Work Routine | Occupations And Work | Vocabulary | English

A work routine describes the typical sequence of tasks and activities someone does during their job. This guide covers useful vocabulary and common expressions to talk about daily habits at work.

Vocabulary

Vocabulary for work routine includes words for jobs, tasks, times, and tools. Each term helps you describe specific parts of the day.

	English Word(s)	English Translation(s)
	to clock in	to start work
	shift	a scheduled work period
	break	a short rest time
	to clock out	to finish work
	overtime	extra paid work beyond hours
	commute	travel between home and work
	deadline	a due date for tasks
	meeting	a planned group discussion
	to report	to give information to a boss
	to multitask	to do several tasks at once

Fill in the BlankI usually(to clock in) at 9 AM to start my shift.

I usually start work at 9 AM by recording my arrival.

Expressions

Common expressions for work routine include phrases for starting, pausing, and finishing tasks, as well as describing habitual actions.

	English Expression	English Meaning
	to punch in/out	to record start/end time
	to grab a quick bite	to eat quickly during break
	to tie up loose ends	to finish minor tasks
	to get down to business	to start serious work
	to hit the ground running	to work immediately and efficiently
	to wrap up	to finish work or a task
	to clock extra hours	to work overtime
	to meet a deadline	to finish work on time
	to catch up on emails	to read and respond to messages
	to stay late	to remain at work beyond usual time

Daily Activities

Daily activities at work follow a pattern of arriving, doing tasks, taking breaks, attending meetings, and finishing duties. Each step uses specific verbs and phrases.

	English Activity	English Phrase
	to arrive at work	to get to the workplace
	to start tasks	to begin assigned jobs
	to attend meetings	to participate in planned discussions
	to take a break	to rest briefly
	to answer emails	to respond to messages
	to make calls	to contact others by phone
	to work on projects	to focus on larger assignments
	to review reports	to check written summaries
	to help colleagues	to assist co-workers
	to leave work	to go home after job

Time Expressions

Time expressions for work routine help specify when actions happen, such as exact times, parts of the day, and nearby moments. They make descriptions more precise.

	English Time Expression	English Meaning
	at (time)	at a specific hour
	in the morning/afternoon/evening	during a part of the day
	around (time)	near a certain hour
	during lunch break	within the break for eating
	by (time)	no later than a certain hour
	before (time)	earlier than a specific hour
	after (time)	later than a certain hour
	every day/week	regularly each day or week
	once/twice a week	a specific number of times weekly
	recently	not long ago

Summary

A work routine describes habitual job activities using vocabulary for tasks, times, and common expressions. Learning these terms helps you clearly talk about daily habits at work.

Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025