Do sport means to take part in sport in general, without saying which one. That's British English; American English usually says play sports. When you name a particular sport, the verb changes: play football, go swimming, do yoga.
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do sport (UK); play sports (US); play + football/tennis; go + swimming/running; do + yoga/karate
- I don't do much sport, but I walk to work every day.
- Children who do sport after school often sleep better.
- We go swimming on Tuesdays and play tennis at the weekend.
What changed
First versionI try to make sport at least three times a week.
RevisionI try to do sport at least three times a week.
Make and do are easy to mix up because both describe doing something. Make is for things you create or produce: make a cake, make a decision. Doing sport doesn't create anything; it's an activity, and activities take do.
The rule for specific sports is short: play is for ball games or games against an opponent (play tennis), go is for -ing activities you go out to do (go running, go skiing), and do is for the rest, especially without a ball or a team (do yoga, do karate). Native speakers don't say I play yoga.
Your turn
Doctors say that people who ___ sport regularly have more energy at work.
Show the answer
do — With sport in the sense of taking part, the verb is do. Make is for things you create or produce, and sport isn't something you make.
Describe a sport you do or would like to do. Name it with the right verb and say how often.
I try to do some sport every week: I go swimming on Tuesdays and play tennis on Saturdays.
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