Listening to Spanish Routines and Putting Activities in Order
Listening to Spanish Routines and Putting Activities in Order
In this listening lesson, you will hear short Spanish routines and put the activities in the correct order.
Use the sequencing words ā first, ā then, and ā afterward / after that, together with familiar times and routine verbs, to identify what happens first, next, and later.
For each listening task, try to understand and order the actions before reading the transcript and English meaning.
Listening strategy: find the sequence markers
When you listen, pay special attention to these words:
- ā first
- ā then
- ā afterward / after that
These words often give you the order directly.
Listening strategy: use time as a second clue
Clock times can confirm the order.
- ā at seven
- ā at eight
- ā at five
If one action happens at seven and another at eight, the time information can help you check the sequence.
Listening Task 1: three morning actions
Listen first. Do not read ahead until you have decided the order.
Put these activities in order:
- get dressed
- get up
- wash your face
Check the transcript and meaning
ā First I get up. Then I wash my face. After that I get dressed.
The correct order is: get up, wash your face, get dressed.
Listening Task 2: routine with a time
Listen first:
Which action happens first? Which happens after getting dressed?
Check the transcript and meaning
ā First I get up at seven. Then I get dressed. After that I have breakfast.
The first action is getting up. Breakfast happens after getting dressed.
Listening Task 3: workday sequence
Listen first:
Put these actions in order:
- leave work
- go to the office
- work
Check the transcript and meaning
ā First I go to the office. Then I work. After that I leave work.
The correct order is: go to the office, work, leave work.
Listening Task 4: study routine
Listen first:
What happens between going to the university and leaving at four?
Check the transcript and meaning
ā First I go to the university. Then I study Spanish. After that I leave at four.
The middle activity is studying Spanish.
Listening Task 5: four actions
Listen first:
Write the four activities in order before checking.
Check the transcript and meaning
ā First I get up. Then I wash my face. After that I get dressed. Then I have breakfast.
The order is: get up, wash your face, get dressed, have breakfast.
Listening Task 6: times without primero, luego, or despuƩs
Sometimes the speaker may give the sequence mainly through times.
Listen first:
Put the three actions in chronological order.
Check the transcript and meaning
ā I get up at six. I get dressed at seven. I go to work at eight.
The times show the order: get up at six, get dressed at seven, go to work at eight.
Listening Task 7: morning and afternoon
Listen first:
Which activity happens earlier in the day?
Check the transcript and meaning
ā In the morning I work. In the afternoon I study Spanish.
Work happens earlier because por la maƱana ā in the morning comes before por la tarde ā in the afternoon.
Listening Task 8: reflexive actions with another person
Listen first:
Put Ana's three actions in order.
Check the transcript and meaning
ā Ana gets up at six. Then she washes her face. After that she gets dressed.
The order is: Ana gets up, washes her face, and gets dressed.
Listening Task 9: identifying what comes next
Listen first:
What happens immediately after washing the hands?
Check the transcript and meaning
ā First I wash my hands. Then I eat. After that I drink water.
The action immediately after washing the hands is eating.
Listening Task 10: work responsibilities in sequence
Listen first:
Which action is second?
Check the transcript and meaning
ā First I read the message. Then I write the answer. After that I work in another file.
The second action is writing the answer.
Listening Task 11: study responsibilities in sequence
Listen first:
Put the three study actions in order.
Check the transcript and meaning
ā First I read the text. Then I listen to the audio. After that I write the answer.
The order is: read, listen, write.
Listening Task 12: obligations in order
Listen first:
What does the speaker have to do first, second, and third?
Check the transcript and meaning
ā First I have to work. Then I have to study. After that I have to go home.
The obligations are work, study, and then go home.
Listening Task 13: needs in order
Listen first:
Which need comes last?
Check the transcript and meaning
ā First I need to read the text. Then I need to listen to the audio. After that I need to write the answer.
The final need is writing the answer.
Listening Task 14: sequence without explicit markers
Listen first:
Use the times to place the activities in order.
Check the transcript and meaning
ā I get up at seven. I go to the university at nine. I leave at four.
The chronological order is getting up, going to the university, and leaving later.
Listening Task 15: morning routine with one extra detail
Listen first:
Which action happens immediately before breakfast?
Check the transcript and meaning
ā In the morning, first I get up at seven. Then I wash my face. After that I get dressed. Then I have breakfast.
Getting dressed happens immediately before breakfast.
Listening Task 16: full workday
Listen first:
Put these four activities in order:
- eat
- leave work
- go to work
- work
Check the transcript and meaning
ā In the morning I go to work at eight. Then I work. After that I eat. In the afternoon I leave work at five.
The order is: go to work, work, eat, leave work.
Listening Task 17: full study day
Listen first:
Which action is third?
Check the transcript and meaning
ā First I go to the university. Then I study. After that I eat. Then I return home.
The third action is eating.
Listening Task 18: two people, two routines
Listen first:
Who gets up first? Who goes to a destination later?
Check the transcript and meaning
ā Ana gets up at six and goes to work at eight. Carlos gets up at seven and goes to the university at nine.
Ana gets up first. Carlos goes to his destination later.
Listening Task 19: detect an illogical sequence
Listen first:
Does this sound like a normal daily order?
Check the transcript and meaning
ā First I go to work. Then I get up.
The grammar is understandable, but the sequence is probably illogical for a normal routine because getting up normally comes before going to work.
Listening Task 20: longer routine
Listen first:
Try to write the complete sequence before checking.
Check the transcript and meaning
ā In the morning, first I get up at seven. Then I wash my face. After that I get dressed. Then I have breakfast. At eight I go to work. In the afternoon I leave work at five.
The complete order is: get up, wash your face, get dressed, have breakfast, go to work, leave work.
Listening for subject clues
Reflexive forms can help you identify who performs an action.
- ā I get up
- ā you get up
- ā he / she gets up
- ā we get up
If the subject pronoun is omitted, the reflexive form and verb ending still provide useful clues.
Listening for the difference between routine and obligation
Compare these two ideas:
- ā First I study.
- ā First I have to study.
The first describes the routine action itself. The second says that the action is an obligation.
Listening for the difference between routine and need
Compare:
- ā Then I work.
- ā Then I need to work.
Both can appear in a sequence, but necesitar adds the idea of need.
When sequence words are missing
If , , and are not present, use other clues:
- clock times
- morning, afternoon, or night
- the normal logic of the routine
- movement to or from a place
Do not rely on only one clue when several are available.
A practical listening method
When listening to a routine, use this sequence:
- Listen for , , and .
- Write down the main action after each marker.
- Listen for clock times and parts of the day.
- Use the reflexive form to help identify the subject.
- Put the actions in order before reading the transcript.
- Check the transcript and English meaning only after your first attempt.
From Listening for Order to Reflexive Pronoun Placement
You can now listen to short Spanish routines, identify sequence markers and time clues, and put familiar activities into the correct order. The next lesson examines Spanish reflexive pronouns with present-tense verbs and infinitives.