English with Jo

Habits

This is the preparation material for an English conversation lesson about habits.  You can listen to an audio discussion about 'pet peeves' - a bad habit that someone else has, which annoys you.  You can learn some English idioms that we use when talking about habits, as well as discover the most common questions that people ask each other about this interesting subject.

Audio Discussion

Audio discussion about habits

Transcript of Audio Discussion

* Audio courtesy of elllo.org

Idioms and collocations 

• Old habits die hard – People find it difficult to change their accustomed behavior
• Break a habit / Kick a habit – to end a habit
• By force of habit - the tendency to do something that has become a habit
• Knock the habit – to stop using drugs 

Conversation Questions 

• Do you have any bad habits?
• Do you think all habits are bad? If not, what do you think are some good habits to have?
• Are there habits that apply to whole societies?
• Where do you think we learn our habits from?
• Do children learn bad habits at school or at home?
• Are you aware of any habits that are considered bad manners in one country but not in another?
• Which bad habit do you think would be the most difficult to get rid of?
• Which good habit do you think would be the most difficult to develop?
• Which habit is the most important for parents to set as an example of for their children?
• How do you think we develop bad habits?
• How do we develop good habits?
• What are your sleeping habits?
• What are your eating habits?
• What are your exercise habits?
• What do you think are the worst habits for people to have?
• Do your family members have any bad habits?
• Is it easy or difficult to get rid of a bad habit?
• Do other people's bad habits get on your nerves?
• Have you been successful in getting rid of a bad habit?
• What habits bother you the most in other people?
• What good habits do you most admire?
• What unusual habits do you observe in your family members? Do they bother you?