Write About Your Hobbies A1 Writing Practice Tests Rules & Examples

How to Write About Your Hobbies in English

In this lesson, you will learn how to write about your hobbies and free time activities in English. Writing about hobbies is a very common and important writing task for beginners. You might write about your hobbies in a personal profile, a short message to a friend, or a simple introduction about yourself.

In real life, people write about their hobbies when they join a club, make a new friend online, or fill in a form at school or work. This is a fun and personal type of writing — and you already know the most important information — yourself!

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Write simple sentences about your hobbies
• Use basic connectors like and, but, and because
• Use correct capital letters and full stops
• Write a short paragraph about your free time activities

Essential Writing Rules and Sentence Structure

Rule 1: Word Order — Subject + Verb + Object

In English, every sentence follows a basic pattern. This pattern is called Subject + Verb + Object (SVO). Always put the subject first, then the verb, then the object.

Subject	Verb	Object / Extra Information
I	like	swimming.
I	play	football.
My sister	loves	reading books.
I	do not like	cooking.

Important: Never start a sentence with the verb in basic English sentences. Always start with the subject.

❌ Like I swimming.
✅ I like swimming.

Rule 2: Capital Letters

You must use a capital letter in these situations:

• The first word of every sentence — I like football.
• The word "I" — always a capital letter — I play tennis.
• Names of people and places — My name is Sara. I live in London.
• Days of the week — Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
• Months of the year — January, February, March

Rule 3: Full Stops, Commas, and Question Marks

Use a full stop (.) at the end of every sentence.

I like reading books.

Use a comma (,) to separate items in a list of three or more things.

I like swimming, reading, and cooking.

Use a question mark (?) at the end of a question.

What is your favourite hobby?

Rule 4: Short, Clear Sentences (5–9 Words)

At A1 level, keep your sentences short and clear. Do not try to write very long sentences. Short sentences are easier to read and easier to check for mistakes.

✅ Good A1 sentence: I like playing football on Saturdays. (7 words)
❌ Too long and complicated: I like playing football on Saturdays because it is very fun and I play with my friends and we always win.

Useful Linking Words (Connectors)

Linking words (also called connectors) join your sentences and ideas together. At A1 level, you need to know four important connectors: and, but, because, and so.

Connector	Function / Use	Example Sentence
and	Adds two ideas together	I like football and I like swimming.
but	Shows a contrast or difference	I like reading but I do not like writing.
because	Gives a reason	I love cooking because it is fun.
so	Shows a result	I like music, so I play the guitar.

Tip: Do not use the same connector too many times. Try to use two or three different connectors in your writing.

Model Writing Sample: My Hobbies

Read this short paragraph written by a student. Look at how each part is organised. The annotations in brackets explain what each sentence does.

Model Text 1: A Short Paragraph About Hobbies

My name is Ahmed. I am 22 years old and I am from Egypt. In my free time, I like playing football. I play football on Saturdays with my friends. I also like listening to music because it is relaxing. My favourite singer is Ed Sheeran. I do not like cooking, but I like eating! My hobby is fun and it makes me happy.

Part of the Text	Sentence	What It Does
Opening sentence	My name is Ahmed. I am 22 years old and I am from Egypt.	Introduces who you are
Main hobby sentence	In my free time, I like playing football.	States your main hobby
Detail sentence	I play football on Saturdays with my friends.	Gives extra details (when, with who)
Second hobby + reason	I also like listening to music because it is relaxing.	Adds another hobby and gives a reason
Personal detail	My favourite singer is Ed Sheeran.	Adds an interesting personal fact
Contrast sentence	I do not like cooking, but I like eating!	Uses 'but' to show contrast — adds personality
Closing sentence	My hobby is fun and it makes me happy.	Ends the paragraph with a positive feeling

Model Text 2: A Short Message to a Friend About Hobbies

Now read this short informal message. This is the type of writing you might send to a new friend online or write in class.

Hi Maria,

My name is Lily. I am from Australia. I am 20 years old.

I have two hobbies. My favourite hobby is drawing. I draw pictures every day. I like drawing animals and flowers. It is my favourite thing to do because it is very creative. I also like swimming. I swim on Mondays and Fridays. Swimming is great because it is good for your body.

I do not like playing video games, but my brother loves them!

What are your hobbies? Please write to me soon!

