Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about daily routines.
Example: I ______ my teeth every morning. (brush / cook / sleep)
Answer: I brush my teeth every morning.
Daily Routines in English
Do you wake up at the same time every day? Do you eat breakfast before work or school? These everyday actions are called daily routines — the things we do every day, usually at the same time.
In this lesson, you will learn the most important English words for talking about your daily routine. We will look at action words, time words, and useful phrases to help you describe your day in English.
Meet Tom
Tom is a student. Every morning, he wakes up at 7 o'clock. He has a shower, gets dressed, and eats breakfast. Then he goes to school by bus. In the evening, he does his homework, watches TV, and goes to bed at 10 o'clock.
Read Tom's story carefully. You will find all the key vocabulary from this lesson inside it!
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. Morning Actions
These are the things we often do at the start of the day.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| wake up | phrasal verb — to stop sleeping and open your eyes | I wake up at 6 o'clock every morning. | We say "wake up", not "wake" |
| get up | phrasal verb — to get out of bed after waking | She wakes up at 7, but she gets up at 7:15. | "Wake up" = open eyes. "Get up" = leave the bed. |
| have a shower | verb phrase — to wash your body under running water | Tom has a shower every morning. | Also: "take a shower" (common in American English) |
| brush your teeth | verb phrase — to clean your teeth with a toothbrush | I brush my teeth after breakfast. | Always use "brush", not "clean" your teeth |
| get dressed | verb phrase — to put on your clothes | He gets dressed before breakfast. | Opposite: "get undressed" |
| eat breakfast | verb phrase — to have your first meal of the day | I eat breakfast at 7:30 every day. | Also: "have breakfast" |
2. Daytime Actions
These are the things we do during the main part of the day.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| go to work | verb phrase — to travel to your place of work | My mum goes to work at 8 o'clock. | No article: "go to work" (NOT "go to the work") |
| go to school | verb phrase — to travel to school | The children go to school by bus. | No article: "go to school" (NOT "go to the school") |
| have lunch | verb phrase — to eat your midday meal | We have lunch at 12:30. | Also: "eat lunch" |
| study | verb — to read and learn information | She studies English every afternoon. | study → studies (he/she/it) |
| work | verb — to do your job | My father works in an office. | work → works (he/she/it) |
| take a break | verb phrase — to stop working for a short time | I take a break at 11 o'clock. | A break is usually 10–15 minutes |
3. Evening Actions
These are the things we often do at the end of the day.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| cook dinner | verb phrase — to prepare the evening meal | My mum cooks dinner at 6 o'clock. | Also: "make dinner" |
| have dinner | verb phrase — to eat the evening meal | We have dinner together as a family. | Also: "eat dinner" |
| do homework | verb phrase — to complete school work at home | Tom does his homework after dinner. | Say "do homework", NOT "make homework" |
| watch TV | verb phrase — to look at and listen to television | I watch TV for one hour every evening. | Say "watch TV", not "see TV" or "look TV" |
| go to bed | verb phrase — to get into bed to sleep | She goes to bed at 10 o'clock. | "Go to bed" = the action. "Sleep" = the state. |
| sleep | verb — to rest your body and mind at night | Tom sleeps for eight hours every night. | sleep → sleeps (he/she/it) |
4. Time Words for Daily Routines
These words help you say when you do things.
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| every day | adverb phrase — on all days | I brush my teeth every day. | Two words: "every day" (NOT "everyday" as an adverb) |
| in the morning | adverb phrase — during the early part of the day | I have a shower in the morning. | Use "in" with morning, afternoon, and evening |
| in the afternoon | adverb phrase — during the middle part of the day | She studies in the afternoon. | Afternoon = roughly 12:00–6:00 pm |
| in the evening | adverb phrase — during the later part of the day | We watch TV in the evening. | Evening = roughly 6:00–10:00 pm |
| at night | adverb phrase — during the dark hours | I sleep at night. | Use "at" with "night" (NOT "in the night") |
| usually | adverb — happening most of the time | I usually wake up at 7 o'clock. | Placed before the main verb |
| always | adverb — happening every time, without exception | She always brushes her teeth before bed. | Placed before the main verb |
| never | adverb — not at any time | He never skips breakfast. | Placed before the main verb |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
A collocation is two or more words that often go together in English. Learning collocations will help you sound more natural.
