IMPROVING YOUR SPEAKING II: LEARN TO TALK ABOUT YOUR FREE TIME AND HOBBIES

CREATED BY VALANGLIA

Summer is coming and there are plenty of leisure activities we can practice and talk about. Here are some ways to talk and ask about general hobbies, interests and favourite sports in English.

When you want to get someone to know you well or if you want to know someone better, you can always talk and ask about your hobbies and interests:

Saying what you like

like + noun / ing form
I like tennis / I like playing tennis

love + noun / ing form
He loves football / He loves watching football

be keen on + noun / ing form
She's keen on the cinema / going to the cinema

enjoy + noun / ing form
We enjoy sports / playing sports

Remember: I like (+ ing / noun) is for general likes.
I like going to the cinema.

I'd like + verb is for a specific occasion:
I'd like to go to the cinema next weekend.

Adding emphasis:

You can add "very much" at the end of the sentence.

I like tennis.
I like tennis very much.

You can add "at all" to a negative sentence if you don't like something.

I don't like cricket.
I don't like cricket at all.

Talking about your hobby

Use adverbs of frequency (always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never, etc) or another phrase to talk about how often or when you do your hobby.

I only watch football at the weekends.

I go to the gym four times a week.

I don't often have time to socialise with friends.

You can say why you like your hobby by describing it with an -ing adjective.

I like swimming because it's relaxing.

Watching football is exciting.

It's interesting to surf the net.

Example conversations

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I spend a lot of time going to discos with my friends.

Are you keen on sports?
Yes, I love playing tennis in summer.

Are you a sports fan?
Not really. I prefer relaxing with friends in a restaurant.

Do you like going to restaurants?
Not much. I prefer cooking at home.

Typical hobbies

These hobbies are popular with British people:

Watching television
Visiting friends
Entertaining friends (when friends come to your house for dinner, etc)
Listening to music
Reading books
Going to the pub
Going to a restaurant
Gardening
Going for a drive
Going for a walk
DIY (doing DIY = doing home-improvement activities)
Photography / Taking photographs
Surfing the net

Typical sports

Here is some vocabulary for different sports:

Ball games

Football
Rugby
Cricket
Tennis
Squash
Hockey
Baseball
Basketball
Volleyball

Martial arts

Judo
Karate
Kickboxing
Boxing

Extreme sports

Paragliding
Rock climbing
Caving
Mountaineering

Water sports

Swimming
Diving
Sailing
Canoeing
Windsurfing

Other activities

Jogging
Keeping fit
Horse-riding
Hiking
Skateboarding
Gymnastics
Athletics

Using play, do and go

When we talk about our hobbies, we can use the verbs play, do, or go:

My sister plays tennis every weekend.
My brother likes doing DIY.
I go swimming three times a week.

Play + sport / game
play football / play video games / play chess

Do + hobby / individual sport
do DIY, do judo

Go + activity
go swimming, go fishing

Questions you can ask

What do you like doing?
What sort of hobbies do you have?
What do you get up to in your free time?

How to reply

In my free time I…
When I have some spare time I…
When I get the time, I…
I relax by (watching TV)

I'm interested in (+ noun / gerund)
I'm keen on (+ noun / gerund)
I'm into (+ noun / gerund)
I enjoy (+ noun / gerund)

You can add "really" or "quite" after "I'm…" for emphasis.
"I'm really keen on football."

Giving a longer reply

You can add more details about your hobbies and interests:

I like arts and crafts. I'm a creative / practical person, and like doing things with my hands.

I'm an outgoing person, and like socialising / hanging out with friends.

I enjoy being physically active, and spend a lot of time playing sports and team games.

Saying why you like your hobby

You can also explain why you spend time on your hobby to make the conversation longer and more interesting.

I really enjoy going to the gym because

…it keeps me fit.
…it gets me out of the house, you know!
…it's sociable. I've met lots of new people.
…it gives me something interesting to do with my time.
…it's not very expensive, and anyone can do it!

More words that you can use to describe your hobbies:
creative
fascinating
practical
cheap
enjoyable
relaxing
different
unusual

Like doing vs like to do

We use like + gerund (ing form) to talk about general likes:
I like fishing.

We use like + infinitive to talk about more specific likes:
I like to go fishing at the weekend.

CLICK HERE FOR AN INTERACTIVE EXERCISE ON THIS TOPIC: 

http://www.english-at-home.com/lessons/speaking-exercise-hobbies

ADAPTADO DESDE: www.english-at-home.com