Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about hobbies, entertainment, and media.
Example: She likes to ______ photos when she goes to the park. (take / make / do)
Answer: She likes to take photos when she goes to the park.
Hobbies, Entertainment and Media
Do you enjoy watching films at the weekend? Do you like listening to music or reading magazines? In this lesson, you will learn essential English vocabulary about hobbies, entertainment and media. These words will help you talk about your free time, describe what you enjoy doing, and understand everyday conversations about popular culture.
Read this short situation before you start:
Lucas and Mia are friends. They are talking at school on Monday morning.
"What did you do at the weekend?" Lucas asks.
"I watched a TV series on my laptop," says Mia. "It was really exciting! I also went to the cinema with my sister on Saturday evening. What about you?"
"I stayed at home," says Lucas. "I listened to music and played video games. Oh, and I read a magazine about football."
In this lesson, you will learn the key words from conversations like this one — all about hobbies, entertainment and media.
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. Hobbies and Free Time Activities
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| hobby | noun — an activity you enjoy doing in your free time | My favourite hobby is painting. | have a hobby, enjoy a hobby |
| free time | noun phrase — time when you are not working or studying | I play guitar in my free time. | spend your free time, have free time |
| collect | verb — to get and keep things of the same type | He collects old stamps from different countries. | collect stamps / coins / cards |
| draw | verb — to make a picture with a pen or pencil | She loves to draw pictures of animals. | draw a picture, draw in a notebook |
| paint | verb — to make a picture using paint and a brush | I paint landscapes at the weekend. | paint a picture, paint in watercolours |
| cook | verb — to prepare food using heat | She enjoys cooking Italian food. | cook a meal, cook dinner, enjoy cooking |
| garden | verb — to work in a garden, growing plants and flowers | My grandfather likes gardening on sunny days. | enjoy gardening, go gardening |
| go swimming | verb phrase — to swim as a leisure activity | We go swimming at the local pool every Saturday. | go swimming, go running, go cycling |
| play sports | verb phrase — to take part in a sport for fun or exercise | He plays sports with his friends after school. | play football / tennis / basketball |
| take photos | verb phrase — to use a camera to capture images | She takes photos of birds in the park. | take a photo, take pictures |
2. Entertainment: Films, Music and Books
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| cinema | noun — a building where you go to watch films on a large screen | We went to the cinema to see the new action film. | go to the cinema, at the cinema |
| film | noun — a story shown on a screen; a movie | My favourite film is a comedy from the 1990s. | watch a film, see a film, action film, horror film |
| comedy | noun — a funny film, TV show, or play that makes you laugh | I love watching comedies when I feel tired. | watch a comedy, romantic comedy |
| documentary | noun — a film or TV programme about real events or people | We watched a documentary about animals in Africa. | watch a documentary, wildlife documentary |
| concert | noun — a live music performance for an audience | She went to a concert in the city centre last Friday. | go to a concert, attend a concert, live concert |
| song | noun — a short piece of music with words | Do you know this song? It's very popular. | listen to a song, sing a song, favourite song |
| album | noun — a collection of songs recorded together | I downloaded their new album last night. | buy an album, listen to an album, new album |
| novel | noun — a long book that tells a fictional story | She is reading a mystery novel at the moment. | read a novel, finish a novel |
| magazine | noun — a publication with articles and pictures, usually weekly or monthly | He buys a football magazine every week. | read a magazine, buy a magazine, fashion magazine |
| comic book | noun — a book with stories told through pictures and text | My brother loves reading comic books about superheroes. | read a comic book, collect comic books |
3. Media: TV, Internet and Technology
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TV series | noun phrase — a set of episodes of the same programme, shown regularly | I watched a whole TV series in one weekend. | watch a TV series, follow a series |
| episode | noun — one part of a TV series or podcast | The last episode of the show was very exciting. | watch an episode, miss an episode |
| channel | noun — a TV or radio station that broadcasts programmes | Which channel does that cookery programme come on? | TV channel, change the channel, watch a channel |
| stream | verb — to watch or listen to something online without downloading it | We stream films at home instead of going to the cinema. | stream a film, stream music, streaming service |
| download | verb — to copy a file from the internet to your device | She downloaded the app on her phone. | download a song, download an app, download a film |
| post | verb — to share a photo, video or message on social media | He posts photos of his food on social media. | post a photo, post a video, post online |
| social media | noun — websites and apps where people share content and connect online | Many young people use social media every day. | use social media, post on social media |
| podcast | noun — an audio programme you can listen to online or on your phone | I listen to a language learning podcast on the bus. | listen to a podcast, follow a podcast |
| video game | noun — a game you play on a screen using a controller or keyboard | My younger brother plays video games every evening. | play a video game, online video game |
| search | verb — to look for information, usually on the internet | I searched online for the concert tickets. | search the internet, search for something, search online |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
Collocations are words that naturally go together. Learning them will help your English sound more natural. Here are the most important collocations for hobbies, entertainment and media:
go + activity (with -ing)
We go swimming / cycling / running / shopping at the weekend.
