English Collocations Related to Leisure

English Collocations Related to Leisure

Hi English learners! In today’s lesson, we will be learning English collocations related to leisure. As you already know, collocations are natural expressions and leisure refers to your free time. So, we will be learning some natural expressions for the things you normally do in your free time.

Let’s look at the list:

• Take up a hobby/sport
• Go shopping/cycling/swimming…
• Have a  lie in
• A good night’s sleep
• Hang out with friends and family
• Meet up with friends
• Have friends round
• Catch up with friends/family
• Go for a walk/a ride
• Hit the road

Take up a hobby/sport

Some of the most common leisure activities are hobbies and sports; we take them in order to relax and have fun. 

• If you are creative, you can take up a hobby such as knitting or sewing.
• Taking up a sport is not only relaxing but also a healthy activity which can improve the quality of our lives a great deal.
• Brian decided to take up a sport such as running to keep fit.

Go shopping/cycling/swimming…

Many are collocations referring to leisure activities with the structure go + -ing. We can go shopping, riding, running, swimming, camping, fishing, etc.

• It was a very hot day so we decided to go swimming in the lake.
• Let’s have lunch in town on Saturday and then go shopping.
• Ben and his friend are going camping for the weekend. They’ll be sleeping in a tent.

Have a lie in

To have a lie in (or a lie-in) means to sleep longer at weekends. Don’t we all look forward to it after a working week? Just lie in bed for as long as you like on Saturday morning and not think about anything in particular.

• It’s been quite a busy week. I can’t wait to have a lie in on Saturday.
• We are setting off early tomorrow so I guess it means no lie-in in the morning.

A good night’s sleep

 The collocation refers to a night when you sleep well.

• After a busy week at work, I can’t wait to have a good night’s sleep.
• After a good night’s sleep, Peter and his girlfriend went on an outing to the city zoo.
• A good night’s sleep and a big breakfast helped me recover after the exam.

Hang out with friends and family

To hang out with someone means to spend your free time with them doing something like watching TV, going to clubs, or whatever you like doing in your free time when you’re with your friends.

• I’m not doing anything special in the afternoon. I’ll be watching TV and hanging out with my wife and kids.
• What I like most about the weekend is the fact that I can hang out with my friends for as long as I like without thinking about work.

Meet up with friends

Who doesn’t like to meet up with friends on Sunday morning and have a chat over a cup of coffee? 

• Sue arranged to meet up with Bob in the pub later.
• I’m meeting up with Simon for a game of golf on Saturday.
• I’m so happy. I met up with an old friend whom I haven’t seen since high school.

Have friends round

To have someone round means to have visitors for a meal or a drink.

• Why don’t you drop by later? We are having some friends round. It’s going to be fun.
• Jane is ordering food because she is having some friends round for lunch.
• We are having a few friends round tonight for dinner and a game of cards.

Catch up with friends/family

Catch up is a phrasal verb meaning to spend time talking to someone in order to update each other on the things that happened since you last met.

• Sara and Celia haven’t seen each other for a while so they arranged to meet in a cafe after work to catch up.
• Philip plans to go back to Bristol to catch up with his old friends and relatives.

Go for a walk/a ride

It can be very relaxing to go for a walk or a ride in your car after work or at weekends.

• Martin met up with a friend and they went for a walk in the park.
• It’s so boring at home. Let’s go for a ride.

Hit the road

To hit the road means to go on a trip.

• As soon as the summer holiday started they packed their rucksacks and hit the road for the Mediterranean coast.
• The best way to spend a day off is to hit the road and change the scene.

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