Complete the dialogue between Jodie and her dad with the correct forms of used to and the verbs in
brackets.
J: Dad, did you use to own (you/own) a smartphone
when you were my age?
D: Did I what?
(you/use) a smartphone or
a laptop when you were a teenager?
D: What?! No I didn't. I was 14 in ... er ... wait
a minute ... in 1981. We 2
(have)
laptops back then.
J: So, how 3
(check) your
messages?
D: Jodie?! There were no messages or texts; no
Facebook or anything. We
(send) letters or faxes.
J: I see. Wow ... Dad, what's a fax?
D: Er ... well ... it was a bit like a photocopier. You
5
(write) your message on
a piece of paper, then put it in the fax machine ...
J: And then?
D: Well, then you
(dial) the
number and wait. The machine er... well it read
the piece of paper and sent it to your friend.
J: What, the piece of paper?
D: What? No! Not the same piece of paper, Jodie
just the message
J: I see. Wow.
​

Jodie: Dad, did you used to own a smartphone when you were my age?
Dad: Did I what?
Jodie: Did you use a smartphone or a laptop when you were a teenager?
Dad: What?! No I didn't. I was 14 in ... er ... wait a minute ... in 1981. We didn't have laptops back then.
Jodie: So, how did you check your messages?
Dad: Jodie?! There were no messages or texts; no Facebook or anything. We used to send letters or faxes.
Jodie: I see. Wow ... Dad, what's a fax?
Dad: Er ... well ... it was a bit like a photocopier. You would write your message on a piece of paper, then put it in the fax machine ...
Jodie: And then?
Dad: Well, then you would dial the number and wait. The machine er... well it read the piece of paper and sent it to your friend.
Jodie: What, the piece of paper?
Dad: What? No! Not the same piece of paper, Jodie, just the message.
Jodie: I see. Wow.

Explanation:
Jodie is asking her dad if he owned a smartphone when he was her age. In response, her dad expresses disbelief and says that he didn't have a smartphone or laptop when he was a teenager. He mentions that he was 14 in 1981 and back then, laptops were not available. Jodie then asks her dad how he checked his messages without a smartphone. Her dad explains that there were no messages or texts during his time and people used to send letters or faxes instead. Jodie is curious about faxes and asks her dad to explain. Her dad describes a fax as a machine similar to a photocopier. He says that you would write your message on a piece of paper, put it in the fax machine, dial the number, and wait. The machine would then read the message from the paper and send it to your friend. Jodie asks if the machine sends the actual paper, but her dad clarifies that it only sends the message, not the physical paper. Jodie expresses surprise and understanding about the outdated technology.