Sports Vocabulary, Grammar, and Connectors

Posted on Dec 13, 2024 in Teaching & Education

Sports Vocabulary

  • Advert: Anuncio
  • Athletics: Atletismo
  • Average: Promedio
  • Avoid: Evitar
  • Basket: Canasta
  • Beat: Ganar, superar
  • Break a record: Batir un récord
  • Challenge: Reto, desafío
  • Chances are: Lo más probable es
  • Climb: Escalar
  • Court: Pista
  • Cycling: Ciclismo
  • Daredevil: Persona atrevida, temeraria
  • Determined: Decidido
  • Draw: Empate
  • Enter a competition: Participar en una competición
  • Flip backwards: Hacer una voltereta hacia atrás
  • Helmet: Casco
  • Hiking: Excursionismo
  • Hit: Golpear
  • Improve: Mejorar
  • Injury: Lesión
  • Keep fit: Mantenerse en forma
  • Keep a record: Mantener un récord
  • Kick (noun): Patada, puntapié
  • Kick (verb): Dar una patada, marcar un gol
  • Nerve: Coraje, valor
  • Net: Red
  • Outdoor sport: Deporte al aire libre
  • Rollerblades: Patines en línea
  • Rooftop: Azotea, tejado
  • Rope: Cuerda
  • Rucksack: Mochila
  • Runner-up: Subcampeón
  • Sit-up: Abdominal
  • Skating: Patinaje
  • Skill: Habilidad
  • Spread: Extenderse, difundirse
  • Stuntman: Especialista de cine
  • Take up: Empezar a hacer, jugar, dedicarse a
  • Talented: Talentoso
  • Team sport: Deporte de equipo
  • Top: Cima, cumbre
  • Track: Pista (carrera)
  • Train: Entrenar
  • Vault: Saltar (obstáculos)
  • Win the match: Ganar el partido
  • Windsurfing: Windsurf

Buying a Ticket

  • Can I help you? (¿Puedo ayudarlo?)
  • Where would you like to sit? (¿Dónde le gustaría sentarse?)
  • I’d like tickets for… (Quisiera entradas para…)
  • Here are your tickets. (Aquí tiene sus entradas)
  • Here’s your change. (Aquí tiene su cambio)

Personal Opinion on Sports

Personally, I like sports, especially team sports, and risk. I love football; I’ve practiced it since I was a small child. I think it’s a really fun and fantastic game. I also like parachuting. It is a risky sport that requires courage. I can say that it is an incredible feeling. As a result, you have to be very prepared. In short, outdoor sports are fun, and some are very dangerous.

GO – PLAY – DO

  • Go is used when the sport ends in -ing (e.g., Go cycling)
  • Play is used when the sport involves a ball (e.g., Play hockey, football)
  • Do is used when the sport ends in -ics (e.g., Do gymnastics, athletics)

Connectors

Connectors of sequence show the order in which events happened. The most widely used are: first, then, next, after that, finally, first of all, by the time, eventually, at last, at the end, before, after, and later.

  • First of all, we couldn’t have a shower because there was no hot water.
  • By the time we were ready, it was too late to eat.
  • Eventually, we took the train to town.
  • At last, we got to the park, but it was very late.
  • At the end, we only had time for a quick game.

First (primero) – Next (luego) – Then (entonces) – After that (después de esto) – Finally (finalmente)

Example: Hello, I’m Bart, and I had a great birthday yesterday. First, I met my friends at the shopping center, and they bought me a present. Then, we had pizza at a café. Then, suddenly, my parents arrived. They took me to an amazing restaurant for dinner.

Verb Tenses

Present Simple

Structure: I/You/We/They work; He/She/It works; Do I work?; Does he work?

Keywords: Always, usually, often, sometimes

Use: To express routines, habits, scientific facts, schedules, and programs.

Present Continuous

Structure: I am playing; You/We/They are playing; He/She/It is playing. – I am not playing; We aren’t playing; He isn’t playing. – Am I playing?; Are you playing?; Is he playing?

Keywords: At the moment, this year

Use: To express actions happening at the moment of speaking or actions currently in progress.

Past Simple

Structure: I/You/We/They played; He/She/It played; He/I/You didn’t play. Did I play?

Keywords: Yesterday, last week, when

Use: To express completed actions in the past.

Past Continuous

Structure: I was playing; We/They/You were playing; He/She/It was playing. Wasn’t; Weren’t. Was I playing?; Were they playing?

Keywords: While, as

Use: To describe an incomplete action in progress at a specific time in the past, or an incomplete action interrupted by another action.

Past Perfect Simple

Structure: I/He/We had arrived. Hadn’t played. Had I played/eaten?

Keywords: Already, by the time, after, before, until, never, just

Use: To describe a complete action that took place before another action in the past. Example: By the time he arrived, the train had already left.

Present Perfect Simple

Structure: I/We/They/You have lived / 3rd column. He/She/It has lived / 3rd column. I/We/They/You haven’t lived / 3rd column. He/She/It hasn’t lived / 3rd column. Have I/We/They/You lived?

Keywords: Never, ever, just, already, yet, recently, lately, how long, for, since

Use: To describe actions that started in the past and continue to the present.

Placement of Adverbs

Never, already, ever, and just are placed between the auxiliary verb ‘have’ and the past participle. Yet is always placed at the end.

  • The match has already started. (El partido ya ha comenzado)
  • Have you seen the new car yet? (¿Ya has visto el coche nuevo?)

Affirmative, Negative, and Interrogative

  • Affirmative: Use just, never, and already.
  • Negative: Use yet.
  • Interrogative: Use already, just, yet, and ever.
  • I’ve never played basketball. (Nunca he jugado al baloncesto)
  • She hasn’t tried snowboarding yet. (Ella no ha probado a hacer surf de nieve todavía)
  • Have you ever met a football player? (¿Has conocido alguna vez a un jugador de fútbol?)

How long…? For and Since

How long…? is used to ask about the duration of an action that started in the past and is still ongoing.

For indicates the duration of the action, and since indicates when the action started.

  • How long have they lived here? (¿Cuánto tiempo hace que viven aquí?)
  • I have played volleyball for two years. (He jugado al voleibol durante dos años)
  • I have played volleyball since I was a child. (He jugado al voleibol desde que era niño)

Gerund and Infinitive

Gerund

Ends in -ing. Used after certain verbs: consider, continue, deny, detest, dislike, enjoy, finish, hate, like, love, miss, prefer, recommend, suggest, be used to, get used to, can’t help, can’t stand, don’t mind, wouldn’t mind, feel like, it’s no use, look forward to.

Infinitive

Preceded by ‘to’ (e.g., to play). Used after certain verbs: agree, appear, choose, decide, expect, hope, learn, plan, promise, refuse, seem, want, wish, advise, help, invite, persuade, teach, tell, warn.