He WILL Leave the Lights On (will / would for habits)

He WILL Leave the Lights On

Then they would. Now he WILL.

B2 · 60 minutes

Warmer

TASK In pairs. Tell your partner about a typical Sunday when you were about ten.

Where did you usually spend the day?

1

What did you usually eat, and when?

2

Which part of the day did you look forward to, and which part was boring?

3

Loves it or hates it?

TASK In pairs. Guess: does the writer love each habit, or does it drive them mad?

1

Teo's wet towels on the floor

loves

drives mad

2

Bram walking to work in any weather

loves

drives mad

3

Bram's card games

loves

drives mad

4

Teo and the lights

loves

drives mad

5

Ilse reading the newspaper aloud

loves

drives mad

6

Teo's cup of coffee outside the door

loves

drives mad

Then and Now

TASK Read the essay. Check your guesses on "Loves it or hates it?".

Sundays at my grandparents' house, and the habits of the person I live with now.

The house by the canal

When I was ten, I used to spend every Sunday at my grandparents' house. Ilse and Bram used to live in a tall, narrow house by the canal, and they used to have a dog called Biscuit, who was afraid of ducks.

Teo

These days I share a flat with Teo, who has routines of his own. He will spend an hour in the shower most mornings, singing, which I don't mind: he has a good voice. And he'll leave a cup of coffee outside my door before he goes out, without a word. I love that.

Sunday mornings

We'd have pancakes at eleven: never at ten, never at twelve. Ilse would read the newspaper aloud while we ate, every single word, including the weather in cities on the other side of the world. I loved it. After breakfast, Bram used to wind every clock in the house, one by one, with a little brass key.

The lights

But he WILL leave his wet towels on the floor. And he WILL leave the lights on: in the kitchen, in the hall, in rooms he hasn't been into since Tuesday. I've stopped asking. It all drives me mad.

Bram

Bram would walk to work every day, whatever the weather. He'd come home soaked and say it had been "fresh", and I adored him for it. He would also cheat at cards, slowly and badly, and nobody was allowed to mention it. That drove me mad. I was ten. I wanted to win fairly, or at all.

Last Sunday I made pancakes at eleven. Teo asked why eleven. I didn't have an answer. The kitchen light, by the way, was on.

Talk about it

TASK In pairs. Answer the questions, then tell the class.

Which of Ilse and Bram's routines do you like the sound of? Why?

1

Which of Teo's habits could you live with, and which couldn't you?

2

Read it again

TASK Look at these sentences from the essay.

1

They used to have a dog called Biscuit.

Bram would walk to work every day, whatever the weather.

2

3

He will spend an hour in the shower most mornings.

4

But he WILL leave his wet towels on the floor.

Find it in the essay

TASK Find each habit in the essay. Copy the verb and the will / would / 'll / 'd that goes with it.

The habit

The words in the essay

pancakes at eleven

________________

Ilse and the newspaper

________________

Bram coming home wet

________________

Bram at cards

________________

Teo's cup of coffee

________________

the lights

________________

Used to or would?

TASK Which two of these could change to would? Then choose the rule: A, B or C.

1

After breakfast, Bram used to wind every clock in the house.

2

Ilse and Bram used to live in a tall, narrow house by the canal.

3

They used to have a dog called Biscuit.

4

When I was ten, I used to spend every Sunday at my grandparents' house.

would for past habits works with:

A actions only

B states only

C both

Neutral or annoyed?

TASK Listen to your teacher. Is the speaker neutral or annoyed?

1

She will sing while she cooks.

2

He will make tea for everyone.

neutral

annoyed

neutral

annoyed

3

My neighbour will talk to her plants.

4

He will read the news out loud.

neutral

annoyed

neutral

annoyed

Grammar reference

will + verb · habits now

He'll leave a cup of coffee outside my door. Not the future: what someone typically does. Usually short ('ll) and unstressed.

