11.2 Free Time, Hobbies, Travel and Transport
Key Takeaways
- Free-time language (sports, hobbies, cinema, music) powers Speaking Parts 1–2 and many Reading texts; learn play/go/do sport patterns and enjoy/keen on chunks.
- Travel collocations—go on holiday, book a ticket, catch a train, pack a suitcase—appear in Part 4 gaps and Listening announcements.
- Transport words need partners: by bus, on foot, get off at, platform, departure board, not single translations alone.
- Basic directions (turn left, go straight on, opposite the station) help Listening map/place items and Speaking when discussing meeting points.
- Stations and airports at A2 focus on simple passenger language: ticket, gate, delay, luggage, passport control—not technical aviation.
11.2 Free Time, Hobbies, Travel and Transport
Quick Answer: Build play / go / do sport patterns, hobby verbs (collect, cook, take photos), entertainment phrases (watch a film, go to a concert), and travel chunks (go on holiday, catch the train, turn left). These topics dominate Speaking, fill Reading Part 4 gaps, and drive Listening questions about times, platforms, prices, and plans.
After people and routines, examiners expect you to talk about what you do for fun and how you travel. This section is a practical map of those two worlds—with tables of chunks, not endless word lists.
Exam Connections
| Paper area | Typical free-time / travel focus |
|---|---|
| Speaking Part 1 | Hobbies, weekends, last holiday, how you get to school |
| Speaking Part 2 | Choose a free-time activity, gift, or day trip with a partner |
| Reading Part 2–3 | Texts about clubs, trips, sports people |
| Reading Part 4 | play football, go swimming, take a trip, miss the bus |
| Listening | Meeting times, train platforms, film start times, directions |
| Writing Part 6 | Invite a friend to the cinema; describe a short trip |
Sports and Physical Activities
The play / go / do pattern (learn as a system)
| Pattern | Use with | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| play | ball sports, competitive games, instruments | play football, tennis, basketball, chess; play the guitar |
| go | -ing activities, movement sports | go swimming, go skiing, go running, go cycling |
| do | martial arts, non-ball “disciplines,” exercise | do yoga, do karate, do athletics, do exercise |
Memory tip: If it ends in -ing as the activity name in many coursebooks (swimming), it often takes go. Ball + team sports often take play.
Useful sport chunks
| Chunk | Example |
|---|---|
| play for a team / school team | She plays for the school team. |
| win / lose a match | We lost the match 2–1. |
| score a goal | He scored two goals. |
| train / practise | They train on Thursdays. |
| be good at + sport | I’m good at tennis. |
| keep fit | I run to keep fit. |
| join a club | I joined a football club. |
Near-miss Part 4 options
| Sentence stem | Best | Common wrong |
|---|---|---|
| On Sundays we _____ swimming. | go | play / make |
| Can you _____ the piano? | play | go / do |
| She _____ yoga after work. | does | plays / goes |
Hobbies and Indoor Free Time
High-value hobby verbs
| Chunk | Note |
|---|---|
| read books / magazines | quiet free time |
| watch TV / films / series | screen time |
| listen to music / the radio | audio |
| cook / bake | home hobby |
| draw / paint / take photos | creative |
| collect stamps / coins | collecting |
| play video games | digital leisure |
| meet friends | social |
| hang out with friends | informal social (recognition + careful production) |
| go shopping (as leisure) | not only “buy milk” |
Like / enjoy / keen patterns
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| like + noun / -ing | I like music. I like dancing. |
| love / hate + -ing | She loves cooking. |
| enjoy + -ing | They enjoy travelling. |
| be interested in + noun / -ing | He’s interested in history. |
| be keen on + noun / -ing | I’m keen on photography. |
| be into (informal) | She’s into rock music. (use carefully; know it in Listening) |
| prefer X to Y | I prefer football to tennis. |
Speaking expansion formula: hobby + when + why
I enjoy cycling at the weekend because it’s free and I keep fit.
Cinema, Music, and Simple Culture
These feed invitations (Writing Part 6) and Listening times.
| Chunk | Use |
|---|---|
| go to the cinema / movies | outing |
| watch a film / movie | at home or cinema |
| the film starts at… | Listening times |
| book tickets online | modern life |
| be sold out | no tickets left |
| comedy, action film, cartoon | simple genres |
| listen to a band / singer | music |
| go to a concert / festival | live event |
| download / stream music | tech + free time (see also 11.4) |
| play an instrument | guitar, piano, drums |
| in the audience / on stage | basic event roles |
Invitation chunks: Would you like to go to the cinema on Friday? The film starts at half past seven.
