How does “That looks interesting” become “This is something I do”?
An interest can lead you to try a new activity, develop your skills, make time for it and keep going when it becomes difficult. In this section, you will learn expressions for describing each step of that journey.
First Steps and New Experiences
take up something — to begin doing something new; sākt nodarboties ar kaut ko
Mia decided to take up photography after receiving a camera for her birthday.
try out something — to do an activity for the first time to discover whether you like it; izmēģināt kādu nodarbi
Our school gave students an opportunity to try out different activities during clubs week.
sign up for something — to officially register to join an activity, course or event; pieteikties kādai aktivitātei / nodarbībai
Leo signed up for a public-speaking course because he wanted to become more confident.
have a go at something — to try doing something, especially for the first time; pamēģināt kaut ko darīt
Emma had a go at 3D printing and created a small model of her house.
get into something — to become interested in an activity and begin doing it regularly; sākt interesēties par kaut ko, aizrauties ar kaut ko
Noah got into geocaching after his cousin showed him how to find hidden containers.
take part in something — to participate in an activity, competition or event; piedalīties kādā aktivitātē vai pasākumā
Several students took part in a volunteering project at the local animal shelter.
Skills in Progress
work on something — to spend time trying to develop or improve something; strādāt pie kaut kā, pilnveidot kaut ko
Sofia is working on her acting skills before the school performance.
get better at something — to improve your ability to do something; kļūt prasmīgākam kādā jomā
Daniel practises every week because he wants to get better at public speaking.
train for something — to prepare physically or mentally for something; trenēties / gatavoties kaut kam
Ella trains for a fitness competition three times a week.
Keep Going
stick with something — to continue doing something even when it becomes difficult; turpināt iesākto, neatmest kaut ko
At first, beekeeping seemed complicated, but Anna stuck with it and gradually became more confident.
carry on with something — to continue doing an activity; turpināt nodarboties ar kaut ko
Oliver plans to carry on with digital art after the course ends.
keep up with something — to continue doing something at the necessary level or speed; tikt līdzi, turpināt vajadzīgajā līmenī
It was difficult to keep up with the training plan during the busiest weeks at school.
give up something — to stop doing an activity, usually because it is difficult or no longer enjoyable; pārtraukt / pamest kādu nodarbi
Laura nearly gave up acting, but her drama teacher encouraged her to continue.
move on to something new — to stop one activity or stage and begin a different one; pāriet pie kaut kā jauna
After learning basic design skills, Ryan moved on to graphic design.
look forward to something — to feel pleased and excited about something that is going to happen; ar nepacietību gaidīt kaut ko
The students are looking forward to taking part in their first e-sports tournament.
The Right Choice and the Right Time
decide on something — to choose an activity after considering different possibilities; izvēlēties kaut ko, izlemt par kaut ko
After reading about several clubs, Ben decided on volunteering.
make time for something — to organise your schedule so that you have time to do something; atrast vai atvēlēt laiku kaut kam
Alex makes time for self-improvement by reading for twenty minutes every evening.
fit something into your schedule — to find enough time for something in a busy timetable; iekļaut kaut ko savā grafikā
Eva managed to fit a weekly design class into her busy schedule.
spend time on something — to use part of your time doing or developing something; veltīt laiku kaut kam
Liam spends time on 3D printing projects at weekends.
Positive Results and New Connections
benefit from something — to receive a positive result or advantage from something; gūt labumu no kaut kā
Students can benefit from volunteering because it develops responsibility and communication skills.
connect with somebody — to form relationships with people who have similar interests or experiences; veidot saikni ar citiem cilvēkiem
Foreign-language clubs help students connect with people from different cultures.
cut down on something — to reduce the amount of something (for instance, time spent using digital devices); samazināt kaut ko
Geocaching helped Tom cut down on screen time and spend more time outdoors.
care for somebody — to look after somebody (for example, animals) and provide what they need; rūpēties par kādu
Working at a shelter teaches volunteers how to care for animals responsibly.