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IELTS Speaking Lesson about Daily Routines - Part 2

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Daily Routines : Lesson Notes

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Listening Activity: Daily Routines

Listen to this dialogue between two people

1. Who is speaking?

a) Two students

b) A student and a teacher

c) A mother and son

d) A worker and a student

d) A worker and a student

I’m still a student

I work full-time now

My grandma says routines can reduce stress 

2. True / False / Not Given

Listen again and decide if the following phrases are true, false or not given.

a) Tom believes routines are always positive.

b) Anna works fixed hours every day.

c) Tom finds studying exciting all the time.

d) Anna thinks routines are useful for children.

e) Both speakers agree routines should be completely avoided.

a) Tom believes study routines are always positive. F

That routine helps me stay on track with my studies.

I think they can be both good and bad.

b) Anna works fixed hours every day. NG

I have a full time job

c) Tom finds studying exciting all the time. F

If I study the same way every day, I feel bored to tears.

d) Anna thinks routines are useful for children. T

I think routines are good for some people, like children.

e) Both speakers agree routines should be completely avoided. F

I think routines are good for some people,

Maybe the best thing is balance—a routine, but with some flexibility.

3. Listen and find phrases similar to these

 

a) Unable to change your situation

b) Continue moving towards a goal

c) Feeling you are improving step by step

d) Very bored

a) Unable to change your situation

  • Stuck in a rut

 

b) Continue moving towards a goal

  • Stay on track

 

c) Feeling you are improving step by step

  • A sense of progress

 

d) Very bored

  • bored to tears 
4. Listen again and follow the script below

Anna: Hi, Tom, how are you doing?

Tom: Not bad – same old, same old!

Anna: Yeah, I know what you mean, sometimes I feel like I’m stuck in a rut. I was reading an article the other day about the benefits of routines. What do you think? Do you think routines are a good thing?

Tom: Hmm, I think they can be both good and bad. I’m still a student, so I try to follow a daily routine at uni. I tend to go to the library most mornings, I’ll have lectures in the afternoon, and I typically review my notes in the evenings. That routine helps me stay on track with my studies.

Anna: That makes sense. I work full-time now, and you know what? Although routines can be boring, they help me be more productive. More often than not, I work on my projects first thing in the morning and then only do emails after lunch. It gives me a sense of progress.

Tom: Exactly. And repetition helps too. I mean, perfection comes through repetition, right?

Anna: True, but don’t you ever feel bored? Sometimes my routine feels so monotonous.

Tom: Yeah, I get that. If I study the same way every day, I feel bored to tears.

Anna: I think routines are good for some people, like children. They give a sense of safety and clear boundaries.

Tom: And maybe for older people too. My grandma says routines can reduce stress and give her a sense of certainty.

Anna: Sure, but for me, I need some variety. Otherwise, life feels a bit dull.

Tom: I know what you mean. Maybe the best thing is balance—a routine, but with some flexibility. 

IELTS Speaking Vocabulary: Daily Routines

ALWAYS

I get up early everyday

I will get up early (present habit)

I always get up early

USUALLY

I tend to get up early

I typically get up early

I usually get up early

More often than not, I get up early

RARELY

I rarely get up early

I hardly ever get up early

I get up early once in a blue moon

👉 TIP

 

If the adverb of frequency is one word it usually goes between the subject (e.g. I, he, you…) and the verb.

I often get up late

I always have coffee in the morning.

If the adverb of frequency is more than one word 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.

Other Adverbs of Frequency

AlwaysUsuallyOftenSometimes
InvariablyTypicallyOn a regular
basis		From time to time
Without failGenerallyFrequentlyNow and again
Without
exception		RegularlyRepeatedlyOccasionally
Day in day outMostlyTime and againOnce in a while

Tell me about a habit you have and how often you do it!

Idioms to talk about ROUTINES

Idioms to talk about ROUTINES

1. To be a creature of habit routine (positive) = someone who likes to have the same

I hate to miss my early morning walk, I am a creature of habit.

2. To be stuck in a rut = doing the same boring routine and not changing (negative)

I feel stuck in a rut with my daily routine.

I have got stuck in a rut at work. I think I need a new job!

3. As regular as clockwork (adv.) = very regularly and predictably

I brush my teeth every morning, as regular as clockwork

Related idiom

  • To run like clockwork = to go smoothly and efficiently all the time

4. To shake things up = change your routine to make life more exciting

I travel at weekends to shake things up.

Once in a while, I work in a coffee shop, to shake things up.

Website Recommendation

The benefits of Routines

Song

Verse 1

I travel by bike every morning at eight,

Same old road, I’m never late,

I don’t fly, no air travel for me,

Just two wheels rolling, slow and free.

I go to work, I come back home,

No big journeys, I stay alone.

It’s just my life, it’s plain and true,

Same o

ld sky, same old view.

Chorus

I wanna go on a trip, far away,

See the world, just for one day.

I wanna travel abroad, feel the sun,

But I know that dream just won’t come.

I just ride my bike, do my part,

Got a simple life, got a hopeful heart.

Verse 2

I’ve got dreams inside,

I see planes up in the sky.

People flying so high,

I just watch them passing by.

I ain’t got no money

to go where it’s sunny

It costs an arm and a leg

That’s what you said

Chorus

I wanna go on a trip, far away,

See the world, just for one day.

I wanna travel abroad, feel the sun,

But I know that dream won’t come.

So I ride my bike, I do my part,

Got a simple life, got a hopeful heart.

Bridge

But I can soak in the sights on my street,

Hear the birds, feel the breeze, life’s sweet.

I travel light, got nothing to lose,

No big plans, no heavy shoes.

Final Verse

Now I don’t dream like I did before,

Found my peace, don’t need much more.

This little world is where I stay,

And I’m okay at the end of the day.

Final Chorus

I don’t need no trip far away,

Got my life right here today.

No big plans, no fancy view,

This small world… it’ll do. 

Language note:

To give someone the sack = to fire them (so they lose their job)

Activate all the vocabulary in this lesson with The Vocabulary Vault!

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FAMILY in IELTS Speaking. How to talk about your family, stages of life, as well as idioms about family.

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