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Sport is a very common topic IELTS Speaking. In this lesson, you will learn how to talk about what sport do you do or what sport would like to try in the future.
Table of Contents
IELTS vocabulary: Sport
If we want to talk about a sport like running, there are different ways we can talk about it.
He is running now
He likes to go running
He is going for a run
He enjoys jogging (light-paced running)
He runs quickly
When it comes to sport, there are three main verbs we use to describe different sports:
- GO
- DO
- PLAY
There is no fixed rule about which ones we use for different sports, but here are some guidelines below.
______________
Go
(often used for individual sports emphasizing that you ‘go’ somewhere to practice it).
Go running, jogging, climbing, cycling, skating, skiing, swimming
Go for a run, jog, climb, cycle, skate, swim
I usually go for a run in the morning
I have never been skating
_______________
Do
(usually used for individual sports without a ball)
Do yoga, karate, judo, pilates, aerobics, tai chi, athletics, weights, weight-lifting, boxing, arm-wrestling
Do extreme sports like white-water rafting/ rock climbing
She is doing yoga
She is practicing yoga/pilates
She likes to do yoga
Play
(usually used for sports with a ball or similar and have some element of competition)
Play football, cricket, golf, tennis, baseball, basketball,
They are playing football
They like to play football
How can I learn vocabulary for IELTS Speaking?
There are three essential things you should do when learning vocabulary for IELTS Speaking;
1) Practice collocations (=words that commonly go together)
For example, we say,
She does yoga (not ‘play yoga’)
2) Practice chunks (= short phrases)
I like to do yoga
3) Practice juggling (=saying the chunk in different tenses)
I do yoga most days
Tomorrow I will do some yoga
This morning I just did some yoga
Idiomatic expressions for sport:
To acquire quite a taste for snowboarding (=begin to enjoy)
To get the hang of it (= finally be able to do)
To take up the challenge (=to accept a challenge)
To push myself to the limits (=make a considerable effort)
To have a whale of a time (=have a fantastic time)
To jump at the chance (=really want to do something)
To summon up the energy (=make an effort to do something)
To keep in shape (=to stay fit and healthy)
Doing sports
Notice ‘sport’ can be countable
To be honest, I don’t do too much sport these days.
I play lots of different sports
But ‘sport’ can be uncountable if it is more abstract and referring to sport in general.
I don’t do too much sport these days.
You could also answer this question with the following language,
I enjoy strolling on the beach, and occasionally I even break into a jog.
To stroll = to walk in a relaxed way
To break into a jog = to start jogging
To break into a sweat = to start sweating
Oh yeah, I also do yoga now and again.
Now and again = sometimes, now and then, from time to time
When I was younger though I used to go swimming on a regular basis
Though = but, however (very natural to use it here). Instead of saying ‘however, when I was younger…’ try saying, ‘when I was younger though…)
I usually squeezed it in at lunchtime.
Squeeze in an activity = find time to do it
Collocations with ‘sport’
- It’s a spectator sport (=I watch it)
- It’s a competitive sport
- It’s a contact sport (=close contact and possible injury)
Other collocations….
It’s a /an ______ sport
water, field, indoor, outdoor, extreme
Trying a new sport
This could be an IELTS Speaking Part 2 Question. In part 2 you not only need language, but also an idea to talk about. Here are both language and ideas for this Part 2 questions about Sport in IELTS Speaking.
- I’d like to have a go at ________
- I’d like to try my hand at _______
- I’d love to give ____ a go
- I’d like to take up _________
Some unusual sports you might like to try
- Riding a penny farthing
- Surfing
- Quidditch
- Underwater hockey
- 360 ball
Check out some more in the video below!
More Free IELTS Speaking Lessons
If you liked this lesson, leave a comment below!
There are more lessons you can follow in the links below too.
SOCIAL MEDIA in IELTS Speaking. Improve your listening and speaking skills for the topic of social media.
OLYMPICS in IELTS Speaking. Essential vocabulary and idioms to talk about Olympic events and athletes, as well as your feelings about them.
KEEPING FIT in IELTS Speaking. Learn different types of activities we do to keep fit and the language you need to talk about them
ADVICE in IELTS Speaking. Learn to talk about giving, getting and following advice.
