Lesson 5 – Hobbies

Welcome to Lesson 5 of the Everyday English Speaking Course! Today we’re going
to talk about hobbies – the word “hobby” refers to an activity or interest that you do
for pleasure or relaxation.

Conversation #1 – Talking about Hobbies

Ron and Eileen are getting to know each other on a first date. Listen to each of them
ask and answer questions about their hobbies.

Ron: So what do you like to do in your free time? Do you have

any hobbies?

Eileen: I’m really into rock climbing – I go up to the mountains

every chance I can get.

Ron: Rock climbing?! Wow – how long have you been doing
that?

Eileen: About 5 years. My college roommate introduced me to

it. Unfortunately I’ve been super busy these days and I haven’t
been able to do much climbing, so I go jogging to stay in shape.
How about you – do you play any sports?

Ron: No, I’m not very athletic. I work out at the gym… once in a while! I spend a lot
of time reading, and I’m interested in photography – but actually, my newest passion
is gardening.

Eileen: Really? How’d you get into gardening?

Ron: I read an article that piqued my interest, about how home-grown vegetables
are much healthier than what you buy in the supermarket – so I decided to give it a
try.

Eileen: No kidding. Well, I don’t have a garden, but I have been getting into cooking
and baking lately – I’m not very good at it, but it is fun to experiment!

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Conversation Vocabulary & Phrases
Ron starts by asking Eileen about her hobbies. Here are a few different ways to ask
this question:

 "What are your hobbies?" / "Do you have any hobbies?"

 "What do you do in your spare/free time?"
 "What do you like to do for fun?"
 “What do you like to do outside of work/school?”

To answer the question, you can say:

 “I like… [reading / to read / literature]”

 “I love… [painting / to paint / art]”
 “I enjoy... [surfing]”
 “I’m really into… [photography/chess/gardening]”
 “I’m interested in… [astronomy/cooking/computers]”
Be careful not to say “I’m interesting in…” – it’s a very common error!
 “I spend a lot of time… [fishing]”
 “My newest passion is… [blogging/woodworking/bird watching]”

After “like” and “love,” you can use the “to” form or the “ing” form of the verb (or a
noun) – but after “enjoy” and in the other phrases, you can only use a noun or a verb
in the –ing form.

For a hobby that you’ve started recently, you can say:

 I've been getting into [cooking and baking] lately.

 I've taken up [sailing].

There are hundreds and hundreds of hobbies, and you can read an extensive list
here - but these are a few of the most common:

Indoor hobbies:
 blogging / writing
 baking / cooking
baking is making bread, cake, muffins, cupcakes, cookies, etc.
cooking involves all other types of food

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  collecting cards, coins, art, antiques, stamps, rocks, vintage
books/cars/clothing
“vintage” items are those of an old/classic style
 sewing / crocheting / knitting

 drawing / painting / photography / scrapbooking

“scrapbooking” means arranging photos in a book in an artistic way, with
decorations
 tinkering with electronics/computers, playing video games
 woodworking
making things with wood

Outdoor and athletic hobbies:

 bird watching
 camping / hiking

 gardening / fishing / hunting

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  jogging
 rock climbing
 sailing / surfing / water sports
 skateboarding

Here are some ways to talk specifically about sports and music:

 "Do you play any sports?"

o "Yes, I play __________."
o "I do yoga / martial arts / pilates."
o "No, I prefer working out at the gym."
o "No, I'm not very athletic."
o "No, but I love to watch! I'm a big fan of… [sport / team]."
 "Do you play a musical instrument?"
o "Yes, I play __________."
o "I've played the piano for several years."
o "I'm taking _________ lessons."
o "I'm in a band."
o "I sing in a choir."

In the dialogue, there are two “follow-up” questions that you can use to ask for more
information, after the other person tells you their hobbies:

 "How'd you get into that?" (= how did you become interested in it?)
o "I read an article / saw a TV show that piqued my interest."
“piqued my interest” = made me interested in learning more
o "I took a class."
o "I just thought it'd be interesting to try it out."
o "My friend introduced me to it (and I've been doing it ever since)."
 "How long have you been doing that?"

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 o "I just started."
o "For a few years." (for + time period)
o "Since I was a kid." (since + point in the past)
o "Ever since I was in college."

Conversation #2 - Benefits of Hobbies

Erica’s wondering which new hobby to take up. Listen to her conversation with
Natalie.

Erica: Ever since I quit my job, I’ve had a lot of time on my hands. I really need to
find a new hobby.

Natalie: Well, what’s something you’ve always wanted to try?

Erica: I’d love to learn how to dance… but I think I’m too shy!

Natalie: Oh, don’t let that stop you! If I had more free time, I’d definitely take dance
classes.

Erica: So what do you like to do for fun?

Natalie: I’ve gotten into yoga; it’s a great way to relieve stress – and a fantastic
workout. And I’ve always enjoyed writing, so I’m going to start a blog.

Erica: Oh, good for you! You know, I had a ton of hobbies when I was a kid… I used
to collect coins, skateboard, play chess… but none of them really interest me
anymore.

Natalie: Hey – why don’t you take up a craft like

pottery, knitting, or jewelry-making? It’d be fun – and
you could even sell your creations to make a little
money.

Erica: That’s actually not a bad idea. I’ve always wanted

to explore my artistic side.

Conversation Vocabulary & Phrases

Erica starts out by saying she has “a lot of time on her hands” – that means she has a
lot of free time with nothing to do. Here are a few more phrases for talking about
present, past, and potential future hobbies:

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  "I have a lot of time on my hands. I need to find a hobby."
 "I have a ton of different hobbies."
“a ton of” = a very large number of
 "If I had more free time, I'd _______."
use this phrase for an imaginary situation – IF I had more free time, I WOULD…
 "I'd like to try ________."
use this phrase to talk about something you are interested in doing, but you
haven’t started yet
 "I used to _________, but not anymore."
use this phrase to talk about something you did frequently in the past, but you
don’t do it now

A couple of different benefits are also mentioned in the dialogue. Here are some
different answers to the question of why you enjoy your hobby:

 "...because it's a great workout."

= it’s good exercise
 "...because it's a great way to relieve stress.”
 "...because it helps me clear my mind."
= it helps you forget your worries and concerns
 "...because it helps me relax."
 “…because I find it fascinating.”
 "...because it's fun/interesting/exciting/(other adjectives)."
 "...because I can earn a little extra money on the side."

Today’s speaking exercise is to tell me about your hobbies – talk about some
hobbies you had in the past, some hobbies you have currently, and one hobby you’d
like to try.

Click here to record your message, and I’ll send you some tips on your speaking.

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© Shayna Oliveira 2013