Sports – play, do or go?

When do we use Play; Do or Go with sports?

In the English language we can use the verbs:

• play
• do
• go

with different types of sports or leisure activities.

Which verbs goes with which sport?

“Play” a sport

     We “play” team sports:

• I play football on Saturdays
• John plays rugby
• Helen plays basketball
• Monica plays hockey

     But we also “play” other sports where we need an opponent:

• Fred plays tennis.
• Harry plays badminton.
• Sandra plays golf.
• Henry has been playing snooker since he was a young boy.

     and it’s used for board games and other games:

• We always play poker on Friday nights.
• My children love playing Trivial Pusuits.
• I sometimes play Scrabble with my students.
• Max plays chess every week.

Note:

•  it is also possible to say I go to football/basketball/rugby when it means that I walk or drive etc to the place where I play football/basketball/rugby

“Go” + sport

     We use “go” with a sport when the name of the sport is a verb in the gerund form.

• I go jogging every morning.
• Mary goes swimming after work.
• If the weather is good I go climbing with Gerry once a month.
• Gerry and Diana went fishing at the weekend.
• Fred likes going sailing.

Note:

     When you are actively doing the sport you can say:

• John is sailing at the moment.
• I am jogging.
• I am riding a horse.

 “Do”  sports

     We “do” sports that are:

• not team games
• are Martial Arts
• are leisure activities

     Examples:

• Monica does karate.
• Dan does judo.
• Gillian does aerobics.
• Gary and Alice do athletics.
• I did gymnastics when I was younger.

     Note:

     You can ask       “What sports or free time activities do you do?”

     People can answer     

• ” I do football on Thursdays”
• “I do swimming” etc etc

     in this sense they see football and swimming (or any other sport/activity) as activities, so it’s OK to use “do”.

 For more vocabulary go to Vocabulary Index

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