Tech Notes

1. Topic & Why It Matters

Hobbies & Leisure is a classic Part 1 topic because it sounds easy, but it quickly exposes whether you can give specific, natural, extended answers. Many candidates say only "I like music" or "I play games", which gives the examiner very little evidence of vocabulary, grammar range, or fluency.

Where marks are commonly dropped:

Fluency & Coherence — listing hobbies without explaining when, why, or how they fit into daily life.
Lexical Resource — repeating like, interesting, and relax instead of using richer phrases like clear my head or get completely absorbed in.
Grammar — using the wrong verb form after enjoy, avoid, be into, or would like.
Pronunciation — weak sentence stress, especially in answers with frequency phrases such as once or twice a week.

2. Knowledge Points

Frequency language: be precise, not robotic

Meaning	Natural phrase	Example
Very often	almost every day	I go for a short run almost every day.
Regular but not daily	a couple of times a week	I cook with my friends a couple of times a week.
Occasional	every now and then	Every now and then, I play badminton after work.
Rare	once in a blue moon	I go to karaoke once in a blue moon.
When busy	whenever I can squeeze it in	I read whenever I can squeeze it in.

Gerund vs. infinitive after common hobby verbs

enjoy / avoid / consider / practise + -ing: I enjoy taking photos. I avoid watching TV too late.
be into / be fond of / be keen on + -ing or noun: I'm really into bouldering. I'm fond of old films.
would like / hope / plan + to verb: I'd like to learn the guitar properly.
like / love / prefer + -ing or to verb: Both can work, but -ing often sounds more general: I love cooking on weekends.

The 3-layer Part 1 answer

For hobbies, use three quick layers: what you do, how oftenyou do it, and why it matters. For example: "I'm really into street photography. I usually do it on Sunday mornings, when the city is still pretty quiet. It helps me slow down and notice small details I'd normally miss."

3. Vocabulary & Phrase Bank

#	Expression	Meaning / use
01	be really into …	like something strongly and naturally
02	be keen on …	British-style phrase for liking an activity
03	get into a hobby	start becoming interested in it
04	pick up a new skill	learn something casually
05	clear my head	relax mentally after stress
06	switch off for a while	stop thinking about work or study
07	get completely absorbed in …	become deeply focused on an activity
08	lose track of time	forget the time because you are enjoying something
09	keep me in shape	help physical fitness
10	a creative outlet	a way to express creativity
11	a nice change of pace	something different from daily routine
12	meet like-minded people	meet people with similar interests
13	do it on and off	do it irregularly over a long period
14	fit it around my schedule	make time for it despite being busy
15	whenever I can squeeze it in	whenever I can find a little time
16	once in a blue moon	very rarely
17	a bit rusty	less skilled than before because of lack of practice
18	blow off steam	release stress or frustration
19	take my mind off things	stop worrying for a while
20	make it a regular thing	turn it into a habit

4. Grammar Patterns

enjoy / avoid / practise + gerund

"I enjoy cooking at home because it gives me a chance to slow down after work."

Use the -ing form after enjoy. Do not say 'enjoy to cook'.

Frequency phrase + present simple

"A couple of times a week, I go swimming before work, which helps me feel more energetic."

A fronted frequency phrase adds rhythm and gives the answer a clear time frame.

Relative clause to add a personal reason

"I'm into photography, which is a nice creative outlet for me."

This lets you extend the answer naturally without sounding memorised.

Contrast with although / even though

"Although I'm not particularly sporty, I've recently got into hiking with a few friends."

Contrast makes a simple hobby answer more nuanced.

would like + infinitive for future hobbies

"I'd like to pick up pottery at some point, mainly because it seems calming and hands-on."

Use infinitive after would like, hope, plan, and want.

5. Pronunciation Focus

Sentence stress in frequency phrases

In Part 1, frequency phrases should sound light and natural. Stress the number or key time word, then move smoothly into the activity: a COUple of times a WEEK, almost every DAY, every NOW and THEN.

Phrase	Stress target	Practice line
a couple of times a week	COUple / WEEK	I go cycling a couple of times a week.
every now and then	NOW / THEN	Every now and then, I bake with my sister.
whenever I can squeeze it in	WHENever / SQUEEZE	I read whenever I can squeeze it in.
once in a blue moon	ONCE / BLUE	I go dancing once in a blue moon.

Linking sounds

Link short function words into the next word: into_it, couple_of, sort_of, pick_up. This makes the answer sound more fluent without speaking faster.

6. Common Pitfalls

✗ I enjoy to play basketball.

✓ I enjoy playing basketball.

Use a gerund after 'enjoy'.

✗ My hobby is play computer games.

✓ My hobby is playing computer games. / I'm into video games.

After 'is', use a noun phrase or gerund, not the base verb.

✗ I very like reading.

✓ I really like reading. / I'm really into reading.

Use 'really' before 'like'; 'very' modifies adjectives, not the verb 'like'.

✗ I play it when I have time.

✓ I play it whenever I can squeeze it in, usually on Friday evenings.

Avoid vague time references. Add a frequency phrase or a specific routine.

✗ It is good for my body and mind.

✓ It helps me stay in shape and clear my head after a long day.

Replace generic benefits with natural collocations.

7. Practice Question

Part 1 — Hobbies & Leisure

"What do you usually do in your free time?"

Follow-up: "Did you have the same hobbies when you were younger?"

Target length: 4–6 sentences · Target time: 30–45 seconds

8. Model Answer (Band 7.5+)

"Well, these days I'm really into cooking, especially simple Chinese dishes that don't take the whole evening. I usually cook properly a couple of times a week, mostly on Friday nights, because it helps me switch offafter staring at a screen all day. I used to treat cooking as a chore, to be honest, but during the pandemic I started trying recipes with my sister, and it gradually became a kind of creative outlet for me. I'm still a bit rusty with anything involving dough, but when a dish turns out well, I can lose track of time and really enjoy the process."

9. Annotated Commentary

Complex grammar

"especially simple Chinese dishes that don't take the whole evening" — a defining relative clause adds detail smoothly without creating a separate sentence.

Idiom used naturally

"lose track of time" fits the hobby context and describes genuine engagement, so it sounds conversational rather than memorised.

Personal anecdote element

"during the pandemic I started trying recipes with my sister" gives a small personal backstory, which makes the answer more believable.

Natural fillers

"Well", "to be honest", and "I'm still a bit rusty" soften the answer and make it sound spoken, not scripted.

Pronunciation notes

Stress the frequency phrase: 'a COUple of times a WEEK'. Link 'into_cooking', 'switch_off', and 'kind_of' to improve fluency.

10. Self-Drill

Shadow-reading line — say this 5 times aloud

"I usually cook properly a couple of times a week, mostly on Friday nights, because it helps me switch off."

Focus on: stress COUple and WEEK, link couple_of, and keep switch off clear.

Improv prompt — record yourself, no notes

"Would you like to try a new hobby in the future? Why or why not?"

Target: 4+ sentences · Use one frequency phrase, one gerund after enjoy or be into, and one personal detail.

Practice NotesHobbies & Leisure — practice notes