Daily routines and habits
Describe daily routines and habits with useful expressions for activities, times, frequency, and sequences.
1. Overview
2. Morning routines
Learn these expressions as complete phrases. The verb that goes with each activity is as important as the noun.
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| wake up | stop sleeping | I wake up at half past six. |
| get up | leave your bed | I get up ten minutes later. |
| have a shower / take a shower | wash your body in a shower | She has a shower before breakfast. |
| brush your teeth | clean your teeth with a toothbrush | I brush my teeth after breakfast. |
| get dressed | put on your clothes | He gets dressed before he has breakfast. |
| have breakfast | eat your morning meal | We have breakfast at seven. |
| leave home | leave your house | I leave home at quarter past eight. |
Wake up and get up don’t mean the same thing: I wake up at seven, but I don’t get up until half past seven.
Use a possessive with parts of the body: I brush my teeth, She brushes her teeth. Use put on for a particular item of clothing: I put on my jacket and leave home.
3. Work, study and housework
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| go to work / go to school | travel to your workplace / school | I go to work by bus. |
| start work / finish work | begin / end your working day | She starts work at nine and finishes at five. |
| have lunch | eat your midday meal | We have lunch at one. |
| take a break | stop working for a short time | I take a short break in the morning. |
| get home | arrive at your house | He gets home at six. |
| do homework | complete school tasks at home | The children do their homework after school. |
| do housework | clean and look after your home | I do housework on Saturday mornings. |
| do the washing-up | wash dishes | We do the washing-up after dinner. |
| do the laundry | wash clothes | She does the laundry at the weekend. |
| make dinner / cook dinner | prepare your evening meal | My partner makes dinner on Fridays. |
Homework means school tasks done at home; housework means jobs such as cleaning your home. Both are uncountable: some homework, a lot of housework.
Go home means travel back to your house; get home means arrive there: I finish work at five and go home. I usually get home at half past five. Say go home and get home, without to.
Use by to describe transport: by bus, by train, by car. Use on foot or the verb walk for walking: I walk to work.
4. Free time and the end of the day
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| walk the dog | take your dog for a walk | I walk the dog every evening. |
| go for a walk | walk for pleasure | We go for a walk after lunch. |
| go running / go swimming | run / swim as a leisure activity | She goes running twice a week. |
| exercise | do physical activity | I exercise at home on Mondays. |
| meet friends | spend time with friends | We meet friends at the weekend. |
| read a book | spend time reading | He reads a book before bed. |
| watch TV | watch programmes on television | I don’t watch TV every day. |
| relax | rest and feel calm | We relax after dinner. |
| go to bed | get into bed | I go to bed at ten. |
| fall asleep | start sleeping | I usually fall asleep quickly. |
Go to bed means get into bed; go to sleep means start sleeping. Fall asleep describes the moment you start sleeping: I go to bed at ten, read for a while and fall asleep at half past ten.
In go running and go swimming, the activity ends in -ing. Don’t say go to running.
5. Times, frequency and sequence
Combine activities with time expressions to describe a routine.
| Use | Expressions | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a time | at seven, at half past eight | I start work at half past eight. |
| part of the day | in the morning / afternoon / evening | I exercise in the evening. |
| night | at night | I don’t work at night. |
| days | on Mondays, on weekdays | She goes swimming on Mondays. |
| frequency | every day, once a week, twice a week | We do the laundry twice a week. |
| weekend | at the weekend | I get up later at the weekend. |
Every day is two words when it means each day: I walk to work every day. Everyday is an adjective: everyday activities.
The adverbs usually, often and sometimes usually go before the main verb: I usually have breakfast at home. With be, they go after the verb: She’s usually tired after work. Sometimes can also go at the beginning: Sometimes I work from home.
Use first, then, after that and finally to put activities in order:
First, I get up and have a shower. Then I get dressed. After that, I have breakfast. Finally, I leave home.