wake + up
I wake up early on weekdays.
have + breakfast / lunch / dinner
We have dinner at seven o'clock.
go + to bed / to work / to school
The children go to school at 8:30.
do + homework / exercise
I do my homework after school.
make + breakfast / lunch / dinner
She makes breakfast for the whole family.
brush + teeth / hair
Remember to brush your teeth twice a day!
take + a shower / a break / a bus
He takes a bus to work every morning.
get + up / dressed / home
I get home at around five o'clock.
Frequency Expressions
Use these expressions to say how often you do something:
- every day — I exercise every day.
- once a week — I go to the gym once a week.
- twice a day — I brush my teeth twice a day.
- on weekdays — I go to school on weekdays.
- at the weekend — I sleep late at the weekend.
Important Differences & Confusing Words
Wake Up vs Get Up
These two words are very similar but they mean different things.
- Wake up = to stop sleeping; your eyes open.
I wake up at 6:30 when my alarm rings. - Get up = to leave your bed and stand up.
I wake up at 6:30 but I get up at 6:45.
You can wake up, but still stay in bed for a few minutes. Then you get up!
Have a Shower vs Take a Shower
- Have a shower — this is the natural British English expression.
I have a shower every morning. - Take a shower — this is the natural American English expression.
I take a shower every morning.
Both are correct! In British English, we more commonly say have a shower.
Do vs Make
Learners often confuse do and make with daily routine words.
- We say do homework, do exercise, do the washing up.
- We say make breakfast, make lunch, make dinner, make a coffee.
She makes breakfast and then does her exercise.
Go to Bed vs Sleep
- Go to bed = the action of getting into bed.
I go to bed at 10 o'clock. - Sleep = the state of being asleep.
I sleep for eight hours.
Common Mistakes
❌ I make my homework after school.
✅ I do my homework after school. — Use "do" with homework, not "make".
❌ She goes to the school by bus.
✅ She goes to school by bus. — Do not use "the" before school in this expression.
❌ I wake up and then I wake up from my bed.
✅ I wake up and then I get up from my bed. — Use "get up" to mean leaving the bed.
❌ He sleeps at 11 o'clock.
✅ He goes to bed at 11 o'clock. — Use "go to bed" for the action of getting into bed at a specific time.
❌ I always watch the TV in the night.
✅ I always watch TV at night. — We say "watch TV" (no article) and "at night" (not "in the night").
❌ She has shower every morning.
✅ She has a shower every morning. — Don't forget the article "a" before "shower".
❌ I eat breakfast in morning.
✅ I eat breakfast in the morning. — Don't forget "the" before "morning".
Daily Routines: Quick Summary & Review
Well done! You have now learned the most important vocabulary for talking about daily routines in English. Here is a quick summary of what you have studied:
- Morning actions: wake up, get up, have a shower, brush your teeth, get dressed, eat breakfast
- Daytime actions: go to work, go to school, have lunch, study, work, take a break
- Evening actions: cook dinner, have dinner, do homework, watch TV, go to bed, sleep
- Time words: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, at night, every day, usually, always, never
- Key collocations: do homework (NOT make), go to school (NOT the school), have a shower (NOT have shower)
Remember to use frequency adverbs like always, usually, and never before the main verb: I usually wake up at 7 o'clock.
Try to describe your own daily routine using the new words. For example: "I wake up at 7 o'clock. I have a shower and get dressed. Then I eat breakfast and go to school."
Now practise daily routines vocabulary in the exercises below.
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