Talking About Your Daily Routine
Morning Routine
| Phrase | Example |
|---|---|
| wake up | I wake up at 7:00 AM. |
| get up | I get up immediately / I stay in bed for a few minutes. |
| take a shower | I take a shower every morning. |
| brush my teeth | I brush my teeth twice a day. |
| get dressed | I get dressed after breakfast. |
| have breakfast | I have breakfast at 7:30. |
| leave the house | I leave the house at 8:15. |
Note the difference:
- wake up = open your eyes, stop sleeping
- get up = physically leave the bed
I wake up at 6:30, but I don't get up until 7:00.
Work/School
| Phrase | Example |
|---|---|
| go to work / school | I go to work by bus. |
| start work | I start work at 9:00. |
| have a meeting | I have a meeting at 10:00. |
| have lunch | I have lunch at 12:30. |
| take a break | I take a break at 3:00 PM. |
| finish work | I finish work at 5:30. |
| go home | I go home after work. |
Evening Routine
| Phrase | Example |
|---|---|
| cook dinner | I cook dinner for my family. |
| have dinner | We have dinner at 7:00 PM. |
| do the dishes | I do the dishes after dinner. |
| watch TV | I watch TV in the evening. |
| read a book | I read a book before bed. |
| go to bed | I go to bed at 11:00 PM. |
| fall asleep | I usually fall asleep quickly. |
Rooms in Your Home
| Room | What You Do There |
|---|---|
| kitchen | cook, eat, make coffee |
| living room | relax, watch TV, read |
| bedroom | sleep, get dressed |
| bathroom | shower, brush teeth, wash hands |
| dining room | eat meals with family |
| hall / hallway | enter the house, hang your coat |
| balcony | get fresh air, drink coffee |
| garden / yard | sit outside, play |
Useful Home Vocabulary
Furniture:
- bed, sofa (couch), table, chair, desk, bookshelf, wardrobe (closet)
Kitchen items:
- fridge (refrigerator), stove (cooker), oven, microwave, kettle, toaster
Bathroom items:
- shower, bathtub, sink, mirror, towel, soap
Household Chores
These are the things we do to keep our home clean and organized:
| Chore | Example |
|---|---|
| clean the house | I clean the house every Saturday. |
| do the laundry | I do the laundry twice a week. |
| vacuum | I vacuum the living room. |
| take out the trash | I take out the trash every evening. |
| make the bed | I make the bed every morning. |
| water the plants | I water the plants on Mondays. |
| go grocery shopping | I go grocery shopping on weekends. |
Free Time Activities
| Activity | Example |
|---|---|
| go for a walk | I go for a walk in the park. |
| exercise / work out | I exercise three times a week. |
| listen to music | I listen to music on the bus. |
| hang out with friends | I hang out with friends on Saturday. |
| play sports | I play football on Sundays. |
| go shopping | I go shopping at the mall. |
| take a nap | I sometimes take a nap after lunch. |
| browse the internet | I browse the internet before bed. |
Describing Frequency
Use these words to say how often you do something:
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| always | 100% | I always brush my teeth. |
| usually | ~80% | I usually have coffee for breakfast. |
| often | ~60% | I often go for a walk. |
| sometimes | ~40% | I sometimes cook dinner. |
| rarely / seldom | ~10% | I rarely watch TV. |
| never | 0% | I never skip breakfast. |
Word order: Frequency adverbs go before the main verb but after "be":
- I usually eat lunch at noon.
- She is always happy.
Example: Describing Your Day
"My name is Olga, and I'm a teacher. I usually wake up at 6:30 AM. I take a shower and get dressed. Then I have breakfast — usually coffee and toast. I leave the house at 7:45 and go to work by metro.
I start work at 8:30. I have lunch at school at 12:00. I finish work at 3:30 and go home. In the evening, I cook dinner for my family. After dinner, I sometimes watch TV or read a book. I go to bed at 10:30 PM."
Practice Tips
- Describe your own day: Write about what you do from morning to night. Use the phrases from this lesson.
- Ask someone about their routine: "What time do you wake up?" "What do you do after work?"
- Use frequency words: Try adding "always," "usually," "sometimes," or "never" to your sentences.
- Label things in your home: Put sticky notes on objects with their English names (fridge, mirror, chair).