Lesson
Sports vocabulary and activities
Text
This lesson introduces common sports vocabulary used in everyday and business contexts. You will learn names of sports, roles, actions, and events. This vocabulary helps you understand articles, emails, and conversations about company events, team-building, and news reports.
Table
| Word | Part of speech | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| football (soccer) | noun | a team sport played with a round ball; called soccer in the US | Our company football team trains twice a week. |
| tennis | noun | a racket sport played individually or in pairs | She entered a local tennis tournament. |
| basketball | noun | a team sport where players score by shooting a ball through a hoop | The basketball league holds matches on weekends. |
| coach | noun | a person who trains and directs athletes or a team | The coach organised extra training sessions before the finals. |
| referee | noun | an official who enforces the rules during a game | The referee made a controversial decision during the match. |
| teammate | noun | a member of the same team | Her teammates supported her after the injury. |
| match | noun | a single game or contest between teams or players | The match started at 7 PM and attracted many spectators. |
| tournament | noun | a series of matches to determine a champion | The regional tournament will bring teams from five cities. |
| score | noun/verb | the number of points gained in a game; to get points | He scored the winning goal in the final. |
| injury | noun | harm or damage to a player's body | She missed two months because of a knee injury. |
Tip
Remember how certain verbs and articles combine with sports vocabulary:
Focus on collocations (verb + sport) to sound natural.
Example
Our company is organizing a charity football match next month.
She is the team captain and motivates her teammates.
He scored the winning goal in the final of the tournament.
The referee awarded a penalty after a handball.
Tip
Learners often make predictable errors with sports vocabulary. Watch out for:
When unsure, think about common collocations: verb + sport, attend/participate + event.
Quiz
Choose the correct sentence:
Hint: Check the correct adverb form to modify the verb.
Correct!
Adverbs modifying verbs typically take an -ly form; 'professionally' correctly modifies 'plays'.
Incorrect
The correct answer was: B: She plays tennis professionally.
Adverbs modifying verbs typically take an -ly form; 'professionally' correctly modifies 'plays'.
Quiz
Complete: She will attend the tennis _____ next week.
Hint: Think of an event with several rounds and players.
Correct!
A 'tournament' is a competition made up of several matches or rounds; it's the correct noun for a scheduled tennis event.
Incorrect
The correct answer was: tournament
A 'tournament' is a competition made up of several matches or rounds; it's the correct noun for a scheduled tennis event.
Quiz
Which verb correctly collocates with 'football'?
Hint: Remember common verb + sport collocations.
Correct!
In English, the verb 'play' is used with most team and ball sports: play football, play basketball, etc.
Incorrect
The correct answer was: B: play football
In English, the verb 'play' is used with most team and ball sports: play football, play basketball, etc.
Vocabulary
a team sport played with a round ball (called soccer in the US)
Our company football team trains twice a week.
Vocabulary
a person who trains and guides athletes or a team
The coach organised extra training sessions before the finals.
Vocabulary
an official who enforces the rules during a game
The referee made a controversial decision during the match.
Vocabulary
a single game or contest between teams or players
The match started at 7 PM and attracted many spectators.
Vocabulary
a series of matches to determine a champion
She will compete in the national tennis tournament.
Vocabulary
the number of points in a game; to gain points
He scored the winning goal in the final.
Vocabulary
harm or damage to a player's body that may prevent participation
She missed two months because of a knee injury.