Daily routines vocabulary covers common verbs, nouns and phrases used to describe everyday activities at home and at work. Learning these words helps you talk about your schedule, explain habits, and describe a typical workday — useful for workplace conversations and TOEIC tasks.
Focus on common actions: wake up, commute, check emails, attend meetings.
Learn collocations and prepositions: commute by car, attend a meeting.
Practice using simple present to describe routines in professional contexts.
Table
Daily Routines — Common Verbs & Phrases
Phrase
Part of Speech
Example
wake up
verb
I wake up at 6:30 every weekday.
get dressed
verb
She gets dressed before breakfast.
have breakfast
verb phrase
We have breakfast together in the office kitchen.
commute (to work)
verb
He commutes to work by train.
check emails
verb phrase
I check emails first thing in the morning.
attend a meeting
verb phrase
The team attends a weekly meeting on Monday.
take a break
verb phrase
Employees usually take a short break after two hours.
finish work
verb phrase
She finishes work at 6 PM and reviews tasks for tomorrow.
Tip
Key collocations for daily routines
Daily routine vocabulary often appears in common collocations and fixed expressions. Pay attention to verb + object and prepositions.
Use correct verb forms in the simple present for routines (I check, he checks).
Common collocations: commute by (car/train), attend a meeting, take a break.
Use 'have' or 'eat' for meals: have breakfast / eat lunch; 'make' focuses on preparation.
Learn the typical verb + noun combinations rather than translating word-by-word.
Example
Examples in context
I wake up at 6:00 to prepare for my morning meeting.
She commutes by train and uses the time to read reports.
We check emails first thing and prioritize urgent requests.
He takes a short break after lunch to clear his mind.
Tip
Common mistakes to avoid
Learners often make predictable errors when using daily routine vocabulary. Watch for these universal problems:
Wrong verb form in simple present (e.g., 'He check' instead of 'He checks').
Incorrect preposition: say 'commute by train' not 'commute with train'.
Confusing verbs for actions: 'make breakfast' (prepare) vs 'have breakfast' (eat).
Omitting articles where needed: 'attend meeting' → 'attend a meeting'.
Check subject-verb agreement, common prepositions, and fixed collocations.
Quiz
Choose the correct sentence:
Hint: Focus on subject-verb agreement in the simple present.
Correct!
In the simple present, third-person singular subjects require the verb with -s (checks).
Incorrect
The correct answer was: She checks her emails every morning.
In the simple present, third-person singular subjects require the verb with -s (checks).
Quiz
Complete: Every day he _____ to work by bus.
Hint: Think about the correct verb form for 'he' in the simple present.
Correct!
'Commutes' is the correct simple present form for third-person singular to describe a regular travel habit.
Incorrect
The correct answer was: commutes
'Commutes' is the correct simple present form for third-person singular to describe a regular travel habit.
Quiz
Which phrase means 'to start the working day at your workplace'?
Hint: Think about workplace verbs related to work start and end times.
Correct!
'Clock in' means to register the start of your working hours at your workplace.
Incorrect
The correct answer was: clock in
'Clock in' means to register the start of your working hours at your workplace.
Key Points
Vocabulary
wake up
verbCEFR A1//weɪk ʌp//
to stop sleeping and become awake
I wake up at 6 AM to prepare for work.
Vocabulary
commute
verbCEFR B1//kəˈmjuːt//
to travel regularly between home and work
She commutes by train every day.
Vocabulary
check emails
verb phraseCEFR A2//tʃek ˈiːmeɪlz//
to read and respond to electronic mail
I check emails first thing in the morning.
Vocabulary
attend a meeting
verb phraseCEFR A2//əˈtɛnd ə ˈmiːtɪŋ//
to be present at a scheduled discussion with colleagues or clients
We attend a team meeting every Monday.
Expression
take a break
verb phraseCEFR A2//teɪk ə breɪk//
to stop working briefly to rest
Employees usually take a short break after two hours.
Vocabulary
have breakfast
verb phraseCEFR A1//hæv ˈbrɛkfəst//
to eat the first meal of the day
I usually have breakfast at my desk on busy mornings.
Vocabulary
finish work
verb phraseCEFR A2//ˈfɪnɪʃ wɜːrk//
to stop working at the end of the working day
She finishes work at 6 PM and plans her tasks for tomorrow.
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