Speaking Boost · A2 · Lesson 2 of 50
Speaking Boost A2 · Block 1: All About Me

Larks and owls: when is your best time of day?

Some people love mornings, some people love midnight, and science says it's partly in our genes. Describe your daily routine, compare different people's days, and plan your perfect day.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

Your day

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

  1. What time do you usually wake up?
  2. Do you like mornings or evenings more?
  3. What do you usually have for breakfast?
  4. How do you go to work or school?
  5. What is the busiest day of your week?
  6. What do you do before you go to bed?
2

Words and phrases

12 min
2.1

New words

Read each word and the example. Then say one sentence about your own day.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word that fits.

  1. I at 6, but I stay in bed for ten minutes.
  2. I never — I just drink coffee.
  3. I take a shower and then I .
  4. At 1 p.m., we for lunch.
  5. I usually at 6:30 in the evening.
  6. On Saturdays, I do the : cleaning, washing and ironing.
  7. I at 11 p.m.
  8. My rings at 6:15 every morning.
2.3

Opposites and pairs

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. to wake up ↔ to go to
  2. a lark ↔ an
  3. busy ↔
  4. to get up ↔ to get
  5. to start work ↔ to
    work
  6. to go to work ↔ to get
2.4

Useful phrases

Use these phrases to describe your typical day.

  • I usually... at...Я зазвичай... о...I usually get up at 7.
  • First, I... Then, I...Спочатку я... Потім я...First, I have a shower. Then, I have breakfast.
  • After that, ...Після цього...After that, I go to work.
  • On weekdays, I... but at the weekend, I...У будні я..., а на вихідних...On weekdays, I get up at 6, but at the weekend, I sleep until 10.
  • I never... in the morning.Я ніколи не... зранку.I never watch TV in the morning.
  • My favourite part of the day is...Моя улюблена частина дня — це...My favourite part of the day is the evening.
  • I'm a morning / evening person.Я ранкова / вечірня людина.I'm an evening person. I hate getting up early.
  • It takes me... to...У мене займає... щоб...It takes me 40 minutes to get to work.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

Larks and owls

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

When is your best time of day?

Some people jump out of bed at 6 a.m. full of energy. They are "larks". Other people can't think before 10 a.m., but they feel great at midnight. They are "owls".

Scientists say that this is not just a habit. Our body has an inner clock. For some people, this clock is early, and for some people it's late. Our genes are part of the reason. So an owl can't easily become a lark!

Age is important too. Small children usually wake up very early. Teenagers often go to bed late and want to sleep late in the morning. This is normal for their bodies. Older people often become larks again.

Most people are not extreme larks or owls. They are somewhere in the middle.

The problem is that work and school usually start early. That's easy for larks, but hard for owls. Some companies now let workers choose their hours. Maybe that's a good idea!

3.2

True or false?

  1. Larks feel great early in the morning.
  2. Owls usually feel bad at midnight.
  3. Our genes are part of the reason for our inner clock.
  4. Teenagers usually want to get up very early.
  5. Most people are somewhere in the middle.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. Are you a lark or an owl? How do you know?
  2. Is it easy for you to get up for work or school?
  3. When do you work or study best?
  4. Should work and school start later?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

Adverbs of frequency

How often: always 100% → usually → often → sometimes → rarely → never 0%.

I always have coffee. I sometimes go to the gym. I never get up before 6.

Position

Before the main verb, but after "be".

I usually walk to work. I am always tired on Mondays.

Expressions of frequency

At the end of the sentence.

I go swimming twice a week. I visit my parents every Sunday.

Questions: How often do you...? — Every day. Once a week. Twice a month. Hardly ever. Careful: ✗ I go always to work by bus → I always go... ✗ I am never late — correct! (after be)

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. I
    at 7.
  2. She is
    tired in the evening.
  3. We
    to the cinema.
  4. He
    coffee.
  5. I go to the gym
    .
  6. do you cook?
  7. They
    late for work.
  8. My dad
    at 5:30.
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. I go always to work by car. →
  2. She usually is busy. →
  3. He get up at 6. →
  4. I visit my mum one time a week. →
  5. We never doesn't eat fast food. →
  6. How often you go shopping? →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer in detail. Use adverbs of frequency and sequence words.