WILL + verb · annoying habits now

He WILL leave his wet towels on the floor. The full form, stressed. Never 'll.

would + verb · past habits

Bram would walk to work. Real, repeated actions in the past. Set the time first (When I was ten…, used to…), then continue with would.

used to

past habits and past states: They used to have a dog. They used to live by the canal.

also

for annoying habits: She's always borrowing my charger (it feels like every time) · He keeps forgetting his keys (again and again).

CAREFUL

would is for actions, not states: They used to live by the canal, never would live. But We'd have pancakes is fine (an action). Never would for one time: In 1968 they bought the house. He always leaves early = how often; He's always leaving early = it annoys me.

Would or not?

TASK Can the words in bold change to would + verb and keep the same meaning? Choose yes or no.

1

When we stayed with him, my uncle used to cook breakfast for everyone every Saturday.

yes

no

2

My cousin used to have a bright green bike.

yes

no

3

In 1998 our neighbours moved to the coast.

yes

no

4

At my first school, we used to have soup for lunch every day.

yes

no

5

My best friend used to live above a bakery.

yes

no

6

As children, we swam in the river after school.

yes

no

Say it with feeling

TASK Complete each sentence with will, WILL or would and the verb in brackets. Write WILL in capitals where the speaker is annoyed. Then read them aloud.

1

My brother is a morning person. He __________ (go) for a run before breakfast, even in the rain.

2

I like my neighbour, but she __________ (start) her lawnmower at seven on a Sunday.

3

Years ago, on summer evenings, the whole street __________ (sit) outside and talk.

4

I've asked her a hundred times, but my sister __________ (finish) the milk and put the empty carton back in the fridge.

5

When we were small, our dad __________ (tell) us a story every night.

6

My cat is a creature of habit. She __________ (wait) by the door at six o'clock every evening.

Guess who

TASK In groups of three. Describe someone's habits. Your group guesses who the person is to you.

Choose someone you've known for a long time (not someone in this class or at your work), or a character from a TV series you know well. Make notes: two of their habits now (one you love, one that annoys you) and two from the past (for a TV character: from an earlier series).

1

2

Describe the person's habits to your group. Don't say who they are.

Your group asks two questions in total, then guesses: a neighbour? a cousin? a friend from school? a TV character?

3

Homework

TASK This paragraph has five mistakes. Find and correct them. Then write three sentences about a shop, café or holiday place you used to go to: two with would, one with used to and a state (be, have, live, know).

When I was small, the man in the flat below ours would live alone with a grey parrot. He would have a piano too, and every evening he would to play it with the window open. The parrot would sing along, always slightly late. One summer he would paint his front door bright yellow, and the whole street talked about it. Now I have a new neighbour. She'll water her plants at six every morning, and she will singing while she does it.

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · SKIP OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (1)

LOVES IT OR HATES IT?

Loves 2, 5, 6. Drives mad · 1, 3, 4.

FIND IT IN THE ESSAY

1 We'd have

2 would read

3 He'd come

4 would (also) cheat

5 he'll leave

FIND IT IN THE ESSAY (CONT.)

6 WILL leave

USED TO OR WOULD?

Could change 1, 4 (Bram would wind…, I'd spend…). Can't · 2, 3 (states: live, have = own).

The rule A (actions only)

NEUTRAL OR ANNOYED?

Annoyed 1, 4. Neutral · 2, 3 (as read in the Teacher line).

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · SKIP OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (2)

WOULD OR NOT?

Yes 1, 4, 6. No · 2 (have = own), 3 (one time only), 5 (live, a state).

SAY IT WITH FEELING

1 'll go / will go

2 WILL start

3 would sit ('d sit)

4 WILL finish

5 would tell ('d tell)

6 'll wait / will wait

HOMEWORK

• would live then used to live / lived

• would have a piano then used to have / had

• would to play then would play

• would paint then painted

• will singing then will sing ('ll sing)

Correct as they are The parrot would sing along…, the whole street talked…, She'll water her plants…