Hobbies & Free Time

Warm-up: Your hobbies, exam-style

2 warm-up questions

• Before any exam talk: what do you actually do in your free time these days?
• Now one without preparation, exam-style. I'm the examiner: "Do you have any hobbies?" Answer for about 20–30 seconds, starting now.

Reading: What a Band 7 hobby answer sounds like

Read a 284-word text about What a Band 7 hobby answer sounds like

What a Band 7 hobby answer sounds like Hobbies are one of the most common Part 1 openers. The examiner isn't interested in your hobby — they're listening to how you talk about it: do you extend your answers naturally, link your ideas, and use words beyond “like” and “nice”? Band 6 or Band 7? At Band 6, answers are correct but short and plain: the candidate answers the question and stops. At Band 7, every answer is extended — an answer, a reason, and a detail or example — with ideas linked by because, so and though, and some less common vocabulary used naturally. The difference is a habit, not a talent. The same question at two levels “Do you have any hobbies?” A Band 6-style answer: “Yes, I like reading. I read books at home. It is relaxing.” A Band 7-style answer: “Yes — I'm really into photography. I took it up about three years ago because I wanted a reason to get outside more, and now I'm out with my camera most weekends. For example, last Sunday I spent two hours photographing the old market near my house.” Same person, same hobby. The second answer simply makes three moves: answer, reason, example. Questions to expect Do you have any hobbies? — What do you like to do in your free time? — Do you prefer indoor or outdoor activities? — Have you started any new hobbies recently? — What hobbies were popular when you were a child? Whatever the question, the move is the same: be specific (“I read historical fiction”, not “I like reading”), say why you enjoy it, and add how often you do it or one recent example.

Vocabulary: Hobby Vocabulary

6 items

Practice: Hobby Expressions

Gap-fill exercise, 6 items

• I ____ up swimming when I was young.
• I'm really ____ cooking these days.
• In my ____ time, I enjoy reading.
• I find gardening helps me ____ after work.
• Photography has been my ____ for many years.
• I ____ to spend my weekends hiking.

Dialogue: Part 1 Hobbies Practice

Role-play: Practice answering Part 1 questions about hobbies (6 lines)

• Examiner: Do you have any hobbies?
• Candidate (You): Yes, I have a few hobbies. I'm really into photography - I enjoy taking pictures of landscapes and street scenes. I've been doing it for about three years now, and I find it very relaxing.
• Examiner: Do you prefer indoor or outdoor activities?
• Candidate (You): I prefer outdoor activities, actually. I think being in nature helps me unwind and clear my mind. However, when the weather is bad, I'm happy to stay indoors and read or watch films.
• Examiner: Have you started any new hobbies recently?
• Candidate (You): Yes, I've recently taken up cooking. During the pandemic, I started experimenting with different recipes, and now I really enjoy it. I especially like trying dishes from different countries.

Discussion: Your Part 1 topic round: hobbies

3 discussion questions

• Mission: a full exam round. Your tutor asks you five hobby questions from this lesson, one after another. Success = every answer is 2–4 sentences with a reason or an example, no one-sentence replies, and at least three of today's words (take up, be into, unwind, pastime, leisure, pass the time). (Tutor: play the examiner — brisk pace, about four minutes.)
• Second take, harder angle: “What hobbies were popular when you were a child?” and “Is there a hobby you'd like to try in the future?” Watch your tenses — past for childhood, would/going to for the future.
• Callback: I'll ask the first question from the start of the lesson one last time — “Do you have any hobbies?” Give your best version, then compare. Which of the three moves — answer, reason, example — was missing before?