Describe a hobby you enjoyed during childhood
You should say:- what hobby it was
- how you developed it
- why you liked it
Sample Answer - Talk about a hobby you had as a child
That's easy, I used to play sports - that was my hobby, and eventually, it became my work.
My favorite sport when I was a teenager was soccer. I used to play almost every day, sometimes just practicing and other times seriously in matches.
I used to be part of a local team and we played one match during the week and another on Saturday mornings against other local teams. I was very good, but not good enough to play professionally.
That was due to an injury I suffered; I damaged my knee after a motorcycle accident and although it's ok now it was never really as strong as it was before the accident, otherwise, maybe I would have tried to become a professional soccer player here in Madrid.
I started playing soccer just like most kids here, in the street and at school. It was what we all did in our spare time for fun. I was better than most of the other kids so my father took me to a local soccer club one day to see the coach and let me do a trial for the team.
That's when I started taking it more seriously and realized that I could train and become an even better player. I made some great friends in the years while I was playing there and in fact, we still see each other now and again socially, although almost none of us play soccer anymore. I think I'm the only one of us who does anything sporty nowadays.
I liked playing soccer so much because I was good at it and because it's active and I get bored doing a lot of other things which are less dynamic. I was never very interested in studying at school, I wanted to be running around and doing things all the time. I think a lot of kids are like that though, it's nothing special.
I find it a lot easier to study now because I can see that it's relevant to what I do every day and I learn things that I can use with the people I work with and see the results.
I used to love soccer so much because when we won a match, the atmosphere was great and we all used to celebrate and feel good for a couple of days. I liked the competition I think, trying to be better than the other team and trying to play better than I played before. I'm still quite competitive now, though not as much as I was then.
If it hadn't been for my accident - who knows - maybe my childhood hobby would have led me to become a famous soccer player by now. But I don't mind, my work is good and I can still do most sports without any kind of problem, even play soccer now and again just for fun.
Follow-up questions (rounding-off questions)Did you have other hobbies when you were younger?
No, not really, I was busy playing sports. I didn't really have time for anything else. And, to be honest, I wasn't really interested in much else other than sport.
What was your favorite hobby growing up?
I loved playing sports when I was younger! My favorites were basketball and softball. I also loved spending time outside, whether it was hiking, biking, or swimming. And, of course, I loved spending time with my friends and family.
Do you still have the same hobby that you had in your childhood?
Yes, I still love playing sports, and even try some new ones now and again. I don't think I'll ever give up on this hobby!
Are there any things you keep from childhood?
I definitely keep a lot of things from childhood! Some of my favorites are my baby clothes, my favorite stuffed animal, and some of my art projects. I also keep a lot of things that remind me of happy memories, like my yearbooks and photos.
How and when to use PLAY, GO and DO with sports or activities
In English, we use different verbs like 'play', 'go', and 'do' before sports and activities, but they're used in different ways.
Play
When we talk about a sport or game where you use a ball, like soccer, tennis, or basketball, we say play.
Example:
Go
When talking about activities that generally involve movement, and you can go somewhere to do them, we use go. These activities often end in "-ing."
Example:
It's like you go to a different place to do these activities.
Do
For exercises, workouts, or activities that don't usually involve balls or definitive movements to different places, we use do.
This is common for martial arts, fitness, and exercise where the focus is more on the activity itself, rather than playing or moving from place to place.
Example:
Quick Guide
- Play - ball sports or competitive games - you play soccer.
- Go - activities that usually involve going to a different place or doing something outdoors - you go hiking.
- Do - non-competitive activities, exercises, or martial arts where the focus is on doing the activity itself - you do judo.
IELTS Speaking Part 2
- The IELTS examiner gives you a Cue Card (candidate task card)
- You are allowed one minute to plan and prepare your answer
- You are expected to talk about the topic on the card for one to two minutes
- At the end, the IELTS examiner normally asks an additional 'follow-up' or 'rounding-off' question related to the topic
- Once you finish answering, the examiner moves to the next section of the speaking test, Part 3
Speaking for IELTS Part 3 Questions Hobbies (Past & Future)