Nobody plays with tops anymore.

Key sentences

Asking about trends Describing trends
How have families changed over the past (time period) ? Nobody (activity) like they used to.
Asking about trends Describing trends
How have lifestyles changed? Everybody is so much (comparative adjective) than they used to be.
Asking about trends Describing trends
How will it be in the future? At this rate, (noun) could disappear altogether.

Drills

Say these sentences without looking.

How have families changed over the past (time period) ?
time period sentence
ten years How have families changed over the past ten years ?
generation How have families changed over the past generation ?
few years How have families changed over the past few years ?
fifty years How have families changed over the past fifty years ?
Nobody (activity) like they used to.
activity sentence
has dinner together Nobody has dinner together like they used to.
plays board games Nobody plays board games like they used to.
plays outside Nobody plays outside like they used to.
cooks dinner Nobody cooks dinner like they used to.
Everybody is so much (comparative adjective) than they used to be.
comparative adjective sentence
busier Everybody is so much busier than they used to be.
more stressed out Everybody is so much more stressed out than they used to be.
more worried Everybody is so much more worried than they used to be.
more wasteful Everybody is so much more wasteful than they used to be.
At this rate, (noun) could disappear altogether.
noun sentence
traditional games At this rate, traditional games could disappear altogether.
home cooked meals At this rate, home cooked meals could disappear altogether.
traditional families At this rate, traditional families could disappear altogether.
retirement At this rate, retirement could disappear altogether.

Example

Practice this conversation.

Asking about trends Describing trends
How have families changed over the past (ten years) ? Nobody (has dinner together) like they used to.
Asking about trends Describing trends
How have lifestyles changed? Everybody is so much (busier) than they used to be.
Asking about trends Describing trends
How will it be in the future? At this rate, (traditional games) could disappear altogether.

Change partners. Use your imagination and change the sentences.

Exercise

Use your imagination. Make your own conversation.

Asking about trends Describing trends

How have families changed over the past ... ?

Nobody ... like they used to.

Asking about trends Describing trends
How have lifestyles changed? Everybody is so much ... than they used to be.
Asking about trends Describing trends
How will it be in the future? At this rate, ... could disappear altogether.

Change partners. Use your imagination and make another conversation.

Practice

Asking about trends Describing trends
Ask your partner how these things have changed:
  • family structure.
  • how children grow up.
  • who has a job and who stays at home.
  • how children play.
Describe the changes.

Further study


  Resource type: this resource is a lesson in English as a second language.