Holidays and Travel Experiences
Core holiday collocations
| Chunk | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go on holiday | take a vacation (British holiday) |
| go away for the weekend | short trip |
| stay in a hotel / hostel / with friends | accommodation |
| book a room / book tickets | reserve |
| pack a suitcase / bag | prepare luggage |
| go sightseeing | visit famous places |
| take photos | record the trip |
| buy souvenirs | gifts/memory objects |
| send a postcard | classic Writing/Reading topic |
| have a good time | enjoy |
| come back / get back | return |
| be delayed | late transport |
Trip types (recognition + light production)
| Word | Cue |
|---|---|
| day trip | go and return same day |
| city break | short city holiday |
| camping | tent |
| beach holiday | sea and sand |
| school trip | organised by school |
Time-off language
| Chunk | Example |
|---|---|
| have time off | I have two weeks off in August. |
| public holiday | The banks are closed. |
| summer holidays | long school break |
Original Part 4 line: Last year we _____ on holiday to Portugal and _____ in a small hotel near the beach. → went / stayed
Transport Modes and Partners
How you travel (by + transport)
| Phrase | Note |
|---|---|
| by bus / train / tram / metro / underground | public transport |
| by car / taxi | road |
| by plane / by air | air travel |
| by bike | cycling |
| on foot | walking (not by foot in careful A2 teaching) |
| on the bus / on the train | when you are aboard |
| in the car | inside a car |
Verb + transport collocations
| Chunk | Meaning |
|---|---|
| take / catch a bus or train | use that service |
| miss the bus | too late to board |
| get on / get off | enter / leave a bus or train |
| get in / get out of a car | car-specific |
| change trains | switch services |
| ride a bike | cycle |
| drive a car | be the driver |
| fly to (city) | travel by plane |
| walk to school | go on foot |
Timetable and ticket language
| Word / chunk | Listening / Reading use |
|---|---|
| timetable / schedule | when services run |
| single / return ticket | one way / both ways |
| fare / ticket price | money |
| platform | train location |
| departure / arrival | leave / come in |
| delay / cancelled | problems |
| season ticket | regular travel pass (recognition) |
Detail drill: If you hear The 10:15 train is delayed by twenty minutes, the arrival logic changes—even if the platform stays the same.
Stations, Airports, and Simple Passenger English
A2 does not need pilot vocabulary. It needs passenger survival English.
Station / bus station
| Word | Use |
|---|---|
| ticket office / ticket machine | buy tickets |
| information desk | ask for help |
| waiting room | sit and wait |
| platform number | where to stand |
| departure board | screens with times |
| left-luggage | store bags (recognition) |
Airport (basic)
| Word | Use |
|---|---|
| check-in | give bags / get boarding pass |
| boarding pass | card/document to board |
| gate | where you enter the plane area |
| passport control / security | checks |
| luggage / suitcase / hand luggage | bags |
| flight number | e.g. BA123 |
| baggage reclaim | get bags after landing |
Useful passenger lines:
- Excuse me, which platform for London?
- Is this train delayed?
- Where is gate 12?
- I need a return ticket to the airport, please.
Directions (Town + Travel)
Directions link this section to places in town (11.4) and Listening map tasks.
| Chunk | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go straight on | continue forward |
| turn left / turn right | change direction |
| take the second turning on the left | more precise |
| It’s on the left / right | location |
| opposite the station | facing |
| next to / beside the bank | adjacent |
| between the café and the park | middle |
| at the traffic lights / roundabout | landmarks |
| How do I get to…? | ask the way |
| You can’t miss it | easy to see |
Speaking Part 2 link: When choosing where to meet a friend, use place + direction + transport: Let’s meet opposite the cinema. We can go by bus and get off at the library stop.
Worked Multi-Skill Mini-Scenario (Original)
Context: Sam plans a free Saturday.
Sam is keen on photography. He wants to go to the city museum, then meet a friend at the cinema. The film starts at 7:45. He usually goes by metro, but the line is delayed, so he decides to go by bus and get off opposite the station. After the film they might go for a pizza.
Reading Part 4 style gaps you could invent: keen on, starts at, by bus, get off, opposite.
Listening details to train: film time; transport change; meeting place.
Speaking: I’m interested in photography. On Saturdays I often go to museums. I usually travel by metro, but sometimes I take the bus.
Collocation Priority Tables (Study These Deeply)
Table A — Free time
| Do say | Avoid as default |
|---|---|
| go swimming | play swimming |
| play the guitar | do the guitar |
| do exercise | make exercise |
| take a photo | make a photo |
| have a good time | pass a good time (L1 transfer) |
Table B — Travel
| Do say | Avoid as default |
|---|---|
| go on holiday | go for holiday (common error) |
| catch/miss the train | lose the train for lateness |
| book a ticket | invite a ticket |
| pack a suitcase | make a suitcase |
| arrive at the airport | arrive to the airport (preposition care) |
Practice Loop for One Week
- Day 1: Write play/go/do lists from your real life (10 items).
- Day 2: 90-second talk: last holiday + how you travelled.
- Day 3: Draw a simple route from your home to a cinema; label with direction chunks.
- Day 4: Six-gap paragraph about a school trip; test collocations.
- Day 5: Listening focus—any timetable audio; write three numbers you hear.
Checklist
- I can choose play/go/do correctly for five sports/activities
- I can speak for one minute about a hobby with interested in / keen on / enjoy
- I know holiday packing/booking chunks
- I can explain how I travel to school/work with by / on foot
- I can give simple directions using turn, opposite, next to
- I recognise basic station and airport passenger words
Leisure and travel language makes you sound like a full person in the exam, not only a grammar machine. Next comes food, shopping, money, and health—the practical “out in town” survival set.
Which option correctly completes the sentence: “In summer we often _____ swimming in the lake”?
What is the most natural A2 collocation for a vacation?
You hear: “Get off at the stop opposite the station, then turn left.” What skill area is this mainly testing in Listening?