Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about hobbies and free time.
Example: I like to ______ football on Saturdays. (play / make / go)
Answer: I like to play football on Saturdays.
Hobbies and Free Time in English
What do you do when you are not working or studying? This is called your free time. The things you enjoy doing in your free time are called hobbies. In this lesson, you will learn simple English words for popular hobbies and free time activities.
A Short Situation
It is Saturday morning. Maria is at home. She is not working today. She picks up a book and reads. Later, she goes to the park and plays football with her friends. In the evening, she watches a film on television. Maria loves her free time!
In this lesson, we will learn the vocabulary Maria uses to talk about her hobbies and free time.
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. Hobby and Free Time Nouns
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| hobby | noun – something you enjoy doing in your free time | My hobby is painting. | have a hobby, my favourite hobby |
| free time | noun – time when you are not working or studying | I read books in my free time. | in my free time, spend free time |
| sport | noun – a physical activity or game | Football is my favourite sport. | play sport, do sport, watch sport |
| music | noun – sounds made by singing or playing instruments | I love listening to music. | listen to music, play music |
| film | noun – a movie; a story told with moving pictures | We watched a great film last night. | watch a film, see a film |
| book | noun – a written or printed work with pages | She reads a book every week. | read a book, borrow a book |
| game | noun – an activity you play, often with rules | We play a board game on Friday evenings. | play a game, video game, board game |
| walk | noun – a trip on foot, usually for pleasure | We go for a walk in the park on Sundays. | go for a walk, take a walk |
2. Hobby Action Words (Verbs)
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| read | verb – to look at words and understand them | I read magazines at the weekend. | read a book, read a magazine, read online |
| watch | verb – to look at something for a period of time | He watches television every evening. | watch TV, watch a film, watch a match |
| listen | verb – to pay attention to a sound | She listens to music on her phone. | listen to music, listen to the radio |
| play | verb – to take part in a sport or game | We play tennis on Saturdays. | play football, play chess, play the guitar |
| cook | verb – to prepare food using heat | I cook dinner for my family on Sundays. | cook a meal, cook dinner, love cooking |
| draw | verb – to make a picture using a pen or pencil | He draws pictures of animals. | draw a picture, draw in a notebook |
| paint | verb – to make a picture using colours and a brush | She paints landscapes at the weekend. | paint a picture, paint with watercolours |
| swim | verb – to move through water using your body | I swim at the local pool every morning. | go swimming, swim in the sea |
| dance | verb – to move your body in time with music | They dance at the weekend at a dance class. | go dancing, dance to music |
| travel | verb – to go from one place to another | We love to travel to new countries. | travel abroad, travel by train, love travelling |
3. Describing Your Hobbies (Adjectives and Useful Words)
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| favourite | adjective – the one you like best | My favourite hobby is cooking. | my favourite, favourite sport, favourite film |
| fun | adjective – enjoyable and entertaining | Swimming is fun! | it is fun, so much fun, really fun |
| relaxing | adjective – making you feel calm and less stressed | Reading is very relaxing. | very relaxing, find it relaxing |
| interesting | adjective – making you want to know more; not boring | Photography is a very interesting hobby. | very interesting, find it interesting |
| indoor | adjective – happening inside a building | Chess is an indoor activity. | indoor sport, indoor hobby, indoor activity |
| outdoor | adjective – happening outside | Cycling is an outdoor activity. | outdoor sport, outdoor hobby, outdoor activity |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
Collocations are words that go together naturally in English. Learn these common hobby collocations to sound more natural!
go + swimming / dancing / cycling / walking / fishing
We go swimming every Saturday morning.
She goes cycling in the park at weekends.
play + football / tennis / chess / the guitar / video games
He plays football with his friends after school.
I play the guitar in the evenings.
watch + a film / television / a match / a show
We watch a film together on Friday nights.
listen to + music / the radio / a podcast
I listen to music when I cook dinner.
read + a book / a magazine / a newspaper
She reads a book before she goes to sleep.
have + a hobby / a good time / fun
Do you have a hobby?
We always have fun at the beach.
spend + free time / time + (verb+ing)
I spend my free time drawing and painting.
He spends his evenings reading.
enjoy + (verb+ing)
I enjoy reading.
She enjoys cooking new recipes.
Important Differences & Confusing Words
Play, Do, or Go?
In English, we use three different verbs with sports and hobbies. This is a common area of confusion for beginners. Here is a simple guide:
Use PLAY with sports and games that have a ball, or games with rules and a competitor.
play football, play tennis, play chess, play the guitar, play video games
Use GO with activities that end in -ing. These are usually outdoor or physical activities.
go swimming, go cycling, go dancing, go fishing, go walking, go running
Use DO with individual sports, exercise, and some indoor activities. There is no ball and no team.
do yoga, do karate, do photography, do exercise, do puzzles
Watch, See, or Look at?
WATCH – Use this for things that move and change over time, like films, sports, or television.
I watch a film every Saturday.
SEE – Use this when you go somewhere to watch something, like a concert or a film at the cinema.
I want to see a film at the cinema tonight.
LOOK AT – Use this for things that do not move, like a painting or a photo.
She looks at the paintings in the gallery.
Like vs Enjoy vs Love
All three words have a similar meaning but show different levels of feeling:
like – you think it is good, it is positive
I like swimming.
enjoy – you get pleasure from it; a little stronger than "like"
I enjoy swimming very much.
love – you feel very strongly that it is wonderful
I love swimming! It is my favourite activity.
Remember: after these verbs, use the -ing form of the verb.
I like reading. I enjoy cooking. I love dancing.
Common Mistakes
❌ I do football every weekend.
✅ I play football every weekend. (Use play with team sports and ball games.)
❌ I go to swim at the pool.
✅ I go swimming at the pool. (Use go + verb-ing for this type of activity.)
❌ My hobby is play chess.
✅ My hobby is playing chess. (After is, use the -ing form of the verb.)
❌ I enjoy to read books.
✅ I enjoy reading books. (After enjoy, always use the -ing form.)
❌ I watch a film at the cinema yesterday.
✅ I saw a film at the cinema yesterday. (Use see when you go to the cinema.)
❌ She plays yoga every morning.
✅ She does yoga every morning. (Use do with yoga and individual fitness activities.)
❌ What is your hobby? — I hobby is cooking.
✅ My hobby is cooking. (Use my, not I.)
Hobbies and Free Time: Quick Summary & Review
In this lesson, you have learned important English vocabulary for talking about hobbies and free time. Here is a quick summary of the key points:
- A hobby is something you enjoy doing in your free time.
- Use play with ball sports and games: play football, play chess.
- Use go with activities ending in -ing: go swimming, go cycling.
- Use do with individual sports and exercises: do yoga, do karate.
- After like, enjoy, and love, always use the -ing form: I enjoy reading.
- Use watch for TV and moving things; use see when you go to the cinema.
- Common hobby adjectives: fun, relaxing, interesting, indoor, outdoor.
Now practise hobbies and free time vocabulary in the exercises below.
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