Unlike me, I'm sure some of you are interested in, or practise sports! Here is a revision lesson on some of the verbs we commonly use to talk about sports. All you need to do is choose the correct verb in each sentence.
Lesson by Caroline Devane
There are so many idioms we use in daily conversation that have a connection with sport.
Look at the list and the explanations.
The sports they are originally derived from are in brackets.
a. To get second wind: to get a sudden burst of energy (sailing). "I was feeling tired after lunch, but I got my second wind in the afternoon."
Thrill-seeker: a person who enjoys taking part in extreme sports and other activities involving physical risk
So many of my English students in Cape Town used to terrify me with videos of them bungee jumping or swimming with sharks!
I would NEVER do anything like that, for me riding a rollercoaster is all the excitement I will need.
Having said that, I am considering abseiling down Table Mountain in a few months, but that's not for fun, that's for charity!
A common topic of conversation is the sports people enjoy playing and watching – so it's important to know which verb to use!
When we discuss sport there are three verbs that we use: play, go and do.
For example:
"I play table-tennis."
"I go fishing. "
"I do yoga."
Lots of idiomatic expressions come from things people say to each other in sports. For example in fishing,'to get off the hook' means literally, for the fish to escape! These phrases have been adapted and, as idioms, can be used in a variety of circumstances. In each of these sentences, can you decide which idiom is needed?
Caroline Devane
Here’s a really inspiring article about the Kenyan athlete, Mo Farah. I have highlighted some key vocabulary and then written the definition of each highlighted word. All you need to do is match the word to its definition.
Lesson by Caroline
I’m not a very sporty person, but since I moved to London I’ve been going to the gym almost every day. My gym is quite big and so as well as using the exercise machines, customers can also play a variety of sports. Below, I have written a list of exercise equipment. All you need to do is match each thing to its description below.
Lesson by Caroline.
Hi everyone, here's some sports collocations for you!
Go is generally used for sports and activities ending in –ing (but not always).
"Let's go skiing this winter."
Do is generally used for individual sports and fighting sports.
"My son can do Judo."
This one's for all you sporty people who need to brush up on your running jargon! Have a look at the vocabulary and match the words to their definitions...
1) Novice
2) Marathon
3) Hamstring
4) Warm-up
5) Treadmill
6) Peak Performance
7) Cramp
8) Quads / quadriceps
9) Dehydration
10) Endorphins
As you know, learning English is more than just learning vocabulary words and grammar rules. To really know the language, you have to know the culture. American football is such a big part of American culture that the vocabulary from this great sport (please hold the chuckles) has seeped into everyday use.
