A2 — Hobbies & free time activities
Level A2
Vocabulary
Likes & interests
1. Talking about hobbies you like
We often use like, love and enjoy to talk about hobbies and free-time activities. After these verbs we usually use a noun or a verb + -ing.
| Verb | + noun | + -ing form |
|---|---|---|
| like | I like photography. | I like taking photos. |
| love | They love football. | They love playing football. |
| enjoy | She enjoys gardening. | She enjoys working in the garden. |
Pattern
like / love / enjoy + noun / -ing
Quick examples
✔I love running in the park.
✔We enjoy playing video games together.
✔My dad likes fishing at the weekend.
2. Saying what you prefer
We use prefer to talk about one activity we like more than another. After prefer we can use a noun or a verb with -ing.
Nouns
I prefer pottery to photography.
Verbs
I enjoy swimming, but I prefer
running.
Tip
We usually say prefer A to B:
prefer hiking to running.
3. Be fond of / keen on / into / crazy about
These expressions also show that you like something.
- be fond of / be keen on = you like it and enjoy doing it regularly.
- be into = you are very interested in it at the moment.
- be crazy about = you love it a lot, it’s a strong passion.
✔I’m fond of dancing.
✔Ken is keen on swimming.
✔Tom is into reading at the moment.
✔Mario is crazy about singing.
4. Doing something for fun
When you do something for fun, you do it only for pleasure, not for money or as your job. We normally use the present simple for habits.
✔I cook for fun on
weekends.
✔Sam collects stamps for
fun.
Remember
do something for fun = for enjoyment only.
5. Creative hobbies
These hobbies are about making or creating things.
collecting things
doing crafts
painting
DIY
pottery
collecting thingsJohn enjoys collecting
things such as stamps and old postcards.
doing craftsI love doing crafts like
making cards and sewing.
paintingI enjoy painting to relax and
express my feelings.
DIYMy brother is into DIY and often builds
shelves for our house.
potteryThese days I’m keen on pottery and
make bowls out of clay.
6. Food, books & learning
Some hobbies are quiet and relaxing.
gardening
cooking
reading
learning languages
gardeningLuke is fond of gardening and
grows his own vegetables.
cookingI enjoy cooking in my free time.
readingNick is keen on reading and always
has a book with him.
learning languagesI like learning
languages and want to start Italian.
7. Screen time hobbies
watching TV
playing video games
going to the cinema
photography / taking photos
watching TVWe are fond of watching TV
together in the evening.
playing video gamesLucy is crazy about
playing video games.
going to the cinemaWe like going to the
cinema almost every weekend.
photographyMike is into photography and
has just bought a new camera.
8. Music, sport & outdoor activities
singing
playing an instrument
working out
playing football
running
hiking
fishing
singingKen is crazy about singing and is
in a band.
playing an instrumentHarry loves playing
instruments and is great at the guitar.
working outDon is into working out and
goes to the gym most days.
playing footballJoe enjoys playing
football with his friends.
runningI love running in the park before
work.
hikingWe are keen on hiking in the
mountains near our home.
fishingFishing by the lake is my
favourite way to relax at the weekend.
Try to talk about your own hobbies using different verbs: I’m into hiking. I prefer reading to watching TV. I cook for fun.
Exercises:
Hobbies & Free Time Activities
Choose the correct option to complete each sentence below.
1
In the evening I
reading books on the sofa.
Correct: like — you think reading books is nice.
2
I
playing football. It’s my favourite hobby.
Correct: love — it is your favourite activity.
3
They really
going to the cinema at the weekend.
Correct: enjoy — they feel happy when they do it.
4
I
cooking at home to eating in restaurants.
Correct: prefer — you like one thing more than another.
5
My grandma is very
gardening and flowers.
Correct: fond of — she really likes gardening.
6
He is really
playing the guitar and practises every day.
Correct: keen on — very interested in it.
7
I’m really
video games. I play every evening.
Correct: into — you really like video games.
8
She is
hiking. She goes to the mountains every weekend.
Correct: crazy about — she likes it a lot.
9
We don’t play football for money; we just play it
.
Correct: for fun — only to enjoy yourself.
10
My uncle likes
like stamps and old coins.
Correct: collecting things — a hobby with stamps, coins, etc.
11
She enjoys
like making cards and small gifts by hand.
Correct: doing crafts — hand-made hobby activities.
12
On Tuesday I go to an art class for
pictures with watercolours.
Correct: painting — making pictures with paint.
13
At the weekend my dad does
at home, like fixing shelves and building small tables.
Correct: DIY — home projects and repairs.
14
In her hobby club she does
and makes cups and bowls from clay.
Correct: pottery — making things from clay.
15
My grandpa loves
in the yard and growing vegetables.
Correct: gardening — working with plants and flowers.
16
He likes
new recipes and making dinner for friends.
Correct: cooking — preparing food.
17
Before bed I enjoy
a good book.
Correct: reading — looking at and understanding written words.
18
She studies English and Spanish; she enjoys
in her free time.
Correct: learning languages — studying different languages.
19
In the evening we relax on the sofa by
together.
Correct: watching TV — looking at television programmes.
20
My little brother spends hours
on his computer.
Correct: playing video games — computer or console games.
21
On Fridays we like
to see new films.
Correct: going to the cinema — watching films in a cinema.
22
He loves
when he travels; he always carries his camera.
Correct: photography / taking photos — hobby with a camera.
23
She is in a choir and practises
every week.
Correct: singing — making music with your voice.
24
Tom spends an hour a day
like the guitar or piano.
Correct: playing an instrument — music on guitar, piano, etc.
25
He goes to the gym three times a week; he enjoys
with weights.
Correct: working out — doing physical exercise.
26
Every Saturday we go to the field for
with friends.
Correct: playing football — the sport with a ball and two teams.
27
I go
in the park early in the morning.
Correct: running — fast walking for exercise.
28
At the weekend they go
in the mountains and walk for many hours.
Correct: hiking — long walks in nature.
29
My grandpa loves
by the river with a long rod.
Correct: fishing — hobby with a rod and fish.
Hobbies & Free Time Activities
Match the sentences with the words
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