Lily

Annotations for Model Text 2:

• Greeting: Hi Maria, — always use a comma after the name in an informal message
• Opening sentences: My name is Lily. I am from Australia. I am 20 years old. — short, simple introduction
• Main body: Sentences about hobbies, using because, and, and but
• Time words used: every day, on Mondays and Fridays — say WHEN you do your hobby
• Closing question: What are your hobbies? — friendly and interactive
• Sign-off: Lily — always sign your name at the end of a message

Key Phrases and Sentence Starters

Introducing Yourself

• My name is ______.
• I am ______ years old.
• I am from ______.
• I live in ______.

Talking About Your Hobbies

• In my free time, I like ______.
• My favourite hobby is ______.
• I love ______ because ______.
• I also like ______.
• I do not like ______, but I like ______.
• I have two hobbies. They are ______ and ______.
• I think ______ is very fun / relaxing / creative / exciting.

Saying When You Do Your Hobby

• I play / do / watch ______ every day.
• I ______ on Mondays / at the weekend / in the evening.
• I sometimes ______ with my friends / family.

Ending Your Message or Paragraph

• My hobbies make me happy.
• I love my free time!
• What is your favourite hobby?
• Please write to me soon!
• I hope we can be friends.

Common Writing Mistakes to Avoid

Look at these common mistakes. Study the correct form carefully.

❌ my name is carlos. i am from spain.
✅ My name is Carlos. I am from Spain. — Always use a capital letter at the start of a sentence, for the word "I", and for names and countries.

❌ I like swim.
✅ I like swimming. — After "like", use the verb with -ing. (like + swimming / like + playing / like + reading)

❌ In my free time I like football and I like tennis and I like swimming and I like reading.
✅ In my free time, I like football, tennis, and swimming. I also like reading. — Do not repeat "and" too many times. Use a comma in a list, and start a new sentence.

❌ I like football but it is fun.
✅ I like football because it is fun. — Use because to give a reason. Use but to show a contrast.

❌ i play football on saturdays with my friends
✅ I play football on Saturdays with my friends. — Always use a capital letter for "I" and for days of the week. Always end a sentence with a full stop.

❌ My favourite hobby is play the guitar.
✅ My favourite hobby is playing the guitar. — After "is", use the verb with -ing.

❌ I no like cooking.
✅ I do not like cooking. — To make a negative sentence in English, use do not (or don't) before the main verb.

❌ My hobby is fun, exciting, creative and it is also very relaxing and I love it.
✅ My hobby is fun and exciting. It is also very relaxing. — Keep your sentences short and clear. Split long sentences into two shorter ones.

Writing Checklist and Practice Task

Your Writing Checklist

Before you finish your writing, check every sentence with this list. Put a tick (✓) next to each item when you are sure it is correct.

• ✅ I used a capital letter at the start of every sentence.
• ✅ I used a capital letter for the word "I" every time.
• ✅ I used capital letters for names, days, and months.
• ✅ I used a full stop at the end of every sentence.
• ✅ I used a comma to separate items in a list.
• ✅ I used the Subject + Verb + Object word order.
• ✅ I used "like + verb-ing" correctly (e.g. I like swimming).
• ✅ I used "do not like" for negative sentences.
• ✅ I used at least two different connectors (and, but, because, so).
• ✅ My sentences are short and clear (5–9 words each).
• ✅ I wrote an opening sentence, hobby sentences, and a closing sentence.

Your Practice Writing Task

Task: Write a short paragraph about your hobbies. Write 6 to 8 sentences. Use the model texts and key phrases in this lesson to help you.

Use this writing plan to help you:

Step	What to Write	Example
Step 1	Write your name, age, and country.	My name is ______. I am ______ years old. I am from ______.
Step 2	Write your main hobby.	In my free time, I like ______.
Step 3	Add a detail — when or with who?	I ______ on ______ with my ______.
Step 4	Give a reason using "because".	I love ______ because it is ______.
Step 5	Write a second hobby using "also".	I also like ______.
Step 6	Write something you do not like using "but".	I do not like ______, but I like ______.
Step 7	Write a closing sentence.	My hobbies make me very happy.

Remember: Check your writing with the checklist above before you finish. Good luck — you can do it!

Now test your writing mechanics and sentence skills in the exercises below.