Writing: my day and after-school activities
Write a daily routine in time order. Begin with the morning, continue with school and finish with after-school activities. Use the present simple, times and a few linking expressions to guide the reader.
Ta fiche PDF illustrée
Le sujet, un exemple complet rédigé et les exercices corrigés.
By the end of this lesson, you can
- Put the day's events in a sensible order
- Use routine verbs and time expressions
- Change I into he or she carefully
Before you startRead simple English sentences; use the starter lesson if you need help with names or numbers.
Un bon cours, ça se partage.
How do I write about my daily routine and after-school activities?
Write events in time order from morning to evening and use the present simple for your routine. Include a few times with at and link events with then, after school or finally. Add a specific detail, such as an activity you do not do before homework.
Put the day's events in a sensible order
A routine uses the present simple: I get up at seven. With he or she, use gets up in a positive sentence. Use at for clock times, in the morning for a part of the day and after school for the period following classes. Don't and doesn't take a base verb.
Select five or six events rather than every action. Sequence them with first, then, after school and finally. Add one negative to make the routine specific: I don't watch TV before homework. Finish with an evening activity or bedtime. Check that the times are in a sensible order.
Use routine verbs and time expressions
| Part of the day | Model idea | Planning question |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | I get up at seven. | What time do you get up? |
| After school | I do my homework. | What do you do after school? |
| Evening | I read before bed. | When do you read? |
A completed model: My day
A complete original writing model
I get up at seven in the morning. Then I have breakfast and walk to school. After school, I do my homework at five. I do not watch TV before I finish. At six, I play chess with my sister. Finally, I read a book and go to bed at nine.
Change I into he or she carefully
Changing the subject is more than replacing I with she. I have becomes she has, I go becomes she goes and I get up becomes she gets up. In a negative, however, She doesn't watch keeps watch in its base form. Review one sentence at a time rather than adding s everywhere. Your routine need not match the model's times: the aim is a coherent sequence that a reader can follow, not a prescribed daily schedule.
Remember
If you change the model to she, review every verb: She gets up, has breakfast and goes to bed. After doesn't, keep watch rather than watches.
Step by step
Put the idea into practice
- Choose a morning event, a school event and two after-school or evening events.
- Put them in order and add two useful clock times.
- Reread each verb and check the form after don't or doesn't.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write about my daily routine and after-school activities?
Do I need to write every action from my day?
Should I use the present continuous for my everyday routine?
Quiz: 1 questions
1 questions are randomly selected from this lesson’s 1-question bank. Choose one answer for each question and get an immediate explanation.
Q1Which expression gives a clock time correctly?
Incorrect answer
Use at with a clock time.
Correct answer: At seven
Use at with a clock time.
Your score
0/1
Start with the worked examples
Read the lesson in small sections. Write your own example for each rule and try the Easy exercises before returning to the quiz.
Review: 1 missed question
Which expression gives a clock time correctly?
Correct answerAt seven
Use at with a clock time.
Exercises with answers
4 exercises, from easy practice to challenges. Try each one yourself, then reveal the answer and explanation.
Exercise 1
EasyOrder: go to bed; have breakfast; do homework after school.
Answer and explanation
Have breakfast → do homework after school → go to bed. Check the time clues.
Exercise 2
IntermediateRewrite with she: I get up at seven. I don't watch TV.
Answer and explanation
She gets up at seven. She doesn't watch TV. Add s to gets, but keep watch after doesn't.
Exercise 3
ChallengeWrite six connected sentences, including two times and one negative.
Answer and explanation
Check morning-to-evening order, at before clock times, present simple verbs and a base verb after don't/doesn't. The model is one possible answer, not a compulsory routine.
Exercise 4
IntermediateChange to he: I get up at seven. I have breakfast. I don't watch TV before homework.
Answer and explanation
He gets up at seven. He has breakfast. He doesn't watch TV before homework. Gets and has mark the positive third person; watch stays unchanged after doesn't.