Unit 8 (Sport)
English 3AC Unit 8 (Sport) helps you ask what athletes are doing now. Is he cycling? Are they playing basketball? You form present continuous questions, answer with is or are and correct a mistaken description. The sport vocabulary makes the grammar easier to use in a real scene.
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By the end of this lesson, you can
- Name common sports and their actions.
- Choose play, go or do in common combinations.
- Form present continuous questions.
- Use matching short answers.
- Ask a what question about an action.
- Describe a sports scene using evidence.
Before you startBuild be + verb-ing statements. · Choose is/are from a subject and spell running.
Un bon cours, ça se partage.
Communication: asking about an activity
A picture may show a ball without making the sport immediately clear. Ask a precise question rather than guessing: Are they playing football? A helpful reply corrects the action: No, they aren't. They are playing basketball. The negative and the positive give the listener a complete answer.
Two schoolboys discuss a sports poster
Adam: Is the cyclist running? Bilal: No, he isn't. He is cycling. Adam: Are the two players playing basketball? Bilal: Yes, they are. Adam: What are they doing near the hoop? Bilal: They are practising a shot.
Vocabulary: play, go and do
| Combination | Examples | Current action |
|---|---|---|
| play + game | play football, basketball, tennis | He is playing tennis. |
| go + activity ending in ing | go cycling, swimming, running | He is cycling now. |
| do + selected activities | do karate, do exercise | They are doing exercise. |
These are common combinations to learn as phrases, not a perfect rule for every sport. For a current scene, He is swimming is often simpler than He is going swimming. A racket, hoop, bicycle or helmet can help identify an activity, but do not add an outcome the picture does not show.
Grammar: present continuous yes/no questions
Definition
Continuous question : Put am/is/are before the subject and keep verb-ing after it: He is cycling becomes Is he cycling? They are playing becomes Are they playing?
| Question | Positive answer | Negative answer |
|---|---|---|
| Is he cycling? | Yes, he is. | No, he isn't. |
| Are they running? | Yes, they are. | No, they aren't. |
| Are you watching? | Yes, I am. | No, I am not. |
Remember
Do not add do or does to this question: Does he cycling? is incorrect. Do not remove ing either: Is he cycle? is also incorrect. Use Is he cycling?
Step by step
Question a sports action
- Find the subject and the correct be form.
- Move be before the subject.
- Keep the correctly spelled ing action.
- Use a short reply with the same be form, then add a correction if needed.
Grammar: what questions
What asks for information beyond yes or no. Use What + be + subject + verb-ing: What is Adam doing? What are the players doing? Reply with the actual activity, such as He is cycling or They are playing basketball. What is he playing? asks specifically for the game.
A question with a plural noun
The players are practising. → What are the players doing?
- What comes first, then are, then the subject. Doing keeps the question open so the reply can name the specific action.
Study skills: use visible clues carefully
Make two lists: what the scene shows and what it does not establish. A boy on a bicycle with a helmet supports He is cycling. It does not tell you that he wins a race or cycles daily. A hoop supports a basketball description; the score requires separate information.
Skills work: reading a sports club update
The boys’ sports club is using the school playground this afternoon. Adam is cycling slowly along the marked path. He is wearing a helmet and long trousers. Bilal and Hamza are playing basketball near the hoop. Sami is not playing; he is writing the scores for a practice activity. The club leader is watching the group. The text gives no final score.
The sentence about Sami contains both a rejected action and the actual action. Answer Is Sami playing? with No, he isn't. Answer What is Sami doing? with He is writing the scores. Do not confuse a role in the activity with participating as a player.
Skills work: listening and speaking
A partner reads twice: “Adam is cycling. The two players are playing basketball. Sami isn't running; he is writing.” Ask one yes/no question and one what question about the script. Practise with a same-gender classmate and use an invented club.
Writing: a caption with a question
Write a caption for an imagined sports poster. Name three actions and include one question with its answer. Keep the athletes modestly dressed and the groups separate. Check whether your question uses is for one person or are for several people before checking the ing form.
Review: accurate sport questions
- Ask about cycling with Is he…?
- Ask about two players with Are they…?
- Give a negative answer and a corrected action.
- State what cannot be known when a score is absent.
Frequently asked questions
What grammar belongs to English 3AC Unit 8 Sport?
How do I ask a present continuous question?
How do I answer Is he playing basketball?
