In English, we use three different verbs to talk about sports:
play ~ do ~ go
1) Use PLAY for team sports, ball sports, or sports where there is a winner and a loser:
footballbaseballbasketballrugbytennishockeyvolleyballcricketsoccerbadmintongolfI love to play badminton.
I played basketball when I was in high school.
In my spare time, I play soccer with my friends.
Do you play any sports?
When I was a kid, I loved playing baseball with my family.
skiingswimmingclimbingdivingfishingrunningjoggingskating / figure skatingI love to go jogging in the morning before I go to work.
My grandfather and I go fishing every time I visit him.
Every winter, my family and I go skiing in the Rockies.
What are you doing this weekend? Let’s go swimming!
*NOTE: There is NO to between go and the activity. You do NOT ‘go to swimming.’ You just ‘go swimming.’
The sports that end in –ing are all in gerund form. They can also be used in their verb form:
skiswimclimbdive / to scuba divefishrunjogskate / figure skateDo you scuba dive? Yes! I love scuba diving.
I learned how to ski when I was 9 years old.
She skates at the local community centre.
He runs marathons for fun!
3) Use DO with sports that you don’t need any equipment to do:
aerobicskarate / martial artsyogagymnasticsShe does a lot of yoga – that’s why she looks so great!
My daughter used to take swimming lessons, but now she does gymnastics.
Do you do any sports?
To stay in shape, I jog every morning, I play tennis and I also do aerobics.
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- Make is not used in English to talk about sports.
- Practice is rarely used to talk about sports. It is only used to talk about professional athletes who need to practice their skills before a game or an important event. The average person does not practice a sport.
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Melanie is a TESL-certified English teacher. She lives near Toronto, Canada. Through her blog, videos, podcasts, and social media, she helps thousands of people around the world improve their English. She makes English a little less confusing and a little more fun! She also helps people understand Canadian and American culture. She believes that natural interaction with a native speaker helps people practice what they have learned and builds their confidence with English!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for teaching the differences among play, go, and do when talking about the sports.
English can be a very confusing language! I'm glad you enjoyed this lesson! Thanks : )