Before and after can go before a noun: before work, after breakfast, before bed. Then introduces the next activity; after needs to say what comes first: I have breakfast. Then I leave home or I leave home after breakfast.
6. A routine in context
This model combines activities, times and habits. Contractions make the text sound natural.
On weekdays, I wake up at seven and get up a few minutes later. First, I have a shower and get dressed. Then I have breakfast and brush my teeth. I leave home at eight and go to work by bus. I start work at half past eight and have lunch at one. I finish work at five and usually get home at half past five. After work, I walk the dog. My partner usually makes dinner, and I do the washing-up. I don’t watch TV every evening: sometimes I read a book instead. I go to bed at half past ten. At the weekend, I get up later and often meet friends.
Use questions like these to ask about a routine:
- What time do you get up?
- How do you go to work?
- How often do you go swimming?
- What do you do after dinner?
A short answer to How often…? can give just the frequency: Twice a week. To describe the routine in more detail: I go swimming twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays.
7. Common mistakes
| Incorrect | Correct | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| I make my homework. | I do my homework. | The expression is do homework. |
| I take breakfast at seven. | I have breakfast at seven. | Use have breakfast or eat breakfast. |
| She brushes the teeth. | She brushes her teeth. | Use a possessive for a personal routine. |
| We go to home after work. | We go home after work. | Home doesn’t take to here. |
| He goes to swimming. | He goes swimming. | The expression is go swimming. |
| I get up in seven. | I get up at seven. | Use at with times. |
| I walk the dog two a week. | I walk the dog twice a week. | Twice means two times. |
8. Exercises
1. Choose the correct expression
- I open my eyes at seven, but I stay in bed until half past seven. I (wake up / get up) at seven.
- After work, I travel back to my house. I (go home / get dressed).
- I arrive at my house at six. I (get home / go to bed) at six.
- Before leaving, she puts on her clothes. She (gets dressed / takes a break).
- After dinner, we clean the plates. We (do the washing-up / do homework).
- He starts sleeping while reading in bed. He (wakes up / falls asleep).
2. Complete the expressions
Complete each sentence with have, do, make, go, brush or walk. Use each verb once.
- I ______ breakfast at half past seven.
- We ______ the laundry on Sundays.
- I ______ dinner for my family on Fridays.
- They ______ swimming once a week.
- I ______ my teeth before bed.
- We ______ the dog after work.
3. Put the words in order
Write complete sentences using all the words in each group. Other natural word orders are possible.
- usually / I / at seven / get up
- twice a week / goes swimming / she
- after dinner / do / the washing-up / we
- by train / he / to work / goes
- usually / tired / she’s / after work
4. Correct the mistakes
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the complete sentence correctly.
- I make my homework after school.
- She goes to home at five.
- I brush the teeth before bed.
- We go to running on Saturdays.
- I start work in nine.
- They do the laundry two a week.
5. Read about a different routine
Read the text and answer the questions.
- Does Nina get up as soon as she wakes up?
- How does she go to work?
- What time does she finish work?
- How often does she do the laundry?
- Who does she go for a walk with?
- Why doesn’t she watch TV at night?
- How is her Sunday morning different?
6. Describe the routine
Use the notes to write complete sentences. Add any words you need. The answers show natural examples.
- I / wake up / seven / but / get up / half past seven
- she / get home / six
- we / do homework / after school
- he / go running / twice a week
- I / not watch TV / every night
7. Describe your own routine
Write a paragraph of six to eight sentences about a typical day. Include a morning activity, work or study, a household task and a free-time activity. Add two times, a frequency expression and sequence words to give details.
Use these questions to help you: What time do you get up? What do you do after breakfast? How do you go to work or school? What do you do in the evening? How is your weekend different?
- Describe a typical weekday and one different weekend habit.
Check your paragraph: use complete expressions, possessives in phrases like brush my teeth, correct time prepositions and the -s ending when you talk about another person.