Daily routine vocabulary – A1 beginner English vocabulary lesson and exercises

Example sentences with time expressions

When we talk about daily routines, we often use time expressions to indicate a time, a general time, how often we do something or in what sequence.

• On weekdays, I get up early in the morning.
• I get dressed at half seven and then I have breakfast at 8.00 a.m.
• I go to work at a quarter past eight.
• I have lunch at 12:30 p.m.
• I go home at 4:00 p.m.
• I have dinner with my family in the evening.
• After that I usually watch TV.
• I go to bed at 10:00 p.m.

Use these expressions to describe when you do your daily activities:

• Times of day: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, at night
• Specific times: at 7 o'clock, at half past seven, at quarter past eight, at quarter to nine
• How often: every day, every morning, every evening, on weekdays, at the weekend, usually, always, often, sometimes, never
• Sequence: first, then, next, after that, finally

Daily routines and the present simple

We usually talk about our daily routines using the present simple tense because routines and habits are actions that happen regularly.

Examples:

• I have breakfast at 8:00 a.m.
• My daughter goes to school every day.
• We have lunch at home.
• They go to bed at 10:00 p.m.

Remember: In the present simple, we usually add -s or -es to the verb when talking about he, she, or it.

• I wake up at 7:00.
• She wakes up at 7:00.

See our Present simple grammar page for a more detailed explanation.