Morning to Night: Simple English Routines

A: Hello wonderful listeners, and welcome back to English PROCast! I'm Thomas, and I'm so happy you're here with us today to practice your English listening skills.

B: And I'm Julia! We're going to make today's podcast super useful and fun. We'll talk about something we all do every single day... our daily lives! It’s the perfect topic for beginners.

A: That's right, Julia. We will use simple words and sentences. Listen carefully, and try to repeat some phrases after us if you can. It will help your speaking too!

B: Absolutely. And if you are enjoying this, please do us a big favor - hit that subscribe button and the bell icon. It helps you not miss any of our future lessons and it makes us so happy to see you in our PROCast community!

A: So, let's start from the very beginning of the day. Julia, what's the first thing you do when you wake up?

B: Well, the very first thing? I open my eyes! But then, I always turn off my alarm clock on my phone. After that, I stretch my arms. I say, "Good morning!" to myself. It's a nice habit. What about you, Thomas?

A: I am similar. I wake up, but I usually stay in bed for five minutes. I don't like to jump up quickly. Then, I get out of bed. My feet touch the floor. I walk to the window and open the curtains. I like to see the sun or the rain. It tells me about the weather.

B: Oh, checking the weather is smart! I do that too. I look outside. If I see the sun, I think, "It's a sunny day!" If I see clouds, I think, "It might rain today." Then, I decide what clothes to wear.

A: Yes, choosing clothes is important. I ask myself, "Do I need a jacket? Should I wear a T-shirt?" On Monday, I go to the office, so I wear formal clothes – a shirt and trousers. But on Saturday, I wear casual clothes – jeans and a comfortable sweater.

B: That makes sense. After choosing clothes, my next step is my morning routine. I go to the bathroom. I brush my teeth. I wash my face with cold water. It helps me feel awake! Then, I comb my hair. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's difficult!

A: Haha, I understand! For me, after the bathroom, I need coffee. I must have coffee in the morning. I go to the kitchen. I turn on the coffee machine. The sound is nice. The smell is wonderful. While I wait for the coffee, I prepare breakfast.

B: What do you usually eat for breakfast, Thomas?

A: I like simple things. I often eat toast with butter. Sometimes I eat cereal with milk. And a banana. A banana is quick and healthy. And you?

B: I love breakfast! I usually eat yogurt with some fruit, like strawberries or an apple. And I always drink a big glass of water. It’s good for my body. Then, I drink my tea. I prefer tea over coffee.

A: Tea is good too. So, after breakfast, I clean my dishes. I put the cup and plate in the dishwasher. Or sometimes, I wash them quickly with soap and water. I don't like a messy kitchen in the morning.

B: Same for me. A clean kitchen makes a good start. Then, I look at my clock. Oh no! Time is going fast! I need to get ready for work. I put on my clothes, I take my bag, and I check my phone, my keys, and my wallet. These three things are very important!

A: Phone, keys, wallet. Yes! I always say, "Spectacles, testicles, wallet, and watch!" But that's a funny old saying. The important thing is to not forget anything. Then, I leave my house. I lock the door. I walk to the bus stop or sometimes I drive my car.

B: How do you go to work, Thomas?

A: I usually take the bus. The bus stop is near my house. I wait for the bus. When the bus comes, I get on the bus. I say "Good morning" to the bus driver. I use my bus card. Then, I find a seat and sit down. I listen to music or a podcast on the bus. The journey takes about twenty minutes.

B: That's a nice routine. I work from home two days a week. But on the other days, I drive to work. I get in my car. I put on my seatbelt. I start the engine. I drive carefully. Sometimes there is a lot of traffic. It's boring when there is traffic.

A: Traffic is not fun. On the bus, I can at least relax. So, I arrive at my office. I get off the bus. I walk to my building. I enter the building. I often meet my colleague, Mike, in the elevator. We talk about the weather or about football.

B: That's a nice way to start the work day. For me, when I work from home, my routine is different. I walk to my desk in my home office. I turn on my computer. The first thing I do is check my emails. I have many emails every morning.

A: Me too. So many emails. I open my computer. I drink my second coffee. I read the emails. I reply to the important ones. "Thank you for your email." "I will send the document today." Things like that. Then, I look at my calendar. What meetings do I have today?

B: Ah, meetings. Yes. I have many online meetings. At 10 AM, I have a meeting with my team. We use video. I say, "Can you hear me?" and "Can you see my screen?" It's very common!

A: Haha, yes! "You're on mute!" people always say. So, the morning at work is busy. I work on my projects. I write reports. I call some clients. At around 12:30 PM, I feel hungry. It's time for lunch.

