Shadowing Practice: Past Simple Regular and Irregular Verbs - Daily Routine story in Past Tense - Learn English Speaking with Video

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Yesterday, my mum woke up early at half past seven.
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She had set her alarm clock the night before and she got out of bed quickly.
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She looked out of the window and saw that it was raining.
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She rushed down the stairs and started to prepare her breakfast.
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She read the newspaper while the water for her tea boiled.
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She ate her breakfast and drank her cup of tea.
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After breakfast, my mum decided that she should have a shower,
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so she went to the bathroom and showered quickly.
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At about 9 o'clock, she got dressed and fetched her coat from the cupboard.
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She drove the car to the shopping centre and parked in her favourite parking space.
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She walked to the supermarket and collected a trolley.
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As she got near the supermarket, she met a friend and they talked for a few minutes.
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When she entered the supermarket, my mum remembered that she needed to buy a present for her cousin.
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She pushed the trolley to the gift aisle and searched for a special present.
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In the end, she chose a beautiful box of crystals as she knew
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that her cousin was very spiritual and that she loved gemstones and mystic things.
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She collected her other groceries and proceeded to the checkout.
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She queued in line and waited for her turn.
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She chatted to the shop assistant and paid for her shopping.
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When she arrived home, my mum found some pretty paper and wrapped the present.
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She wrote a birthday card and put the two items on the table.
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It was now lunch time, so she opened the fridge and got the ingredients for her lunch.
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She made herself a big sandwich and ate it at the table.
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In the afternoon, my mum cleaned the house and washed the clothes in the washing machine.
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She hung the clothes on the washing line and watched as they blew in the wind.
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It had stopped raining when she was in the shopping centre
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and now the sun shone and it was quite a nice day.
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She put the radio on and listened to her favourite programme.
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The DJ played her favourite type of music and she sang along to most of the songs that she heard.
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Mum cooked dinner and ate it in the kitchen.
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She always ate all her food in the kitchen as she caught up with messages on her phone.
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In the evening she watched tv and knitted a teddy bear.
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She loved knitting while she watched tv.
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She felt relaxed and happy.
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At 10 o'clock she got undressed and washed her face.
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She brushed her teeth and got into bed.
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She got under the cupboards and snuggled down to sleep.
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Thank you very much and I'll see you in the next one.

About This Lesson

In this lesson, you will practice using the past simple tense to describe daily routines, focusing on both regular and irregular verbs. The story of a typical day provides a practical context, allowing you to enhance your speaking and listening skills. Through this engaging narrative, you will learn how to form sentences in the past tense and improve your overall fluency. By shadowing the video, you will develop a better understanding of everyday activities while mastering the pronunciation and intonation necessary for smooth communication.

Key Vocabulary & Phrases

  • woke up - the action of getting out of sleep.
  • prepared breakfast - the act of making a meal to start the day.
  • drank tea - the action of consuming a beverage.
  • showered quickly - the action of washing oneself in a short amount of time.
  • collected a trolley - the act of grabbing a shopping cart in the supermarket.
  • chatted to the shop assistant - engaging in conversation with a store employee.
  • wrote a birthday card - the action of composing a message for someone’s birthday.
  • cleaned the house - the process of tidying up living spaces.

Practice Tips

When shadowing the video, take advantage of the clear and expressive narration. Start by listening closely to the first few sentences and then repeat them out loud, mimicking the speaker's pace and intonation. This technique, known as shadowspeak, will help you internalize the rhythm of the language. Make use of a shadowing app or simply pause the video frequently to allow yourself time to repeat phrases at your own speed. Gradually increase your speed as you become more comfortable with the vocabulary. Don't shy away from using shadow speech practices; this method emphasizes listening and repeating, which can significantly improve your speaking skills. Focus on the emotional tones in the story, as these can help you sound more natural and engaging during conversations.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.