Asking About Free Time

Hook

You meet someone new at a party, at work or online. After names and countries, the next question is usually about free time. A good free-time conversation needs two things: questions, and the habit of asking back.

Notice

Read the conversation:

  • A: What do you do in your free time?
  • B: I like reading and playing video games. What about you?
  • A: I love cooking, and I play football at the weekend.
  • B: Really? Can you cook well?
  • A: Yes, I can! I love making pasta. Do you like cooking?
  • B: Not really. I’m not very good at it!

How does B ask the same question back in only three words?

Rule

Questions for free-time conversations:

  • What do you do in your free time? · What are your hobbies?
  • Do you like…ing? · Can you…? · Are you good at…?
  • How often do you…? · Where do you…? · Who do you… with?
  • What about you? / And you? — ask the same question back

Keep the conversation going: show interest (Really? · That’s great! · Me too! · Oh, I don’t.) and add a detail (I play football with my friends on Sundays.).

Watch Out

  • ✗ What you do in your free time? → ✓ What do you do in your free time?
  • ✗ Me too. (after “I don’t like running.”) → ✓ Me neither. (agreeing with a negative)
  • ✗ A: I love tennis. B: OK. → ✓ Really? Me too! / That’s great! (show interest)

Practice

  1. Ask about free time with “What…”.
  2. Ask the same question back quickly.
  3. Answer: “What are your hobbies?”
  4. Complete: A: Do you like dancing? B: Yes, I ___ dancing.
  5. Agree: A: “I love pizza.” B: “___ ___!”
  6. Ask about frequency (you / play tennis).
  7. Add a detail: “I play football.”
  8. Show interest in two words.
Show the answers
  1. What do you do in your free time?
  2. What about you? / And you?
  3. My hobbies are… (for example: reading and painting)
  4. love / like
  5. Me too!
  6. How often do you play tennis?
  7. I play football with my friends on Sundays. (any detail)
  8. Really? / That’s great! / How nice!

Your Turn

Write a free-time conversation of 8–10 lines between you and a new friend. Use at least four different questions, What about you? and two ways to show interest. Then say it out loud.

Connect

Build question sentences in the right order with our Sentence Builder.

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Practise saying useful phrases clearly with our Pronunciation Practice.

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CEFR A1 — Spoken Interaction: I can ask and answer simple questions about hobbies and free-time activities.

Azizul Hakim
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