B: Lunchtime! I also stop work for lunch. It's important to take a break. Sometimes I bring lunch from home. I have a sandwich and some salad in a container. Sometimes I go out with my coworkers to a small restaurant near the office.

A: Going out for lunch is nice. We talk about things not related to work. We talk about movies, or our plans for the weekend. It's a good time. After lunch, I go back to the office. I feel a little slow after eating, so I drink more water.

B: The afternoon is often for focused work. No meetings, just work. I make a list of tasks. Number one, number two, number three. I finish one task, then I start the next task. Time goes quickly in the afternoon.

A: It does. And before I know it, it's 5 PM. The end of the work day! I save all my documents. I close my computer. I say goodbye to my colleagues. "See you tomorrow!" or "Have a good evening!" Then, I leave the office.

B: Finishing work is a great feeling. I shut down my computer at 5:30. My work day is over. Now, the evening begins! This is my time. But first, I need to go home.

A: Right. The evening commute. I take the bus again. This time, the bus is more crowded. More people are going home. I'm tired, but I'm happy work is finished. I think about my evening. What will I do for dinner? That is the big question.

B: The big question! I think about dinner on my drive home. Sometimes I stop at the supermarket. I buy some fresh vegetables, some bread, maybe some fish or chicken. I like cooking. It helps me relax.

A: I like cooking too, but not every day. Sometimes I am too tired. On those days, I order food. I use an app on my phone. I choose a pizza or sushi. The food arrives at my door in 30 minutes. It's easy, but not very healthy every day.

B: True. So, I arrive home. I open the door. The first thing I do is change my clothes. I take off my work clothes and put on comfortable clothes - tracksuit bottoms and a soft t-shirt. Ahhh, much better!

A: Yes! Changing into home clothes is the best signal that the work day is really over. I do the same. Then, I feed my cat, Whiskers. She meows at me when I come home. She is hungry. After that, I can think about my own dinner.

B: You have a cat! That's nice. I don't have a pet. So after I change, I go to the kitchen. I turn on the radio. I listen to music while I cook. I chop vegetables. I boil water for rice or pasta. The kitchen smells good.

A: That sounds peaceful. My cooking is faster. I often make stir-fry. I cook chicken and vegetables in a pan. It takes 15 minutes. Then, I put the food on a plate. I sit at the table. I don't watch TV. I just eat and think about my day.

B: It's good to eat without distractions. After dinner, I wash the dishes. I clean the kitchen. Then, my real free time starts. I have a few options. Sometimes I watch an episode of my favorite series on Netflix. Sometimes I read a book. Or sometimes I call my friend on the phone.

A: All good activities. I often watch a football match on TV if my team is playing. Or I play video games for one hour. It's fun. Other times, I meet a friend. We go to a café or we go for a walk in the park.

B: A walk in the park in the evening is lovely. The air is fresh. It's quiet. You can see people walking their dogs. You can see children playing. It's a nice way to end the day.

A: It is. But on most days, I stay home. Later in the evening, I take a shower. A warm shower is very relaxing. I brush my teeth again. I prepare for the next day. I choose my clothes for tomorrow. I put my things in my bag. This helps my morning be easier.

B: That's very organized! I should do that. I usually just check my calendar for tomorrow. Then, I get into bed. I like to read for 20 minutes before I sleep. Reading makes me sleepy. My eyes get heavy. I turn off the light, and I fall asleep.

A: And that's the end of a typical day. But listeners, we want to know about YOUR day! What is your daily routine? Do you have a pet like me? Do you cook like Julia? Tell us in the comments below. We love to read them.

B: Yes, please share with us! And remember, describing your day is excellent English practice. Use simple sentences like we did. "I wake up. I eat breakfast. I go to work."

A: Wonderful. Well, we have talked about the morning, the work day, and the evening. But there is more to daily life! What about household chores? What about hobbies and exercise?

B: Oh, that's a great point, Thomas! Daily life isn't just waking up, working, eating, and sleeping. There are so many other little things we do every day or every week. Things like cleaning the house, going to the gym, or visiting family.

A: Exactly! And we all have our own habits and ways of doing things. Some people are very tidy, some people... are not so tidy! Some people exercise in the morning, some in the evening. These routines are very interesting to talk about.

B: They are. So, wonderful listeners, you now know the first part of our daily lives. But don't go away! In the next part of our podcast, we will continue talking about daily life. We will discuss chores, free time, hobbies, and how we relax on the weekend.