Your day is the easiest thing in the world to talk about — you live it every morning. These are the questions people ask and the answers that sound natural.
1. Morning Routine
Anna: What time do you usually get up?
David: Seven, more or less.
Anna: What do you do first?
David: Shower, then breakfast.
Anna: Coffee?
David: One cup, always.
2. Getting to Work
Maria: What time do you leave home?
James: Half past eight.
Maria: How do you get to work?
James: I take the bus.
Maria: How long does it take?
James: About thirty minutes.
3. A Typical Workday
Lisa: What's a normal day like for you?
Tom: I start at nine and check my messages.
Lisa: Is it busy?
Tom: Some days. It depends.
Lisa: When do you take a break?
Tom: Around noon, usually.
4. After Work
Emma: What do you do after work?
Ryan: I cook, then I go for a walk.
Emma: Every evening?
Ryan: Most evenings.
Emma: That's a good habit.
Ryan: It clears my head.
5. Weekends
Paul: What do you do at the weekend?
Nina: I sleep in a bit.
Paul: Do you work Saturdays?
Nina: Hardly ever.
Paul: And Sundays?
Nina: Nothing at all, if I can help it.
6. Exercise
Jack: Do you exercise much?
Sara: Three times a week.
Jack: What do you do?
Sara: I walk, or I ride my bike.
Jack: When do you find the time?
Sara: Before dinner, mostly.
7. Before Bed
Ben: What do you do before bed?
Claire: I read for a while.
Ben: No television?
Claire: I try not to, that late.
Ben: What time do you go to bed?
Claire: Eleven, more or less.
8. Comparing Routines
Alex: Your day sounds nothing like mine.
Kate: What time do you start?
Alex: Six. I'm an early bird.
Kate: I don't get up until eight.
Alex: Then you get more sleep than I do.
Kate: And you get more done.
Words to know
| get up | to leave your bed in the morning What time do you usually get up? |
| get to | to travel to a place How do you get to work? |
| take a break | to stop working for a short time When do you take a break? |
| sleep in | to stay in bed later than usual I sleep in a bit. |
| hardly ever | almost never Do you work Saturdays? Hardly ever. |
| for a while | for a short period of time I read for a while. |
| more or less | approximately, about Eleven, more or less. |
| an early bird | someone who gets up early Six. I'm an early bird. |
Quick practice
Complete each sentence with an expression from the lessons.
1. A: What time do you usually ________ up?
B: Seven, more or less.
2. A: How do you ________ to work?
B: I take the bus.
3. A: How long does it ________?
B: About thirty minutes.
4. A: Do you work Saturdays?
B: ________ ever.
5. A: What do you do before bed?
B: I read for a ________.
6. A: What time do you start?
B: Six. I'm an early ________.
Show the answers
1. get 2. get 3. take 4. Hardly 5. while 6. bird
Common mistakes
Not: I go to the gym every days.
Say: I go to the gym every day.
Every day never takes an s, however many days you mean.
Not: I am usually get up at seven.
Say: I usually get up at seven.
A simple present verb stands on its own. Do not add am in front.
Not: I take always coffee in the morning.
Say: I always have coffee in the morning.
Always goes before the main verb, and English has coffee rather than takes it.
Your turn
Describe one ordinary Tuesday in your life. Say these five things aloud, one after another.
- Say what time you get up and what you do first.
- Say how you get to work or school and how long it takes.
- Say one thing you do every day and one thing you hardly ever do.
- Say what you do in the evening after work.
- Say what time you go to bed, and whether that is early or late for you.
Quick review
Record yourself describing your day in one minute, from waking up to going to bed. Then say it again, this time fitting in usually, often, sometimes and hardly ever. Those four words carry most of what you need to say about a routine.