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Table of Contents
IELTS Speaking vocabulary: Daily routines
Warm up!
Fill in the gap with one word
- I have a steady routine in the mornings, I ___ get up at 7am and then have a shower
- I am busy at work, but I like to study Chinese every now and _____
See answers
- I have a steady routine in the mornings, I usually / always / will / often / inevitably / mostly get up at 7am and then have a shower
- I am busy at work, but I like to study Chinese every now and then / again
IELTS Speaking: Daily routines
Ways of expressing habits and routines
- I get up early everyday
- I will get up early (present habit)
- I always get up early
- I tend to get up early
- I typically get up early
- More often than not I get up early
My schedule/routine goes something like this…
- I always / usually / often / sometimes get up early
Other ways of expressing these Adverbs of Frequency
TIP: If the adverb of frequency is long it usually goes at the beginning or end of a phrase, not in the middle!
I get up at 7am on a regular basis
From time to time I get up at 9 am
I go to work every Monday without fail
Common morning routines
Here are some useful phrases to describe common morning routines people have.
Note: Phrases in pink are more colloquial (informal)
- To sleep in = to stay in bed a longer time
Note: This is different from ‘to oversleep’ = to stay in bed a longer time by mistake
- To get up
- To crawl out of bed = get out of bed slowly and with difficulty
- To have breakfast
- To have a big/hearty breakfast
Note we use ‘a’ if you add an adjective
- To grab breakfast = take it quickly
I grab a coffee
I get myself a coffee
To brush my teeth
To have a shower
To go to the gym
I go down the gym
I hit the gym
I work out
Homemakers
I prepare the kids for school
I get the kids ready for school
I sort the kids out for school
- I do the school run = to take the kids to school
Instead of saying ‘I cook’ in spoken English, we often use the form ‘I do the ____’, especially when talking about chores and household tasks.
I do the cooking
I do the cleaning
I do the washing (clothes
I do the pots/dishes (=wash the dishes)
For more household routines, check this post and video – https://keithspeakingacademy.com/how-to-talk-about-housework-in-ielts-speaking/
Workers
- I commute to work = to travel to work, some distance
I check my emails
I waste time scrolling on TikTok
Students
- I hit the books every evening (=to study)
I go down the library
I hit the library
Are routines good or bad? Why?
Here are some phrases you can use to say what routines maybe good, bad or both!
Good
- Build productive habits
- Give a sense of productivity
- Give me a sense of progress
- Can lead to good studying results
- Perfection comes through repetition
- They help us stay disciplined and stay on track
Find out the benefits of routines here
Bad
- They make out lives boring and monotonous
- They are absolutely, mind numbingly mundane
- I feel I am stuck in a rut
- They can cause anxiety
- They could lead to depression
- Our lives end up lacking freshness
For whom?
Old People
- Give a sense of certainty
- Can reduce stress
Kids
- Give a sense of safety
- Establish clear boundaries
- Make you more productive
- Easy for managers to organise and control staff
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IELTS Speaking topic: Daily routines
Listening Task
1. Watch this person talk about a routine they have
a) What is the main routine?
2. Watch the video above again and note any useful phrases and collocations
Daily routines: Useful phrases
See answers and full script
- I will tell something I do everyday religiously and that is to go for a morning stroll
- Day in, day out (every day without fail)
- Come rain or shine (every day without fail)
- I really feel the benefit(s)
- I typically get up reasonably early
- I get myself a (prepare myself) glass of lemon water
- I put some exercise clothes on – if it’s cold
- Grab my phone and headphones
- I head out (go out and go somewhere)
- As I start walking I will be choosing a podcast I want to listen to
- I pick up the pace (to go more quickly)
- All in all, (overall) it takes anywhere from 40 to 60 minutes
- I do it mainly for health reasons but also to clear my head
- It sets me up for the day (it prepares me for the day ahead)
- Have some ‘me time’ (have time for yourself)
IELTS Speaking: Idioms about daily routines
- As regular as clockwork = very regularly and predictably
I brush my teeth every morning, as regular as clockwork
- As per usual = as always, as usual
My girlfriend is late again, as per usual!
- To be a creature of habit = someone who likes to have the same routine
I hate to miss my early morning walk, I guess you could say I am a creature of habit
More Free Lessons
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NEWS in IELTS Speaking Learn vocabulary of national, international and personal news, as well as tips on IELTS Speaking Part 2.
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