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Hard: Going through the motions

Hard: Going through the motions

Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time. We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.

This episode is hard so we’re looking at more difficult football phrases and idioms.

Summary

Learn more football vocabulary with Premier Skills English. Each lesson in our Premier Vocabulary section looks at one football word or phrase. This lesson looks at the phrase to go through the motions

You can find more lessons on the side of this page.

Transcript

Rich: Hello my name’s Rich and welcome to Premier Skills English - Premier Vocabulary.

Jack: Hi there! I’m Jack. We’re here to help you with your football English. Premier Vocabulary is a mini-podcast for you to learn football English one word at a time. 

Rich: We have three different levels for you: easy, medium and hard.

Jack: This episode is hard so we’re looking at more difficult football phrases and idioms. 


Rich: The phrase we are looking at in this episode is: to go through the motions.

Jack: The phrase is used to describe someone who is doing the things they usually do but is not very excited about doing it and doesn’t make too much effort.

Rich: A person who is planning on leaving their job soon might just be going through the motions.

Jack: They will probably still arrive on time and do their usual tasks but they might not do them with much enthusiasm and will probably not do more than they need to.

Rich: It’s not just individuals that go through the motions. We might hear about governments going through the motions of having talks with different groups of people.

Jack: If we hear this phrase being used it means that governments are holding the talks but there is unlikely to be any change.

Rich: So when you go through the motions of something you don’t have very much interest in your usual tasks even though you continue doing them.


Jack: The phrase to go through the motions is sometimes used in football and other sports.

Rich: When there are only a few matches of a season left there are some teams at the top battling to win the title and some teams at the bottom battling to avoid relegation.

Jack: These teams are playing to their maximum.

Rich: Then there are some teams in the middle that can’t win the title and can’t be relegated. Fans sometimes worry that these teams might just be going through the motions because they have nothing to play for.

Jack: If a team in the middle of the table loses easily at this point of the season, commentators often use the phrase they are on the beach already or are thinking of their holidays.

Rich: This is another way of saying that a team is just going through the motions.

Jack: But a team that has nothing to play for is often more relaxed and plays with more freedom and gets better results than usual.

Rich: Yes, teams that are already relegated often get good results and the other day I saw mid-table Southampton get an injury-time equaliser at Old Trafford.

Jack: That’s what I love about the Premier League. I don’t think you can ever accuse a team of just going through the motions.


Rich: There is the final whistle!

Jack: We’ll be back soon with more Premier Vocabulary from Premier Skills English.

Rich: Bye for now and enjoy your football.

Comment

Discuss

Have you ever just gone through the motions?

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Komentar

Michaelsun
20/02/2022
CN
738
points

Yes, sometimes I go through the motions when the things are not right.


Michaelsun
20/02/2022 12:51
China
Manchester United
738

Yes, sometimes I go through the motions when the things are not right.

Gabriel Amaral's picture
Gabriel Amaral
12/05/2021
BR
1512
points

Not that I'm proud of it, but unfortunately yes.
Sometimes when I got some familiar appointments but I just want to watch football on TV.


Gabriel Amaral's picture
Gabriel Amaral
12/05/2021 16:03
Brazil
Arsenal
1512

Not that I'm proud of it, but unfortunately yes.
Sometimes when I got some familiar appointments but I just want to watch football on TV.

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020
UA
6577
points

Liverpool 2 : 1 Chelsea


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020 16:55
Ukraine
Liverpool
6577

Liverpool 2 : 1 Chelsea

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020
UA
6577
points

ManUnited 2 : 0 West Ham


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020 16:54
Ukraine
Liverpool
6577

ManUnited 2 : 0 West Ham

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020
UA
6577
points

As ton Villa 1 : 3 Arsenal


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020 16:53
Ukraine
Liverpool
6577

As ton Villa 1 : 3 Arsenal

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020
UA
6577
points

Watford 1 : 4 ManCity


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020 16:52
Ukraine
Liverpool
6577

Watford 1 : 4 ManCity

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020
UA
6577
points

Wolves 3 : 2 Crystal Palace


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020 16:51
Ukraine
Liverpool
6577

Wolves 3 : 2 Crystal Palace

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020
UA
6577
points

Sheffield 2 : 1 Everton


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020 16:51
Ukraine
Liverpool
6577

Sheffield 2 : 1 Everton

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020
UA
6577
points

Brighton 1 : 1 Newcastle


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020 16:50
Ukraine
Liverpool
6577

Brighton 1 : 1 Newcastle

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020
UA
6577
points

Tottenham 1 : 1 Leicester


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020 16:48
Ukraine
Liverpool
6577

Tottenham 1 : 1 Leicester

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020
UA
6577
points

Bournemouth 2 : 1 Southampton


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020 16:45
Ukraine
Liverpool
6577

Bournemouth 2 : 1 Southampton

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020
UA
6577
points

FA CUP tomorrow :

Manchester United 1 : 2 Chelsea


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020 16:44
Ukraine
Liverpool
6577

FA CUP tomorrow :

Manchester United 1 : 2 Chelsea

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020
UA
6577
points

FA CUP today :

Arsenal 2 : 2 Manchester City, 

The Gunners will win on penalties.


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020 16:42
Ukraine
Liverpool
6577

FA CUP today :

Arsenal 2 : 2 Manchester City, 

The Gunners will win on penalties.

Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020
UA
6577
points

Before leaving my last job I just constantly felt myself going through the motions. Now I must get well-prepared for my future activities not to repeat the past mistakes.


Alex_from_Ukraine's picture
Alex_from_Ukraine
18/07/2020 03:27
Ukraine
Liverpool
6577

Before leaving my last job I just constantly felt myself going through the motions. Now I must get well-prepared for my future activities not to repeat the past mistakes.

mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
17/07/2020
TR
6539
points

I have just gone through the motions when I check my students exam papers as I have to do it because of schools system but I do it with no interest honestly.
Learning shouldn't be just for passing exams but it should be for getting more experience and exploring the world and yourself at first.


mobeckham's picture
mobeckham
17/07/2020 00:29
Turkey
Manchester United
6539

I have just gone through the motions when I check my students exam papers as I have to do it because of schools system but I do it with no interest honestly.
Learning shouldn't be just for passing exams but it should be for getting more experience and exploring the world and yourself at first.

Leaderboard

Top Scorers
RankNameScore
1Alex_from_Ukraine6577
2mobeckham6539
3hsn5558
4wsanta5086
5kwesimanifest4779
6Liubomyr4417
7elghoul3988
8assemjuve3705
9aragorn19863557
10Gergő Nagy3396
Country ranking
RankNameScore
1Colombia74670
2Ukraine33869
3Spain29476
4Serbia27426
5Brazil23472
6Albania20578
7Vietnam20455
8Turkey20109
9Macedonia19074
10Bosnia and Herzegovina16333
Club ranking
RankNameScore
1Manchester United146812
2Liverpool111355
3Chelsea90227
4Arsenal86350
5Manchester City58845
6Tottenham Hotspur19474
7Newcastle United10625
8West Ham United7671
9AFC Bournemouth4915
10Crystal Palace4539

Level

5
Average: 5 (1 vote)

Goals

Learn more football vocabulary.