TALK ABOUT HABITS AND DAILY ROUTINES IN ENGLISH
This is the second post in the Simple Present series.
At the end of this lesson, you will know how to talk about habits and daily routines in general using the Simple Present Tense or the Present Simple Tense.
REMEMBER: A verb tense sheds more light on the time of an action, an event or a state of being.
This time can be in the Past, Present or Future.
Talk about Habits and Daily Routines (Student)
We can use the Simple Present Tense to talk about repeated actions. This is why this tense is often used when talking about our habits and daily routines.
- I wake up and get up from bed as soon as the alarm goes off at 5:30 o’clock a.m.
- Next, I head to the bathroom where I brush my teeth.
- Then, I take a shower and get dressed.
- Afterwards, I have breakfast with my parents and siblings at around 7:00.
- We catch the 7:30 bus at the bus stop.
- Most of the time, we arrive at school at 8:15.
- Classes start at 8:30.
- Break time is at a quarter past 10.
- We resume lessons fifteen minutes later.
- We eat lunch from noon to half past one.
- In the afternoon, we start classes at two after resting for an hour.
- When the bell rings at 4:00 p.m., it is finally time to go home.
- We take the bus again and reach home before 5:00.
- Later, we have our afternoon snack.
- Often, we do our homework before we can go out to play, watch TV, surf the Internet or play video games.
- We have dinner at 8:00 p.m.
- Bed time is at 10:00 o’clock.
Sample Talk
Hi, my name is Sara. I am fifteen years old. What is my daily routine like? Well, first things first!
I wake up at half past five in the morning because I’m an early riser. I just like to get things done. As soon as I get up from bed, I head straight to the bathroom. I brush my teeth and take a shower.
Then, I have breakfast with my parents and siblings. My father is a teacher and my mother works at the Post Office. After my first meal of the day, I go to the bus stop to take a bus. School is not far so I’m never afraid of arriving late. Our classes start at 8:30 a.m. because some students do not live near our school.
I like studying and my favourite subject is English. A lesson lasts 55 minutes and we have a small break in between classes. Break time is at a quarter past ten in the morning and we have fifteen minutes to stretch our legs or grab a snack. I rarely buy something at the tuck shop because I always have some fruit in my school bag.
Lunch time is from noon to half past one. We have a long lunch break because some students go back home to eat lunch. I prefer eating at the school cafeteria. The food is all right. It’s well balanced and doesn’t taste awful.
We finish our classes at four o’clock p.m. It’s always a pleasure to go back home after a tiring, yet productive day. I enjoy eating some snacks while I talk about my day with my elder brother and younger sister.
I do my homework right after our afternoon snack so as not to forget. Then, we have the freedom to watch TV or play outside. I prefer the first because I run a lot at school. The last thing I want to do is run again when I’m back home.
Evenings are especially quiet. We read before dinner at eight. When we go to bed at ten, we are extremely tired and all we want to do is sleep!
YOUR TURN: What is your daily routine like? I’m sure you have a lot of interesting things to say. Be as descriptive as possible!
Talk about Habits and Daily Routines (Employee)
The daily routine of an employee is different from that of a student because the activities are not the same. There are a few similarities though. Can you spot them?
- I wake up reluctantly at six in the morning. I hit the snooze button of my alarm more than five times. I am not an early riser and I like staying in bed as long as I can.
- I drag my feet to the bathroom and wash my face. I don’t take my shower in the morning. I prefer taking it in the evening after a hard day at work.
- I get dressed in my walk-in wardrobe. I always put on a suit and a neck tie because I work at the bank.
- I have breakfast with my wife then I brush my teeth.
- Afterwards, I drive to my workplace which is about thirty kilometres away from my house. I arrive there around eight o’clock.
- I work until half past twelve. I don’t forget to take short breaks before lunch because sitting in front of a computer can be quite tiring and boring.
- I have lunch with my colleagues. We eat well-prepared meals at the restaurant.
- We often feel sleepy in the afternoon but we make sure that our deadlines are met.
- I leave the office at five. I stop by the supermarket to get a few foodstuffs.
- I usually find my wife at home.
- We prepare dinner together while talking about our day.
- We have our evening meal at eight o’clock. We eat while watching TV. Sometimes we have a glass of red wine and some nuts.
- I take my shower after dinner.
- We go to bed at 10:30 p.m.
Sample Description
My name is Alexander and I work as a Financial Officer in a bank. Well, what does my daily routine look like? To tell you the truth, it’s quite simple actually. There’s nothing unusual about it.
I wake up at around six in the morning. Often, my alarm clock and I have a battle of wills because I hate waking up so early in the morning. I hit the snooze button more than five times!
I head to the bathroom with reluctance. I wash my face and get dressed in my walk-in wardrobe. I like beautiful clothes so I make sure to wear comfortable, yet elegant suits and neckties to make a good impression at work.
My wife and I have breakfast in the kitchen. Our first meal of the morning comprises fried eggs, toasted bread, some fruit and a cup of tea or coffee without sugar.
I quickly brush my teeth afterwards and drive to work. My office is about thirty kilometres away from where I live. There are no traffic jams on the way so I always arrive at my workplace on time.
Lunch time is usually at half past twelve but before that I make sure to take short breaks. My computer and chair can become my enemies if I don’t take time to refresh my mind.
We eat at nearby restaurants. The food is rarely bad and we enjoy it most of the times. This is why we feel sleepy in the afternoon. We never slack on the job though. Our boss would be extremely mad.
I knock off at five. Most of the time, I stop by the supermarket to get a few foodstuffs. I usually find my wife at home. We prepare dinner together while talking about our day.
We eat in front of the TV. Later, I take a shower and brush my teeth. Bed time is often at half past ten.
I am sure you now have a lot of vocabulary and the right grammatical structures to talk about habits and daily routines.
See you in the next lesson!
Further Exploration: (Talk about habits and daily routines)
Download Worksheet:
Read:
- English Grammar (The Simple Present): Lesson 1-Talk about Facts and General Truths, Learn English With Africa, May 2020
- Talk about Your Schedule, Learn English With Africa, September 2019
- Short Story with Adverbs of Time, Learn English With Africa, May 2020
- English Grammar in Context: HAVE GOT (Simple Present), with Captivating Dialogue and Detailed Worksheets, Learn English With Africa, October 2017.
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About the Author
Thandi Ngwira Gatignol is the founder of Learn English With Africa. She was born on June 11th, 1981 in Blantyre, Malawi. When she was 19, she left her country of birth for France. She currently lives with her two daughters and husband in Poland.
Thandi holds a Bachelor’s degree in English studies obtained at the Université Paris X Nanterre in France and a Certificate in Journalism from Malawi. She has taught English as a French Ministry of Education certified teacher both in France and in Poland. She speaks six languages fluently, including French, Polish and Italian. She is now learning Kiswahili, German and Spanish. Salt No More is her debut novel and you can find her other books here on the website or on Amazon.
Lesson Title: English Grammar (The Simple Present) Lesson 2: Talk About Habits and Daily Routines (Level A1-A2) © Learn English With Africa, May 2020
