11.1 People, Home and Daily Routines
Key Takeaways
- A2 Key Speaking Part 1 and many Reading/Listening texts recycle family, appearance, personality, home, and daily-routine vocabulary—learn them as chunks, not isolated words.
- High-value collocations include get up, have breakfast, go to work/school, do homework, look like, get on with, and share a room.
- Describe people with appearance + personality pairs (short dark hair; friendly and hard-working) ready for Speaking answers of 1–3 sentences.
- Home vocabulary (rooms, furniture, flat vs house) appears in Listening detail questions and Reading Part 4-style gaps about everyday life.
- School and work routine verbs (start, finish, break, shift, commute) help you catch times and habits when you hear them twice in Listening.
11.1 People, Home and Daily Routines
Quick Answer: At A2 Key you must talk and understand language about family, looks and personality, rooms and furniture, and daily schedules at school or work. Study collocations (get up at seven, have a shower, get on with my sister) and practise short spoken answers. The same chunks fill Reading Part 4 gaps, Listening detail items (times, who lives where), and Speaking Part 1 personal questions.
Cambridge A2 Key is a life-English exam. Papers do not ask for rare academic words; they recycle everyday topics. People, home, and routines sit at the centre of that world. If these areas are thin, you lose marks across skills—not only in one “vocabulary test.”
How This Topic Map Connects to the Exam
| Skill / task | How people–home–routine language appears |
|---|---|
| Speaking Part 1 | Where you live, family, free morning routine, school/job |
| Speaking Part 2 | Choosing a gift, activity, or room improvement with a partner |
| Reading Part 3 | Personal stories about moving house, siblings, a new job |
| Reading Part 4 | Cloze gaps on live with, share, tidy, spend time |
| Listening Parts 1–3 | Who is speaking, where they live, what time they leave |
| Writing Part 6 | Email about a visit, a new flat, or a school day |
Treat this section as a shared lexicon for production and comprehension, not a list to memorise once and forget.
Family and Relationships
Core people words
| Word / chunk | Note |
|---|---|
| parents, mother/mum, father/dad | Use mum/dad in informal speech; mother/father is fine too |
| brother, sister, sibling | Only child = no brothers or sisters |
| grandparents, grandmother/grandma, grandfather/grandpa | Ages often appear in Listening |
| aunt, uncle, cousin | Extended family in short texts |
| husband, wife, partner | Adult paper contexts |
| friend, best friend, classmate, neighbour | Social circle |
| flatmate / roommate | Shared home (British flatmate common in materials) |
Relationship collocations
| Chunk | Meaning |
|---|---|
| live with my parents | share a home |
| get on (well) with someone | have a good relationship |
| look after my little brother | take care of |
| take care of my grandmother | similar to look after |
| visit my relatives | see family |
| stay with friends | sleep at their home for a short time |
| move house / move flat | change home |
| grow up in (a city) | spend childhood there |
Speaking-ready mini-answers:
- I live with my parents and my younger sister in a small flat.
- I get on well with my brother, but we argue about the TV sometimes.
- I grew up in a village, but now I live in the city centre.
Part 4-style traps (family)
| Gap idea | Natural choice | Weak rival |
|---|---|---|
| I _____ on well with my classmates. | get | make / do |
| She _____ after her nephew on Sundays. | looks | watches / sees |
| They _____ house last year. | moved | changed / went |
Appearance and Personality
Examiners do not need fashion essays. They need clear, simple description.
Appearance building blocks
| Area | Useful language |
|---|---|
| Height / build | tall, short, medium height; slim, thin, quite big |
| Hair | short/long/curly/straight/dark/blonde/grey hair; bald |
| Age (careful, polite) | young, middle-aged, in his/her twenties/thirties; elderly |
| Face / features (light) | blue eyes, glasses, a beard, a moustache |
| Clothes (simple) | wear jeans, a uniform, glasses, trainers |
Chunk pattern: She has long dark hair and brown eyes. She often wears glasses.
Avoid overloading: two appearance points + one personality point is enough for Speaking.