What is the difference between Is he cycling? and What is he doing?
Do I use play, go or do for sports?
Quiz: 18 questions
18 questions are randomly selected from this lesson’s 18-question bank. Choose one answer for each question and get an immediate explanation.
Q1Which common phrase is correct?
Incorrect answer
Basketball commonly takes play in this vocabulary pattern.
Correct answer: Play basketball
Basketball commonly takes play in this vocabulary pattern.
Q2Which common phrase uses go?
Incorrect answer
Cycling commonly appears after go when naming the activity.
Correct answer: Go cycling
Cycling commonly appears after go when naming the activity.
Q3Question form of He is cycling?
Incorrect answer
Move is before he and retain cycling.
Correct answer: Is he cycling?
Move is before he and retain cycling.
Q4Question form of They are running?
Incorrect answer
They takes are, which moves before the subject.
Correct answer: Are they running?
They takes are, which moves before the subject.
Q5Give a positive reply to Is Adam cycling?
Incorrect answer
The singular subject becomes he, and the answer repeats is.
Correct answer: Yes, he is.
The singular subject becomes he, and the answer repeats is.
Q6Give a negative reply to Are they playing football?
Incorrect answer
The plural continuous question is answered with they aren't.
Correct answer: No, they aren't.
The plural continuous question is answered with they aren't.
Q7Which question asks for the athletes’ activity?
Incorrect answer
What are they doing? requests a description of the current action.
Correct answer: What are they doing?
What are they doing? requests a description of the current action.
Q8Which athlete question preserves the ing form?
Incorrect answer
A continuous question retains verb-ing after its subject.
Correct answer: Is Sami running?
A continuous question retains verb-ing after its subject.
Q9You are watching. Answer Are you watching?
Incorrect answer
Reply about yourself with I, which takes am.
Correct answer: Yes, I am.
Reply about yourself with I, which takes am.
Q10What object in the image helps identify basketball?
Incorrect answer
A basketball hoop supports the basketball interpretation.
Correct answer: The hoop
A basketball hoop supports the basketball interpretation.
Q11What is Adam wearing in the sports passage?
Incorrect answer
The reading explicitly names a helmet and long trousers.
Correct answer: A helmet and long trousers
The reading explicitly names a helmet and long trousers.
Q12Which boys are playing basketball in the reading?
Incorrect answer
Bilal and Hamza are named as the two basketball players.
Correct answer: Bilal and Hamza
Bilal and Hamza are named as the two basketball players.
Q13What is Sami doing during the practice?
Incorrect answer
The passage rejects playing and describes him writing scores.
Correct answer: Writing scores
The passage rejects playing and describes him writing scores.
Q14Who is watching the group?
Incorrect answer
The club leader is described as watching the group.
Correct answer: The club leader
The club leader is described as watching the group.
Q15What final score does the passage give?
Incorrect answer
The passage explicitly withholds a final score.
Correct answer: No final score is given.
The passage explicitly withholds a final score.
Q16A cycling picture alone proves which claim?
Incorrect answer
A current visible action does not establish an outcome or a habitual frequency.
Correct answer: The pictured person is cycling.
A current visible action does not establish an outcome or a habitual frequency.
Q17Choose the correct plural what question.
Incorrect answer
Plural boys requires are in this continuous question.
Correct answer: What are the boys doing?
Plural boys requires are in this continuous question.
Q18Which reply corrects the wrong activity helpfully?
Incorrect answer
The grammatical negative rejects the mistake and the positive identifies the true action.
Correct answer: No, he isn't running. He is cycling.
The grammatical negative rejects the mistake and the positive identifies the true action.
Your score
0/18
Start with the worked examples
Read the lesson in small sections. Write your own example for each rule and try the Easy exercises before returning to the quiz.
Review: 18 missed questions
Which common phrase is correct?
Correct answerPlay basketball
Basketball commonly takes play in this vocabulary pattern.
Which common phrase uses go?
Correct answerGo cycling
Cycling commonly appears after go when naming the activity.
Question form of He is cycling?
Correct answerIs he cycling?
Move is before he and retain cycling.
Question form of They are running?
Correct answerAre they running?
They takes are, which moves before the subject.
Give a positive reply to Is Adam cycling?
Correct answerYes, he is.
The singular subject becomes he, and the answer repeats is.
Give a negative reply to Are they playing football?
