"An interesting hobby? The exciting journey of exploring your creative side - it'll leave you feeling inspired and enlivened!"
Describe an Interesting Hobby
How to answer questions about:- An interesting hobby
- Hobbies in the Past
- Free Time Activities
- Why People Have Hobbies
10 interesting hobbies you can talk about
- Horse Riding
- Swimming
- Hiking
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Painting
- Drawing
- Photography
- Reading
- Writing / Blogging
10 unusual hobbies you can talk about
- Bird Watching
- Rock Climbing
- Sculpting
- Knitting
- Cooking
- Baking
- Gardening
- Jewelry Making
- Home Brewing
- Soap Making
This IELTS cue card asks about an interesting hobby you have.
Don't worry if you think your hobby is not very interesting for other people, what is important is to describe it and say why YOU think it is interesting.
Describe an interesting hobby you have
You should say:- what it is
- when you started doing it
- how long you spend on it
- how often you do it
And explain why you like it.
You can talk about many different things, if you are stuck for ideas, describe a hobby you enjoy doing in your spare time. Anything could be 'a hobby' (e.g. watching movies, walking, studying, reading, chatting, sports, visiting places, listening to music, etc.).
IELTS Sample Answer
An Interesting Hobby
Well, I suppose I’ve had various hobbies as I’ve grown up, for example when I was a young girl I used to love playing soccer, but then when I was a bit older I spent more of my free time practicing karate, which I really loved, and then I got into mountain biking - but I guess my hobby has always been physical exercise in general – if you can call that a hobby, I think you can.
As I said, I’ve always been physically active in one form or another, whether it was running, swimming or one of the activities I mentioned before.
So I guess I started when I was a young child, maybe around age 7 or 8 with soccer and we used to do some basic warm up exercises and running and things like that.
Then when I started doing karate, the exercises were more difficult and designed to build physical strength and speed.
Later I got involved with more weight training in the gym and strength training which helped improve my performance in other sports.
Obviously the amount of time I spend on exercise varies, but if I think about it – I usually go for a run at least three times a week, so that’s about two hours in total.
I try to get to the gym around four times a week for around an hour each time so that’s another four hours, and at the weekend I might do something like biking or swimming with some friends for a couple of hours.
So that would be around eight hours a week I suppose on average, maybe sometimes more or a little less depending on my schedule and other things that are happening.
For me personally, I love being active and doing exercise, it’s something I’ve always done, and it makes me feel good, when you’re feeling tired after exerting yourself, but it’s a good tired, it’s very satisfying, and I guess that’s why I enjoy it so much.
There are other reasons too, like the challenge that exercise can offer, it’s also a great way to blow off steam if you’re feeling depressed, angry or just want to concentrate on something different for a time.
Follow Up Questions
Do you think that surfing the internet, watching TV, keeping a pet or listening to music are interesting hobbies?
Yes, they could be, I mean a hobby is quite a personal thing, isn’t it? Everyone is different and what might be interesting for one person might not necessarily be interesting for another person – but I like watching YouTube, listening to music, and I have a dog, so I think they are all good hobbies.
Why do you think people like having a hobby?
One reason might be it’s something they can lose themselves in for a while – like an escape from other stuff that’s going on in their life.
It’s like a mental break from studying or work or even your family sometimes – just to concentrate on something different.
Obviously it depends on the hobby, but pastimes like painting, reading, sculpting and the like which involve you doing things can be stimulating, and give people a real sense of achievement and a lot of personal satisfaction.
Do you think that you can learn something from having a hobby?
Of course, what you can learn obviously depends on the particular hobby. But, for example, if your hobby is reading – then you can learn all sorts of things from the types of books you like to read.
If you like yoga or something similar, you can learn all about the spiritual side of your being and relaxation techniques and so on.
If you’re into art or drawing or photography, you can learn about landscape and figure composition, perspective, lighting, framing and all kinds of things regarding visual imagery.
There’s really no limit to what you could learn – depending on what your hobby is.
Is it possible to have a hobby that involves more than one person?
Yes, sure, for example I can think of one hobby which I used to do which involved more than one person.
I used to go hiking – and more often than not I went with my friend or even a group of friends so that was a hobby which involved more than one person.
Okay, I suppose you could do it by yourself – but there are lots of hobbies that you can do with other people or by yourself, like dancing, yoga, pilates, singing, art, and lots more, even just walking your dog – if you want to call it a hobby – it’s sometimes more fun with another person.
What do people in your country normally do with their free time?
Well, of course everybody’s different, but generally speaking in the summer people like to sit outside and enjoy the evening with their family and friends, and young people like to go to the beach and then go out at night, maybe to a bar or club with their friends.
In the winter, it’s a little different; people go shopping more and maybe watch a movie at the cinema or at home, go out to eat at a restaurant or visit their friends at home.
Do you think that more people had hobbies in the past than now?
I don’t know, I wasn’t alive then – but I think maybe the notion of hobbies has changed, or what we call a hobby now maybe wouldn’t have been considered a hobby then.
I mean, listening to music, for example, might not have been thought of as a hobby in the past – but nowadays a lot of young people would say they listen to music or watch movies if you asked them about their hobbies – because that’s what they do in their free time.
Maybe in the past, like in my grandfather’s time, he used to collect stamps – he said that lots of people, especially young boys used to do this as a hobby – but today I don’t know anyone who does this as a hobby – email and other changes have made stamps almost obsolete and so changes like that have influenced what people do in their free time as well.
I think the concept of what a hobby is has changed – so you can’t really compare if more people had hobbies then or have them now.
How to introduce your answer to the describe a hobby you enjoy doing cue card
Example
I’ve been into skateboarding ever since I was a little kid. It’s always been something that I’ve enjoyed doing and it’s a great way to blow off some steam.
I usually go skating a few times a week, either at the skate park or just around town. I love trying new tricks and perfecting old ones. I’ve even started making my own skateboards.
It’s just a hobby that I’ve always enjoyed and hope to continue doing for a long time.
How to begin answering a cue card about describe an interest or hobby that you enjoy
To start off, you could briefly explain what your chosen interest or hobby is. For example, if you enjoy hiking, you could say something like: "I love hiking because it allows me to explore new places and get some exercise at the same time."
Then, you could go into more detail about why you enjoy this activity. For example, you could talk about the sense of achievement you feel after completing a challenging hike, or the beautiful scenery you get to enjoy while out on the trails.
Finally, you could explain how this interest or hobby has positively affected your life. For example, you could talk about how hiking has helped you to become more fit and active, or how it has helped you to appreciate the natural world around you.
Steps to answer the describe your hobby cue card
When you are asked to describe your hobby in the IELTS speaking test, you should take a few moments to think about what you are going to say before you start speaking. It is important to be able to talk about your hobby in detail, so it is a good idea to choose one that you can speak about fluently.
Once you have selected your hobby, you should spend some time preparing what you are going to say. You could make some notes about the main points that you want to cover, such as why you enjoy doing this activity and what benefits it brings you. It is also a good idea to think of some examples or stories that you can share to illustrate your point.
When you are ready, start by giving a brief overview of your hobby and why you enjoy it. Then, go into more detail about the benefits that it brings you. Finally, finish by sharing an example or story to illustrate your point.