A2 English Vocabulary: Talking About Sports and Exercise (Play, Do, Go) — A2 English vocabulary lesson by Langcom

A2 English Vocabulary: Talking About Sports and Exercise (Play, Do, Go)

Рауль Магинья

Основатель Langcom | Экзаменатор по экзаменам Cambridge и SIELE

Июль 17, 2026

A2📚 Словарь⏱️ Время чтения: 4 мин.
To talk about sports and exercise in English, we use specific verbs like play, do, и go. These verbs combine with different activities. We use play for team sports or games with a ball, like play badminton или play football. For individual exercises, martial arts, or non-team activities, we typically use do, например do yoga или do gymnastics. Finally, go is common with activities ending in -ing, often done outdoors or involving movement, for example, go skiing или go swimming. Other activities like ride a bike или dance use their own specific verbs. Knowing these patterns helps you speak naturally about your hobbies.

How Do We Talk About Sports in English?

In English, we often use three main verbs to talk about sports and exercise: play, do, и go. Choosing the correct verb is important for sounding natural.

Each verb has a general rule for the types of activities it combines with. Let’s look at them one by one.

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When Do We Use ‘Play’?

Мы используем play for team sports, ball sports, or competitive games.

  • Использование play with sports where you usually need a ball or play against other people.
  • These are often competitive games.

Examples:

  • play football
  • play basketball
  • play tennis
  • play badminton

When Do We Use ‘Do’?

Мы используем do for individual activities, non-team sports, martial arts, or general exercise.

  • Использование do for activities that are often individual or focus on exercise and fitness.
  • These activities usually do not involve a ball or a team.

Examples:

  • do yoga
  • do gymnastics
  • do karate
  • do exercise

When Do We Use ‘Go’?

Мы используем go for activities that end in -ing. These are often activities you do outdoors or that involve movement from one place to another.

  • Использование go with many activities that involve continuous movement.
  • The activity itself is often a verb ending in -ing.

Examples:

  • go swimming
  • go running
  • go cycling
  • go skiing
  • go skating

What About Other Verbs for Exercise?

Some activities use their own specific verbs, not play, do, или go.

  • For activities with a bike or a horse, we use ride. Например, ride a bike или ride a horse.
  • For the activity of moving rhythmically to music, we use the verb dance. Например, dance salsa или dance at a party.
Summary of Verbs for Sports and Exercise
Verb Type of Activity Примеры
Play Team sports, ball sports, competitive games football, tennis, badminton
Do Individual activities, martial arts, general exercise yoga, gymnastics, karate
Go Activities ending in -ing (often outdoors/movement) swimming, running, skiing, skating

Примеры

  • I like to play badminton with my friends on Saturdays.
  • She does yoga every morning to relax.
  • We often go skiing in the mountains in winter.
  • He loves to ride his bike in the park.
  • They go skating at the ice rink every week.
  • My sister wants to learn to dance.
  • Do you want to play football this afternoon?

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Распространенные ошибки у носителей испанского языка

Using ‘Do’ for all activities

A common mistake for Spanish speakers is to use do for many sports, similar to ‘hacer’ in Spanish. However, English uses specific verbs.

  • Неправильно: I do football.
  • Правильно: I play football.
  • Неправильно: She does swimming.
  • Правильно: She goes swimming.

Remember to use play for ball/team sports, do for individual exercise, and go для -ing activities.

Часто задаваемые вопросы

Can I say ‘do sport’?

Да, можно сказать, что do sport as a general phrase, meaning to participate in sports. However, when talking about a specific sport, it’s better to use play, do, или go. Например, I do sport every weekend верно, но I play football is more specific than I do football.

What about ‘run’ or ‘swim’?

Run и swim are verbs themselves. You can say I run every day или I swim in the sea. However, go running и go swimming are also very common collocations, meaning to go somewhere specifically to do that activity. For example, Let’s go swimming!

Is it ‘do a bike’ or ‘ride a bike’?

The correct phrase is ride a bike. We use the verb ride for things you sit on and control, like a bicycle or a horse. We do not use do for this activity.

Об авторе: Рауль Магинья

Рауль Магинья является директором образовательной ассоциации «Langcom» — официального центра подготовки к экзамену Cambridge English в США. Имея более чем десятилетний опыт работы в сфере языкового образования и международной сертификации, он помог тысячам студентов, преподавателей и образовательных учреждений в 25 странах получить сертификаты по английскому языку: Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL и Michigan.

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