Examples of common sporting collocations with do, play and go
GO is used with sports and activities, ending with –ing. The verb GO implies that we go somewhere to practice this sport. Generally these activities imply moving along.
Go fishing go cycling go surfing go snowboarding
go climbing hill go sailing go jogging go swimming
go bowling go hang-gliding go walking go fishing
go sailing go dancing go hitch-hiking go riding
Do is used with recreational activities which are used done individually or a sports without use of a ball. Generally these activities do not imply moving along.
do aerobics do gymnastics do yoga do judo
do weightlifting do wrestling do circuit training do archery
do ballet do a crossword puzzle
Play is generally used with team sports and those sports that need a ball or similar object. In these games, they are two teams competing with each other.
play badminton play table tennis play cricket play hockey
play rugby play volleyball play snooker play basketball
play chess play squash play billiards play golf
play darts play cards play dominoes
Example sentences
- Gereth Edward plays rugby.
- I do yoga every morning.
- It’s real fun to do a crossword puzzle in the morning.
- In India, children grow up playing cricket.
Reading in Context
Winning or losing
Sportsmen and sportswomen want to win matches, not lose matches. But you can’t win all the time! Sometimes a team or player deserves to win, but gets narrowly defeated or beaten.
Before they go in for/enter a competition, athletes train hard. They probably attend or do at least five training sessions a week. They are likely to put up a fight to gain/get a place in the next stage/round of the competition. Of course, a sportsperson’s ultimate aim is to break the world record holder. They are sure to come up against fierce/intense competition as they try to achieve their ambitions. Sometimes they are satisfied if they just achieve a personal best.
Some sports people so desperately want to win that they take drugs to enhance their performance. This will be discovered when they fail a drug test.
Speaking Quiz:
- How often do you do judo?
- Do people usually go jogging in your country?
- When did you play cards last?
- What preparations do you do before entering a competition?
- Have you ever played badminton with your parents?
- How often do you go swimming?
- Would you rather go swimming or skiing?
- What is the best time to do meditation?
- What do sportsmen do to enhance their performances?
- Are people so desperate to watch cricket in your country?
