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Speak English More Naturally: Talk About Your Day

Practise talking about your morning, workday, evening routine, and sleep with Vanessa’s guided daily-life questions.

Read the full lesson summary

Vanessa turns a long list of daily-routine questions into active speaking practice. She asks viewers about mornings, work or school, afternoons, evenings, and sleep, then pauses so learners can answer aloud before hearing a sample response. The questions are broad enough for learners to adapt to their own lives, while the examples model complete, natural answers rather than isolated vocabulary. Vanessa also encourages viewers to pause when they need more time and to speak out loud during the practice.

The morning section gives language for habits and time. Someone may “wake up around” a certain hour, set an alarm, or wake “before it rings.” The verb phrase “make my bed” describes straightening the bedding after getting up, and “take a quick shower” fits naturally into a morning routine. Vanessa asks how long it takes to “get ready in the morning,” a flexible phrase that can include dressing, washing, and preparing to leave. She also describes feeling rushed and having to “rush through my routine” after oversleeping. Learners can use those expressions to explain not only what they do, but how much time pressure they feel.

The questions move on to commuting, breakfast, work, lunch, and energy. “Skip breakfast” means not eat the morning meal; the reason can be added afterward. Someone can eat lunch “at my desk,” take “a short break” to stretch, or use a to-do list to stay focused. In the evening, “catch up on housework” means completing chores that have been waiting. The pattern “end up + -ing” describes what eventually happens, sometimes despite an intention to do something else, as when Vanessa says she usually ends up checking messages.

The bedtime section introduces “trouble falling asleep” for difficulty getting to sleep, and “take deep breaths” for a calming breathing practice. To make the lesson useful, answer a few questions with details that are true for you. Start with the time you wake up, describe one morning habit, and explain what you do when you feel rushed. Then talk about a short break, one evening chore, or a habit that helps you fall asleep. The accompanying worksheet and audio are mentioned in the recording; check the channel’s current description for any links or availability.

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Speak English With VanessaAmerican English21:08

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Transcript

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Select an expression for its meaning · 0:00

Vanessa explains how to practise with the lesson’s daily-routine questions and sample answers.

Get ready to speak in English with me. Practice your speaking skills so that you can express yourself better in English. Hi, I'm Vanessa from speakenglishwithvanessa.com. And in today's lesson, you are going to practice speaking out loud. I'm going to be asking you questions about your daily routine starting in the morning, then the afternoon, then the evening, and I'm going to be asking you the questions so that you can practice speaking out loud.

Try it: Answer one daily-routine question aloud, then reuse a phrase from the sample answer in a true sentence about yourself.

Phrase cheat sheet

All phrases at a glance

Review each expression, hear it, save it, or jump to where it appears in the video.

15 phrases

Showing 15 of 15 phrases

wake up around

The morning questions cover waking up, getting ready, breakfast, and leaving the house. · expression

Wake at approximately the time that follows “around.”

Tone and use: Neutral and conversational. Use “around” before a time when you mean approximately, not exactly.

May not fit: For a precise schedule, give the exact time without “around.”

Example“I usually wake up around six thirty on weekdays.”

before it rings

The morning questions cover waking up, getting ready, breakfast, and leaving the house. · expression

Earlier than the moment an alarm makes its ringing sound.

Tone and use: Neutral and common in everyday conversation. Use it when describing waking naturally before an alarm goes off.

May not fit: Name what “it” refers to if the alarm is not clear from the conversation.

Example“I set an alarm for seven, but I often wake up before it rings.”

make my bed

The morning questions cover waking up, getting ready, breakfast, and leaving the house. · collocation

Straighten the blankets and arrange the bed after getting up.

Tone and use: Neutral household phrase. Use it for the routine task of tidying a bed in the morning.

May not fit: It does not mean build or assemble a bed.

Example“I make my bed before I go downstairs for breakfast.”

take a quick shower

The morning questions cover waking up, getting ready, breakfast, and leaving the house. · collocation

Have a shower that lasts only a short time.

Tone and use: Neutral and conversational. Use it when describing a brief shower as part of a daily routine.

May not fit: “Quick” describes the short duration, not necessarily the water pressure or speed.

Example“I take a quick shower before catching the bus.”

get ready in the morning

The morning questions cover waking up, getting ready, breakfast, and leaving the house. · expression

Complete the usual tasks needed to prepare for the day.