  1. Describe your typical weekday from morning to night.
  2. Describe your typical Sunday. How is it different?
  3. What do you always, usually and never do in the morning?
  4. How often do you do sport, cook, see friends, and clean the house?
  5. Describe the daily routine of someone in your family.
  6. What would you like to change in your daily routine?
5

Three routines

8 min
5.1

Whose day?

Describe each person's day using Present Simple and adverbs of frequency. Is each one a lark or an owl? Whose routine is most similar to yours? Whose would you like to have?

Routine 1

Olha, 38, nurse

  • Gets up at 5:30
  • Works 12-hour shifts
  • Often eats lunch very fast
  • Goes to bed at 10 p.m.
Routine 2

Max, 24, programmer

  • Wakes up at 11
  • Works from home
  • Has many coffee breaks
  • Goes to bed at 3 a.m.
Routine 3

Halyna, 70, retired

  • Gets up at 6
  • Walks in the park every morning
  • Cooks for her grandchildren
  • Watches TV in the evening
5.2

My perfect day

Speak for 1–2 minutes.

  1. Describe your perfect weekday: what time do you get up, what do you do, when do you go to bed?
  2. How is it different from your real day?
  3. What can you change this week to make your real day a bit better?
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. What time do you get up on weekdays and at the weekend?
  2. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
  3. Do you have breakfast? What?
  4. How do you get to work or school? How long does it take?
  5. When do you have lunch? Where?
  6. What do you usually do in the evening?
  7. How often do you do the housework?
  8. What time do you usually go to bed?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Who in your family is a lark? Who is an owl?
  2. Who has the busiest routine in your family?
  3. Do your children or parents have a good routine?
  4. What does your best friend usually do at the weekend?
  5. How is your routine different from your parents' routine?
  6. What is a typical day for a nurse, a teacher or a driver?
6.3

Part III: A bit deeper

  1. Is it good to have a strict routine, or is it boring?
  2. Are people in big cities busier than people in villages?
  3. Is it bad to sleep late at the weekend?
  4. Should children have a fixed bedtime?
  5. What is the most important part of a healthy routine?
7

Roleplay

12 min
7.1

The radio interview

You

Guest on a radio show

A radio show called "A Day in the Life" interviews you about your typical day:
  • what time you get up and what you do in the morning
  • your work or study day
  • what you usually do in the evening and at the weekend
  • are you a lark or an owl?
Speak for at least 2 minutes in total. Use Present Simple and adverbs of frequency.
Your teacher

Radio host

Asks short questions, for example:
  1. What time does your alarm clock ring?
  2. What do you usually have for breakfast?
  3. How often do you see your friends?
  4. What's your favourite part of the day?
7.2

The new flatmate

You

New flatmate

You are moving into a flat with a new flatmate. Talk about your routines so you can live together happily:
  • tell them what time you get up and go to bed
  • tell them when you usually use the bathroom and kitchen
  • tell them what you do in the evenings
  • agree on a plan for the housework
You do most of the talking. Use: I usually... · I never... · How about...? · On weekdays, I... but at the weekend, I...
Your teacher

Flatmate

Asks short questions, for example:
  1. When do you usually have a shower?
  2. Do you cook every day?
  3. Do you have friends over often?
  4. Are you a lark or an owl?
8

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

wake upget dressedhave breakfastget homehouseworkgo to bedalarm clockroutine
  1. I at 6:30 every morning.
  2. After my shower, I .
  3. I always with my family.
  4. I usually at 7 p.m.
  5. I hate doing the !
  6. Children should early.
  7. My didn't ring this morning!
  8. My morning takes about 40 minutes.
H2

Adverbs of frequency and Present Simple

  1. I up at 7.
  2. She is late.
  3. We out.
  4. He TV.
  5. I go swimming .
  6. do you clean the flat?
  7. My son late on Sundays.
  8. They busy.
H3

Correct or incorrect?

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. I always have coffee in the morning.
  2. He goes never to the gym.
  3. She is usually at home in the evening.
  4. I visit my parents one time a week.
  5. How often do you cook?
  6. My dad get up at 5.
  7. We sometimes watch films at the weekend.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. I usually get up
  2. First, I have a shower.
  3. After that,
  4. On weekdays, I get up at 6,
  5. My favourite part of the day is
  6. I'm an evening person.
  7. It takes me 40 minutes

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© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.