routine

Everyday

1. The usual order in which you do things every day, like a morning routine: wake up, wash, dress, eat breakfast. tree →
2. A set of movements practised and performed, like a dance or gymnastics routine. tree →
3. As an adjective, routine means ordinary, regular and normal: a routine check-up. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, a good bedtime routine (bath, brush teeth, story, lights out at the same time) helps you sleep well; a morning routine helps you get to school on time. In health, routine check-ups at the doctor or dentist find problems early. In PE, gymnasts and dancers learn routines. In computing, a routine is a set of instructions. In English, writing about a daily routine uses the present simple and time words (first, then, after that). Phrases: "daily routine", "bedtime routine", "morning routine", "dance routine", "routine check-up", "stick to a routine".

Examples

• My morning routine starts with brushing my teeth. tree →
• A bedtime routine helps me fall asleep. tree →
• We practised our dance routine for the show. tree →
• The dentist did a routine check-up. tree →
• Feeding the cat is part of my daily routine. tree →
• The gymnast's routine was perfect. tree →
• Holidays break our usual routine. tree →
• The fire drill is a routine practice; there is no real fire. tree →

Note

Pronounced roo-TEEN, stress on the end. Countable: a routine, routines. Adjective use: "routine checks" means normal, regular checks, not special ones. In time problems, a routine can repeat every day: 20 minutes a day for 7 days = 140 minutes a week.