Hobbies and Sports in English
Do more with this exercise
Learn 33 words for sports and hobbies, and say what you like doing in your free time. Read each word and its example, then do the exercises. Remember the verbs: we play a sport with a ball, we go + -ing for many activities, and we do yoga.
Sports
football
I'm going to play football with my friends on Saturday.
soccer
In the USA, people say soccer for football.
basketball
My brother likes playing basketball after school.
tennis
If it's sunny tomorrow, we'll play tennis.
volleyball
We're going to play volleyball on the beach this summer.
swimming
I like swimming in the sea.
running
My mother loves running in the park every morning.
cycling
I'm going to go cycling with my dad on Sunday.
skiing
If there is snow, we'll go skiing in February.
baseball
In the USA, a lot of people love baseball.
Hobbies
reading
My sister likes reading books in bed.
painting
My grandmother likes painting. She paints flowers.
drawingmaking pictures with a pencil
I like drawing in my free time.
cooking
He loves cooking, so he often makes dinner for us.
dancing
She doesn't like dancing, but she loves singing.
singing
My brother loves singing. He is going to sing at the party.
taking photos
She loves taking photos of animals.
playing video games
He likes playing video games after school.
fishing
My uncle and I are going fishing this weekend.
camping
If the weather is good, we'll go camping next weekend.
playing the guitar
I like playing the guitar in my free time.
Words for sport
teama group of players
There are eleven players in a football team.
matcha game between two teams
Are you going to watch the football match tonight?
playera person who plays a sport
My brother is a good basketball player.
winto be the best in a game
If our team plays well, we'll win the match.
losenot to win a game
My team is not very good, so we often lose.
gyma place with machines for sport
I go to the gym on Mondays and Wednesdays.
stadium
There are fifty thousand fans in the stadium.
Play, go and do
hobbysomething you like doing in your free time
My hobby is taking photos.
free timethe time when you do not work or study
What do you do in your free time?
play tennisplay + a sport with a ball
My parents play tennis every Sunday.
go swimminggo + -ing for many activities
If it's hot tomorrow, we'll go swimming.
do yogado + an activity without a ball
I do yoga in the morning before work.
Practice exercises
Match the Sports and Hobbies
Match each word with its picture.
Choose a word on the left, then its match on the right.
Choose the Correct Word
Choose the correct word for each sentence.
9.I like ___ in the sea in summer.
10.We ___ basketball at school on Fridays.
11.I ___ yoga in the morning.
12.If we ___ the match, we'll be very happy.
13.There are eleven players in a football ___.
14.In the USA, people say ___ for the game with a round ball.
15.Choose the best answer to 'What do you do in your free time?'
Fill in the Blank
Type the missing word.
Talking about hobbies and sports in English
A hobby is something you like doing in your free time. In English, it is easy to talk about hobbies: use like, love or hate and the -ing form of the verb. I like swimming. He loves playing video games. She doesn't like dancing.
Be careful with the verb before the sport. Use play for sports with a ball (play football, play tennis), go + -ing for activities where you go somewhere (go swimming, go skiing) and do for activities without a ball (do yoga). Some words come with a: a team, a match, a player.
Use hobbies and sports to talk about your plans. For a plan, say I'm going to play tennis on Saturday. For something that depends on the weather or on another thing, use a first conditional sentence: If it's sunny, we'll go camping.
In British English, football is the game with a round ball. In American English, people say soccer, because football is a different game. Both words are correct, so learn the one that your teacher or friends use.
Frequently asked questions
When do I use play, go and do with sports?
Use play with sports with a ball or a game: play football, play tennis, play chess. Use go + -ing with activities that you go somewhere to do: go swimming, go skiing, go running. Use do with activities without a ball: do yoga, do karate.
Is it football or soccer?
Both words are used. In British English, football is the game with a round ball and soccer is less common. In American English, soccer is the round-ball game, and football is a different game.
How do I say what I like doing?
Use like, love or hate + the -ing form: I like swimming. She loves painting. They don't like running. You can also say My hobby is + -ing: My hobby is taking photos.
How do I talk about plans for my free time?
Use be going to + verb for plans: We're going to play volleyball on Saturday. Use if + present simple and will for a possible result: If it's sunny tomorrow, we'll go cycling.
What is the difference between a match and a team?
A team is a group of players: There are eleven players in a football team. A match is a game between two teams: We're watching the match tonight.
Answer key
1. basketball
Answer: 🏀
Basketball is the game with the orange ball and a basket.
2. tennis
Answer: 🎾
Tennis is the game with a racket and a small yellow ball.
3. volleyball
Answer: 🏐
Volleyball is the game with a ball and a net.
4. swimming
Answer: 🏊
Swimming is moving in water.
5. skiing
Answer: ⛷️
Skiing is moving on snow with skis.
6. painting
Answer: 🎨
Painting is making pictures with colours.
7. playing the guitar
Answer: 🎸
The picture is a guitar, so the hobby is playing the guitar.
8. fishing
Answer: 🎣
Fishing is catching fish with a rod.
9. I like ___ in the sea in summer.
Answer: swimming
After like we use the -ing form: like swimming.
10. We ___ basketball at school on Fridays.
Answer: play
We use play with sports with a ball: play basketball.
11. I ___ yoga in the morning.
Answer: do
We use do with activities without a ball, such as yoga.
12. If we ___ the match, we'll be very happy.
Answer: win
In a first conditional sentence we use the present simple after if: If we win, we'll be happy.
13. There are eleven players in a football ___.
Answer: team
A team is a group of players. A match is a game, and a gym is a place.
14. In the USA, people say ___ for the game with a round ball.
Answer: soccer
In the USA, football is a different game, so people say soccer for the game with a round ball.
15. Choose the best answer to 'What do you do in your free time?'
Answer: I like painting and cooking.
The question asks about hobbies. Only the first answer names hobbies.
16. On Saturday, we're ___ to play volleyball.
Answer: going
For plans we use be going to + verb: we're going to play.
17. If it rains, we ___ stay at home and play video games.
Answer: will
In a first conditional sentence we use will in the other part: If it rains, we will stay at home. We often say we'll.
18. My sister likes ___. She goes to a dance class on Fridays.
Answer: dancing
After like we use the -ing form: likes dancing.
19. I go to the ___ after work. I run on a machine there.
Answer: gym
A gym is a place with machines for sport.
20. We're going to go ___ in the mountains this winter.
Answer: skiing
The picture shows skiing. We use go + -ing: go skiing.
21. She is a very good basketball ___.
Answer: player
A player is a person who plays a sport.
22. What do you like doing in your free ___?
Answer: time
Free time is the time when you do not work or study.