IELTS Speaking Lesson about Daily Routines
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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 routinesÂ
- I get up early everydayÂ
- 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 basisÂ
From time to time I get up at 9 amÂ
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 Â
- To get upÂ
- To crawl out of bed = get out of bed slowly and with difficulty
- To have breakfast
- To have a big/hearty breakfastÂ
Note we use ‘a’ if you add an adjective
- To grab breakfast = take it quickly
I grab a coffeeÂ
I get myself a coffee
To brush my teethÂ
To have a shower
To go to the gym
I go down the gym
I hit the gym
I work out
HomemakersÂ
I prepare the kids for schoolÂ
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 cookingÂ
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 TikTokÂ
StudentsÂ
- I hit the books every evening (=to study)
I go down the libraryÂ
I hit the libraryÂ
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 trackÂ
Find out the benefits of routines here
Bad
- They make out lives boring and monotonousÂ
- They are absolutely, mind numbingly mundaneÂ
- I feel I am stuck in a rutÂ
- They can cause anxietyÂ
- They could lead to depressionÂ
- Our lives end up lacking freshness
For whom?
Old PeopleÂ
- Give a sense of certainty Â
- Can reduce stress
Kids
- Give a sense of safetyÂ
- Establish clear boundaries
- Make you more productiveÂ
- Easy for managers to organise and control staff
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IELTS Speaking topic: Daily routines
Listening TaskÂ
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 strollÂ
- Day in, day out  (every day without fail)
- Come rain or shine (every day without fail)
- I really feel the benefit(s)Â
- I typically get up reasonably early
- I get myself a (prepare myself) glass of lemon waterÂ
- I put some exercise clothes on – if it’s coldÂ
- Grab my phone and headphonesÂ
- 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 predictablyÂ
I brush my teeth every morning, as regular as clockworkÂ
- 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.
RELATIONSHIPÂ in IELTS Speaking Improve your listening and speaking skills for the topic of relationship.
