Daily routines come up constantly in everyday conversation. What time do you wake up? What time do you go to bed? English uses many phrasal verbs for these basic life activities. 'Wake up' (stop sleeping). 'Get up' (leave the bed). 'Get dressed' (put on clothes). 'Have breakfast / lunch / dinner' (eat meals). 'Go to bed' (move to bed for sleep). 'Fall asleep' (start sleeping). 'Stay up' (remain awake late). 'Get out of bed' (similar to get up). 'Tidy up' (clean and organise). Each is a fixed phrasal verb used the same way every time. Students who know these chunks can describe their daily lives confidently. The lesson is part of the phrasal verb series and pairs with 'Everyday Phrasal Verbs' (#17) which covers more general actions. Connects to time and frequency expressions (#68) and other daily-life lessons.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
My alarm goes off at six o'clock. (= alarm rings — phrasal verb 'go off')
I wake up. (= I stop sleeping — open my eyes)
I get up. (= I leave the bed — stand up)
I get dressed. (= I put on my clothes)
I have breakfast. (= I eat breakfast)
I brush my teeth. (= I clean my teeth)
I leave the house at seven thirty.
Why two phrasal verbs for the start of the day — wake up AND get up?
Wake up and get up are two different actions. 'Wake up' means stop sleeping — your eyes open, you become aware. 'Get up' means leave the bed — stand up, start the day. They happen in sequence. You wake up first (stop sleeping), then maybe stay in bed for a few minutes, then get up (leave the bed). Students often confuse them or use only 'wake up' for both. 'I wake up at six and get up at six fifteen' is clear — two separate actions. 'Wake up' is also used for the act of waking someone else: 'My mother wakes me up at six.' (transitive use). 'Get dressed' is another fixed phrasal verb — it includes 'get' which here means 'become' (become dressed = put on clothes). Native speakers use these phrasal verbs constantly. Students who use them sound natural; students who avoid them sound translated.
I come home around six in the evening.
I have dinner with my family at seven.
I watch television for a while.
I brush my teeth before bed.
I go to bed around eleven.
I fall asleep quickly because I am tired.
Sometimes I stay up late if I am working.
What is the difference between 'go to bed' and 'fall asleep'?
Go to bed and fall asleep are two different actions, just like wake up and get up. 'Go to bed' means physically move to bed — get in, lie down. 'Fall asleep' means start sleeping — close your eyes and lose consciousness. They happen in sequence. You go to bed first, then maybe lie awake for a few minutes, then fall asleep. 'I go to bed at eleven and fall asleep around eleven thirty.' Students often confuse them or use 'sleep' for both. 'Stay up' means remain awake when you should be sleeping — usually late at night. 'I stayed up until midnight watching the film.' These three phrasal verbs (go to bed, fall asleep, stay up) cover most night situations. Students who know them describe nights naturally.
get up (= leave the bed)
get dressed (= put on clothes)
get undressed (= take off clothes)
get ready (= prepare for something)
get washed (= clean yourself)
get into bed (= move into bed)
get out of bed (= leave bed — similar to get up)
'Get' here means 'become' — change to that state. Get dressed = become dressed.
Why is 'get' so common in routines?
'Get' is one of the most productive verbs in English routine phrasal verbs. It often means 'become' or 'change to'. Get dressed (become dressed). Get washed (become washed). Get ready (become ready). Get into bed (move into bed). The pattern is consistent — get + state. Once students know the pattern, they can recognise and use many routine phrasal verbs. The grammar: most are reflexive in meaning (you do them to yourself) but in English you do not need to say 'I get myself dressed' — just 'I get dressed'. Some can be done to others: 'The mother got the children dressed' (got = made them dressed). The 'get' family of routine phrasal verbs is essential daily-life vocabulary. Students who use them sound natural in describing their lives.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning | Time | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| wake up | Stop sleeping — eyes open | Morning | I wake up at six o'clock every day. |
| get up | Leave the bed — stand | Morning | I get up at six fifteen. |
| get out of bed | Leave the bed (similar to get up) | Morning | It is hard to get out of bed in winter. |
| get dressed | Put on clothes | Morning | I get dressed quickly when I am late. |
| get ready | Prepare for something | Any time | I get ready for school by seven thirty. |
| have breakfast / lunch / dinner | Eat meal | Three meals | I have breakfast at seven. |
| come home | Return home | Evening | I come home from work at six. |
| go to bed | Move to bed for sleep | Night | I go to bed around eleven. |
| fall asleep | Start sleeping | Night | I fall asleep quickly when I am tired. |
| stay up | Remain awake late | Night | I stayed up late to watch the film. |
| get undressed | Take off clothes | Night | I get undressed before bed. |
| tidy up | Clean and organise | Any time | I tidy up the house before bed. |
NOTE 1 — Wake up vs get up: Wake up is stop sleeping (eyes open). Get up is leave the bed (stand up). Two separate actions. Use both for accurate description. 'I wake up at 6 and get up at 6:15.'
NOTE 2 — Go to bed vs fall asleep: Go to bed is move physically to bed. Fall asleep is start sleeping. Two separate actions. 'I go to bed at 11 and fall asleep around 11:30.'
NOTE 3 — The 'get' family: Get + state means become that state. Get dressed (become dressed). Get washed (become washed). Get ready (become ready). The pattern is consistent.
NOTE 4 — Wake up can be transitive: 'I wake up' (myself wakes up). 'My mother wakes me up' (mother wakes me — transitive with object). 'The noise woke me up' (the noise caused waking). The transitive form takes an object.
NOTE 5 — Stay up vs go to bed late: 'Stay up' means remain awake when you would normally sleep. 'I stayed up until 2am.' Different from just going to bed late — implies you did not sleep when you should have.
Daily routine phrasal verbs are essential for describing everyday life. Students who use them sound natural. Students who avoid them or translate from their first language sound stilted. The lesson connects to other phrasal verb lessons (Everyday Phrasal Verbs #17, Get-family #20) and to time and frequency expressions (#68). Together they cover the main vocabulary for describing daily life in English. Cultural context: routine descriptions vary across cultures but the English phrasal verbs are particular and must be learned as chunks.
Drill routine phrasal verbs through students describing their own days. 'What time do you wake up? What time do you get up? What do you have for breakfast? What time do you go to bed?' Each student answers using the phrasal verbs. Real personal context fixes the chunks in memory.
Choose the best phrasal verb for each routine action.
Each sentence has a problem with a routine phrasal verb. Suggest a better version and explain.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — Routine phrasal verbs (5 min): Show that English uses many phrasal verbs for daily routines. Wake up, get up, go to bed, fall asleep. Establish that these are fixed chunks — students cannot translate word-for-word from their first language.
STEP 2 — Wake up vs get up (5 min): Drill the morning pair. Wake up = stop sleeping. Get up = leave the bed. Two separate actions. Practise five examples — 'I wake up at 6 and get up at 6:15'. Show the order.
STEP 3 — The 'get' family (6 min): Drill the get phrasal verbs. Get up, get dressed, get undressed, get ready, get washed. Show that 'get' means 'become' in these. Get dressed = become dressed. Practise five examples each.
STEP 4 — Evening and night routine (6 min): Drill the night phrasal verbs. Come home, have dinner, go to bed, fall asleep, stay up. Show go to bed vs fall asleep distinction (move to bed vs start sleeping). Practise five examples.
STEP 5 — Describe your day (3 min): Each student describes their daily routine using the phrasal verbs. Morning routine, daytime, evening, night. The class checks for natural use of the chunks.
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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