"Playing bowling"

[Uniballersporrs]

So I am interested in whether or not "I am going to go play bowling." is a correct statement. Bowling is the proper name for the game/sport of bowling, so therefore like basketball and baseball, I should technically be able to say I am going to go play bowling.

I have been pondering this for awhile now haha. Thanks for your help. If you could also give evidence of some kind of grammatical rule that suggests this is different from "I am going to go play basketball." that would be great

 

[Barb_D]

There are many sports that don't use "play." You "run" track, you "ride" a horse. Sometimes you "do" - I do track and field. And sometimes you don't have a different verb: He wrestles, she cheers, they both bowl.


I think once in another thread we tried find that "rule" that native speakers automatically apply, and we couldn't find one. It seems that like prepositions, you just have to learn which ones work which way.

 

[Tdol]

I would go bowling.

 

[Rover_KE]

This guy is bowling, or playing bowls.

 

[Barb_D]

Oh! I wasn't even thinking of that type of bowling. This is what bowling means to me.

 

[emsr2d2]

I thought the same as Barb. However, "I'm going bowling", in BrE, could mean either ten-pin bowling (shown in Barb's picture) or just bowling (shown in Rover's picture).

I might use "play" with the latter but not the former.

John: What do you do in your spare time?
Jack: I play bowls. (This could only refer to the type played on a green.)

John: What do you do in your spare time?
Jack: I go bowling. (This would need clarification.)

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

(Delete So) I am interested in whether or not "I am going to go play bowling." is a correct statement.

No. That would be like saying "I'm going to play swimming" or "I'm going to play hiking."

Bowling is the proper name for the sport of bowling, so (delete therefore) like basketball and baseball, I should (delete technically) be able to say I am going to go play bowling.

That's a good theory. But you can't.

I have been pondering this for a while now (delete haha). Thanks for your help.

​You're welcome!

If you could also give evidence of some kind of grammatical rule that suggests this is different from "I am going to go play basketball." that would be great. (delete )

​The evidence is that none of us say it.

First, avoid cliches (like starting questions and answers with So). Then avoid over-writing. Then remember to punctuate the ends of sentences. Then go bowling!