Tone and use: Neutral and broad. Use it for a routine that may include dressing, washing, and preparing to leave.

May not fit: If you mean one specific task, name it instead of using this broad phrase.

Example“It takes me half an hour to get ready in the morning.”

scroll through my messages

The morning questions cover waking up, getting ready, breakfast, and leaving the house. · phrasal verb

Move through a list of messages on a screen while looking at them.

Tone and use: Informal and digital-age conversational English. Use it for browsing messages by moving up or down on a phone or computer.

May not fit: It describes looking through the list, not necessarily replying to messages.

Example“I scroll through my messages while I drink my coffee.”

feel rushed

The morning questions cover waking up, getting ready, breakfast, and leaving the house. · expression

Feel that you have too little time to do what you need to do.

Tone and use: Neutral and common. Use it to describe pressure caused by a tight schedule or having many tasks.

May not fit: For simply moving quickly without stress, say “I’m in a hurry.”

Example“I feel rushed when I leave all my errands until Saturday.”

rush through

The morning questions cover waking up, getting ready, breakfast, and leaving the house. · phrasal verb

Do the steps in a routine quickly, often because there is little time.

Tone and use: Neutral, with a sense of haste. Use it when you move quickly through familiar tasks to catch up or leave on time.

May not fit: It can suggest that you are doing things too quickly or skipping details.

Example“I overslept, so I had to rush through my routine.”

skip breakfast

The morning questions cover waking up, getting ready, breakfast, and leaving the house. · expression

Not eat breakfast, either by choice or because there is not enough time.

Tone and use: Neutral and everyday. Use it when someone misses the morning meal.

May not fit: It only refers to not having the meal; give a reason separately if it matters.

Example“I sometimes skip breakfast when I have an early appointment.”

at my desk

The routine moves to work or school, lunch, focus, breaks, and the end of the workday. · expression

At the work surface where someone uses a computer or does paperwork.

Tone and use: Neutral and common in work or study contexts. Use it to say where you work, study, eat, or take a call.

May not fit: It refers to a desk, not a general workplace or office building.

Example“I usually eat lunch at my desk when the cafeteria is crowded.”

take a short break

The routine moves to work or school, lunch, focus, breaks, and the end of the workday. · collocation

Pause work or an activity for a brief period.

Tone and use: Neutral and practical. Use it for a brief rest between tasks or during a workday.

May not fit: For a longer period away from work, use “take time off” or specify the length.

Example“I take a short break to stretch every afternoon.”

catch up on housework

Evening questions cover dinner, exercise, relaxing, and catching up on household tasks. · phrasal verb

Do household tasks that have accumulated or fallen behind.

Tone and use: Neutral and conversational. Use it when you need to complete chores you have not had time to do.

May not fit: It is for household tasks, not catching up with a person or a conversation.

Example“I catch up on housework while listening to a podcast.”

end up

Evening questions cover dinner, exercise, relaxing, and catching up on household tasks. · phrasal verb

Eventually do or experience something, often when that was not the original intention.

Tone and use: Conversational; it can imply an unintended result. Use “end up + -ing” for what finally happens after a situation or habit develops.

May not fit: Do not use it for a planned action that happens exactly as intended.

Example“I meant to check one message but ended up checking my email too.”

trouble falling asleep

The final routine section discusses phone habits, bedtime, falling asleep, and feeling rested. · expression

Difficulty beginning to sleep after going to bed.

Tone and use: Neutral and commonly used in everyday health conversations. Use it to describe difficulty getting to sleep, rather than waking during the night.

May not fit: For recurring or serious sleep problems, this casual phrase is not a medical assessment.

Example“I have trouble falling asleep if I drink coffee too late.”

take deep breaths

The final routine section discusses phone habits, bedtime, falling asleep, and feeling rested. · collocation

Breathe slowly and fully, often to relax or steady yourself.

Tone and use: Neutral and practical. Use it when describing a calming or breathing exercise.

May not fit: It is plural in this expression; “take a deep breath” is the singular form.

Example“I take deep breaths before giving a presentation.”

Knowledge check

Practice the phrases you heard

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What it means · “before it rings”

If Vanessa wakes up “before it rings,” what happens?