Personality adjectives (A2 high value)
| Positive / neutral | Meaning cue |
|---|---|
| friendly, kind, helpful | good with people |
| funny, quiet, shy | social style |
| hard-working, lazy | work/study habits |
| clever, smart | learning |
| polite, rude | manners |
| tidy, messy | home/desk habits |
| confident, nervous | exam/speaking feelings |
| honest, careful | behaviour |
Collocations:
| Chunk | Example |
|---|---|
| be good at + -ing / noun | She’s good at maths / painting |
| be interested in | He’s interested in football |
| be keen on | I’m keen on cooking |
| look like (appearance) | He looks like his father |
| be like (personality) | What’s she like? — She’s friendly |
Trap: What’s he like? asks about character. What does he look like? asks about appearance. Listening and Speaking both punish mixing these.
Original mini-description (model)
My best friend is called Sara. She’s medium height and has short curly hair. She’s very friendly and hard-working. She’s good at languages and keen on photography. We get on really well.
Use this length in Speaking Part 1 when the interlocutor asks about a friend or family member.
Home: Rooms, Furniture, Types of Housing
Places people live
| Word | Note |
|---|---|
| house | usually more than one floor in many contexts |
| flat (US: apartment) | British materials prefer flat |
| floor / storey | on the third floor |
| city centre / suburb / village / countryside | location phrases |
| garden, balcony, garage | extras in Listening maps or dialogues |
| rent, landlord, neighbour | adult life texts |
Rooms
| Room | Typical activities / objects |
|---|---|
| kitchen | cook, fridge, cooker, sink |
| living room / lounge | sofa, TV, coffee table |
| bedroom | bed, wardrobe, desk |
| bathroom | shower, bath, mirror, washbasin |
| dining room | table, chairs (not in every flat) |
| hall | entrance area |
| study | desk, computer (if present) |
Furniture and home objects (collocation-friendly)
| Verb + place/object | Example |
|---|---|
| tidy your room | Make it neat |
| make the bed | Arrange covers after sleeping |
| do the washing-up / do the dishes | Clean plates |
| put things away | Return objects to places |
| hang up your coat | Use a hook or hanger |
| sit on the sofa | Furniture preposition |
| look out of the window | View |
Reading Part 4 partners often tested: share a room, move into a flat, decorate the walls, keep the kitchen clean.
Prepositions of place (home)
| Phrase | Example |
|---|---|
| in the kitchen | She’s in the kitchen. |
| on the table / on the wall | The keys are on the table. |
| under the bed | My bag is under the bed. |
| next to / beside the sofa | Put the lamp next to the sofa. |
| between the fridge and the door | The bin is between… |
| opposite the window | The desk is opposite the window. |
Listening Part 1 sometimes links a picture of a room to a short dialogue—The remote is under the newspaper on the table, not on the sofa.
Daily Routines: Weekday Collocations
Routines are verb + time + place chains. Cambridge loves them in Listening (what time?) and Speaking (Tell me about a normal day).
Morning-to-night high-value chunks
| Chunk | Typical time language |
|---|---|
| wake up / get up | at half past six; early; late |
| have a shower / have a bath | before breakfast |
| get dressed / put on clothes | quickly |
| have breakfast | at home; on the bus (snack) |
| leave home | at eight |
| go to school / go to work | by bus; on foot |
| start lessons / start work | at nine |
| have a break / have lunch | at midday; for half an hour |
| finish school / finish work | at five |
| do homework / study | in the evening |
| cook dinner / have dinner | with my family |
| watch TV / go online | for an hour |
| go to bed / fall asleep | at eleven |
Frequency adverbs (pair with routines)
| Adverb | Use |
|---|---|
| always, usually, often | high frequency |
| sometimes, occasionally | mid |
| hardly ever, never | low |
| every day / week / weekend | full phrases |
| once / twice a week | counting |
Word order reminder: I usually get up at seven. (adverb before main verb; after be: I am always tired on Mondays.)
School routine vocabulary
| Chunk | Note |
|---|---|
| have lessons / classes | timetable |
| take an exam / do a test | assessment |
| do a project | longer task |
| hand in homework | submit |
| have a break between lessons | free short time |
| after-school club | extra activity |
| term, holiday, half-term | calendar (British materials) |
| wear a uniform | school rule texts |
Work routine vocabulary (adult A2 Key)
| Chunk | Note |
|---|---|
| full-time / part-time job | hours |
| work shifts / night shift | hospital, shops, factories |
| office, factory, shop, café | workplaces |
| start work early | time |
| work from home | modern texts |
| commute / travel to work | journey |
| colleague / boss / customer | people at work |
| earn money / get a salary | money link (see 11.3) |
Original Listening-style line: I leave home at half past seven, catch the bus, and start work at eight thirty. I have lunch at one and finish at five.