Correct answerNo, they aren't.
The plural continuous question is answered with they aren't.
Which question asks for the athletes’ activity?
Correct answerWhat are they doing?
What are they doing? requests a description of the current action.
Which athlete question preserves the ing form?
Correct answerIs Sami running?
A continuous question retains verb-ing after its subject.
You are watching. Answer Are you watching?
Correct answerYes, I am.
Reply about yourself with I, which takes am.
What object in the image helps identify basketball?
Correct answerThe hoop
A basketball hoop supports the basketball interpretation.
What is Adam wearing in the sports passage?
Correct answerA helmet and long trousers
The reading explicitly names a helmet and long trousers.
Which boys are playing basketball in the reading?
Correct answerBilal and Hamza
Bilal and Hamza are named as the two basketball players.
What is Sami doing during the practice?
Correct answerWriting scores
The passage rejects playing and describes him writing scores.
Who is watching the group?
Correct answerThe club leader
The club leader is described as watching the group.
What final score does the passage give?
Correct answerNo final score is given.
The passage explicitly withholds a final score.
A cycling picture alone proves which claim?
Correct answerThe pictured person is cycling.
A current visible action does not establish an outcome or a habitual frequency.
Choose the correct plural what question.
Correct answerWhat are the boys doing?
Plural boys requires are in this continuous question.
Which reply corrects the wrong activity helpfully?
Correct answerNo, he isn't running. He is cycling.
The grammatical negative rejects the mistake and the positive identifies the true action.
Exercises with answers
12 exercises, from easy practice to challenges. Try each one yourself, then reveal the answer and explanation.
Exercise 1
EasyComplete with play, go or do: … basketball; … cycling; … karate.
Answer and explanation
Play basketball, go cycling and do karate. Learn these frequent combinations as full phrases.
Exercise 2
EasyTurn into questions: Adam is cycling. Sami is running.
Answer and explanation
Is Adam cycling? Is Sami running? Move is before the subject and keep the ing form.
Exercise 3
EasyTurn into a question: The players are practising basketball.
Answer and explanation
Are the players practising basketball? The plural subject keeps are in the question.
Exercise 4
EasyAnswer yes to Is he cycling? and no to Are they playing football?
Answer and explanation
Yes, he is. No, they aren't. Short answers repeat be and do not need to repeat the ing action.
Exercise 5
IntermediateAsk for the activity in each sentence: Adam is cycling. The players are practising.
Answer and explanation
What is Adam doing? What are the players doing? What requests the action rather than a yes/no confirmation.
Exercise 6
IntermediateTwo boys are playing basketball. A question asks Are they playing football? Give a negative reply and the true action.
Answer and explanation
No, they aren't. They are playing basketball. The first sentence rejects the wrong sport, and the second supplies the right one.
Exercise 7
IntermediateYou are watching a game. Answer Are you watching? positively. Explain the pronoun change.
Answer and explanation
Yes, I am. The question addresses you; you answer about yourself using I, so the verb changes from are to am.
Exercise 8
IntermediateWhat is Adam doing? What are Bilal and Hamza doing? Is Sami playing?
Answer and explanation
Adam is cycling. Bilal and Hamza are playing basketball. Sami isn't playing; he is writing the practice scores.
Exercise 9
IntermediateCan you give the winning team or final score from the sports reading? Explain.
Answer and explanation
No. The passage states that no final score is given. Watching a practice activity does not establish its eventual winner.
Exercise 10
ChallengeCorrect: Does he cycling? Are they play basketball? What is the boys doing?
Answer and explanation
Is he cycling? Are they playing basketball? What are the boys doing? Fix the continuous auxiliary, ing and plural agreement.
Exercise 11
ChallengeUse the listening script to write one question about Adam and one about Sami. Supply answers.
Answer and explanation
Is Adam cycling? Yes, he is. What is Sami doing? He is writing. Different relevant questions are acceptable if the answers agree with the script.
Exercise 12
ChallengeWrite 45–65 words about a fictional single-gender sports club. Include three actions, a question, its answer and one negative.
Answer and explanation
Model: Our boys' sports club is practising in the playground. Adam is cycling along the marked path. Two pupils are playing basketball near the hoop. Sami is writing the scores. Is Sami running? No, he isn't. The club leader is watching the group. The practice is still happening, so there is no final result.
Check be + ing, plural agreement and evidence for every reported detail.