Note: We use go + -ing for many physical leisure activities.
play + sport or game
She plays tennis on Tuesdays. He plays video games in the evening.
Note: We use play with sports and games.
watch + film / TV series / documentary / episode
We watched a great documentary last night.
listen to + music / podcast / song / album / radio
He listens to music while he runs.
read + book / novel / magazine / comic book / newspaper
I read a magazine every Sunday morning.
go to + the cinema / a concert / the theatre
Would you like to go to the cinema tonight?
take + a photo / photos / pictures
She took beautiful photos of the sunset.
stream + a film / music / a series
We streamed a comedy film on Friday night.
post + a photo / a video / a comment
He posted a photo of the concert on social media.
spend + free time + -ing verb
I spend my free time reading and cooking.
Important Differences & Confusing Words
Watch, See, or Look at?
These three verbs are often confused by learners. Here is how to use them correctly:
| Verb | When to Use It | Example |
|---|---|---|
| watch | Use for things that move or change over time, like films, TV, or sport | I watch TV in the evening. She watches football matches. |
| see | Use for films at the cinema, or when something appears in your vision | We saw a great film at the cinema last night. |
| look at | Use for still images, pictures, or objects you direct your eyes towards | She looked at the photos on his phone. |
Film or Movie?
Film and movie both mean the same thing — a story told on a screen. However, film is more common in British English, and movie is more common in American English. For this lesson, we use film (British English).
Hobby or Interest?
A hobby is an activity you actively do in your free time, such as painting or cooking.
An interest is something you like or find interesting, but you may not actually do it yourself.
My hobby is photography. (I take photos regularly.)
I have an interest in astronomy. (I find it interesting, but I don't do it myself.)
Listen to or Hear?
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| listen to | You choose to pay attention to a sound | I listen to music every morning. |
| hear | A sound comes to you without you choosing | I heard a loud song from the street. |
Common Mistakes
❌ I like to make sport at the weekend.
✅ I like to play sport / do sport at the weekend. — Use play with specific sports (e.g. play football) or do for sport in general.
❌ She went to cinema last night.
✅ She went to the cinema last night. — Always use the before cinema.
❌ I watch TV series all the episodes yesterday.
✅ I watched all the episodes of the TV series yesterday. — Use the correct past tense and word order.
❌ He listens music every day.
✅ He listens to music every day. — Always use listen to, not listen alone.
❌ I saw a great documentary on TV last night. It was about animals.
✅ I watched a great documentary on TV last night. It was about animals. — Use watch for TV programmes at home. Use see for films at the cinema.
❌ My hobby is go swimming.
✅ My hobby is swimming. — After hobby is, use the -ing form (gerund), not the infinitive with go.
❌ I downloaded a song from Spotify but I didn't pay.
✅ I streamed a song on Spotify. — On Spotify, you usually stream music; download usually means saving a file to your device.
Hobbies, Entertainment and Media: Quick Summary & Review
In this lesson, you have learned key vocabulary about hobbies, entertainment and media. Let's review the most important points:
- Use go + -ing for physical leisure activities: go swimming, go running, go cycling.
- Use play with sports and games: play football, play video games, play tennis.
- Use watch for TV and sport. Use see for films at the cinema. Use look at for still images.
- Use listen to (not just listen) with music, podcasts and the radio.
- Use stream for watching or listening online. Use download for saving files to your device.
- Use go to the cinema and go to a concert (with the article the or a).
- A hobby is an activity you do. An interest is something you find interesting but may not do yourself.
Now practise hobbies, entertainment and media vocabulary in the exercises below.
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