Detail questions might ask: What time does she start work? How does she travel?
Collocation Tables You Should Master (Not Endless Lists)
Table A — Verb partners for “life at home”
| Verb | Natural partners |
|---|---|
| make | the bed, breakfast (sometimes), a mess, a noise |
| do | the housework, the shopping, the washing-up, homework |
| have | a shower, breakfast, a break, a party |
| get | up, dressed, home, ready |
| go | to bed, home, to school, shopping |
| take | a break, the dog for a walk, a shower (also have) |
Table B — Describe + live
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| I live in a … | small flat / big house / village |
| My room is … | tidy / messy / quite small |
| There is/are … | a desk next to the window |
| I share … with … | a room with my brother |
| On weekdays I … | leave home at seven |
Worked Reading Part 4 Micro-Text (Original)
Maya [1] _____ with her parents in a flat near the station. She [2] _____ on well with her younger brother, but they share a bedroom and sometimes argue. On school days she [3] _____ up at half past six and has a quick shower. After breakfast she [4] _____ the bus to school. In the evening she [5] _____ her homework at the kitchen table, then watches a little TV. At weekends she [6] _____ after her grandmother for a few hours.
Suggested answers: (1) lives (2) gets (3) gets (4) catches / takes (5) does (6) looks
Notice the test is not “hard words”—it is live with, get on with, get up, catch the bus, do homework, look after.
Speaking Part 1 Bank (Memorise and Personalise)
Practise answering in full sentences, then expand with one detail.
| Question type | Model stem |
|---|---|
| Who do you live with? | I live with… / I live alone in… |
| What’s your home like? | It’s a small flat on the second floor with… |
| What do you do in the morning? | I usually get up at…, have breakfast, and leave at… |
| Do you get on with your family? | Yes, I get on well with… because… |
| Tell me about your best friend. | He’s/She’s… and has… He’s/She’s interested in… |
| What do you do after school/work? | I usually… then I… |
Record yourself. Check you used at least two collocations per answer.
Listening Detail Focus
When the audio is about people and homes, pre-set your ear for:
- Numbers and times — quarter past, half past, at about eight
- Who lives with whom — names + brother/flatmate
- Places in the home — kitchen vs bedroom can change the picture answer
- Routine changes — usually… but today… (Part 1 trap)
You hear every recording twice. First pass: gist (family morning? new flat?). Second pass: exact detail.
Common Learner Errors
| Error | Better |
|---|---|
| I am get up at seven. | I get up at seven. |
| She is like her mother (meaning appearance) | She looks like her mother. |
| make homework | do homework |
| I live in a flat with two bedrooms big | I live in a flat with two big bedrooms. |
| He has 20 years | He is 20 (years old). |
| I very like my room | I really like my room. / I like my room a lot. |
Weekly Practice Plan (People–Home–Routine)
| Day | 15–20 minute task |
|---|---|
| 1 | Write 12 sentences: six family/appearance, six home |
| 2 | Speak for 90 seconds: “My normal weekday” (record + replay) |
| 3 | Gap your own 80-word “about my flat” paragraph (six gaps) |
| 4 | Listen to any slow dialogue about morning routines; note three times |
| 5 | Quiz a partner with What’s he like? vs What does he look like? |
Checklist Before You Move On
- I can name family members and use get on with / look after / live with
- I can describe one person (looks + personality) in four sentences
- I know main rooms and 10 furniture/object words with prepositions
- I can tell a weekday routine with at least eight collocations
- I have personalised Speaking answers, not only textbook names
People and routines are the base layer. Next, free time, hobbies, travel, and transport expand the same “talk about your life” skill into leisure and journeys—another huge A2 Key topic cluster.
A friend asks “What’s your brother like?” What kind of information do they want?
Which sentence uses the most natural A2 collocation for school work?
In a Listening dialogue, a woman says she usually leaves home at 7:30 but today she left at 7:00. What should you watch for?