was different. He used to like the jacket because the pockets were enormous. He still liked the pockets. But now they sat too high on his ribs to be useful.

  1. What stopped fitting Ben when he turned twelve? (2)
  2. What did the sleeves use to do? What do they do now? (3)
  3. Why did his mother laugh? (2)
  4. What had not changed in the house? (3)
  5. Why are the pockets less useful now? Explain in one sentence. (5)

Task 2 — Use of English (15 BE) Link to heading

A. Used to (8 BE). Rewrite the sentence using used to.

  1. When Aisha was nine, she had short hair. → ___
  2. Ben played with toy cars every day. → ___
  3. Ms. Reyes lived in a different city. → ___
  4. The cat slept on the kitchen table. (negative — didn’t use to) → ___

B. Comparatives (7 BE). Fill in the comparative form.

  1. This year I am __________ (tall) than last year.
  2. The new homework is __________ (difficult) than the old one.
  3. My voice is __________ (deep) now.
  4. Aisha is __________ (good) at maths than her brother.
  5. The school day feels __________ (short) on Fridays.
  6. Old jackets are __________ (small) every summer.
  7. My handwriting is __________ (bad) when I am tired.

Task 3 — Mediation (10 BE) Link to heading

Your German aunt sends you this WhatsApp message:

“Lukas ist plötzlich zehn Zentimeter größer als letztes Jahr. Er hat keinen Pulli mehr, der ihm passt. Wir müssen am Wochenende einkaufen gehen.”

Write three sentences in English to your English-speaking cousin telling them what is happening with Lukas. You do not need to translate every word.

Task 4 — Writing (20 BE) Link to heading

Write 100–120 words about one thing that has changed about you in the last two years. It can be a habit, an interest, a friendship, the way you look, or your favourite place. Use used to at least twice and at least two comparative forms.

Expected answer key — class test ("Klassenarbeit")

Task 1 (15 BE).\

  1. His old jacket. (2)
  2. They used to cover his hands; now they end above his wrists. (3)
  3. Because she did not expect him to grow that fast. (2)
  4. The kitchen table, the loud fridge, the cat on the radiator. (3)
  5. Sample: Because they now sit too high on his ribs / chest, so he cannot reach into them comfortably. (5 — accept any answer that names the height issue.)

Task 2 (15 BE).
A. 1. Aisha used to have short hair. 2. Ben used to play with toy cars every day. 3. Ms. Reyes used to live in a different city. 4. The cat didn’t use to sleep on the kitchen table.
B. 5. taller, 6. more difficult, 7. deeper, 8. better, 9. shorter, 10. smaller, 11. worse.

Task 3 (10 BE). Sample: “Lukas has suddenly grown ten centimetres since last year. None of his jumpers fit him anymore. We need to go shopping at the weekend.” Award for: gist (4), addressee-fit (2), correct grammar (4 — past simple + comparative or anymore).

Task 4 (20 BE). Inhalt 10 / Sprache 10. See the per-Unit rubric sheet.

Rubric — grading scale (Notenschlüssel)
Punkte (von 60)Note
56–601
49–552
40–483
30–394
18–295
0–176

Writing (Task 4) splits Inhalt 10 / Sprache 10 with the BW house weighting (Niveau M).

Downloads Link to heading

**Slide deck timing.** 45 minutes total.
  • Title + Lead-in (4 min). Use a hanger image with a “shrunken” jacket. Ask “Did the jacket shrink?” before reading.
  • Activate (6 min). Two-minute partner pair, then four pairs share their partner’s change with the class.
  • Input — text + grammar (12 min). Read Ben’s Jacket twice (once silently, once with you reading aloud at moderate pace). Brief board map: used to + base verb; comparative formation.
  • Practise (10 min). Niveau G left, M right; pairs check each other’s answers from the collapsed key.
  • Produce (10 min). Silent writing time. Optional starter on the slide for Niveau G.
  • Reflect (3 min). Self-tick + one-sentence response.

Differentiation. For Niveau G: provide a printed list of common irregular comparatives (good/better, bad/worse). For learners above Niveau M: ask for one because-clause inside the written piece (“because we moved further from the bakery”).

Common pitfalls Link to heading

  • Used to vs. would. I used to play (general past habit) is not exactly I would play (vivid recollection). Stick with used to this Unit.
  • Used to + -d in negatives/questions. He didn’t used to → ✗; He didn’t use to → ✓.
  • Double comparatives. more taller / more better — never.
  • L1 transfer: German Komparativ takes als where English takes than. I am taller as my brother → ✗ / than my brother → ✓.

Further reading / listening Link to heading

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