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Like, love, hate + -ing
A1 A1 grammar · lesson 20 of 24
We use like, love and hate + verb-ing to talk about activities we enjoy or don’t enjoy. It is great for talking about hobbies.
Rule
After like, love, hate, enjoy and don’t mind, we often use a verb with -ing.
| Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|
| I like reading. | I don’t like cooking. | Do you like swimming? |
| She loves dancing. | He doesn’t like running. | Does she like singing? |
Like, love and hate follow the present simple rules from Lessons 9 and 10: she likes, he doesn’t like.
How much do you like it?
- Very good: I love travelling.
- Good: I like / I enjoy walking.
- OK: I don’t mind cleaning.
- Not good: I don’t like shopping.
- Very bad: I hate getting up early.
Spelling of -ing
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| most verbs: add -ing | read → reading, play → playing |
| verb ends in -e: remove e, add -ing | dance → dancing, write → writing |
| short verb, one vowel + one consonant: double it | swim → swimming, run → running |
Tom loves playing computer games.
I enjoy listening to music.
Lucy hates waiting for the bus.
We don’t mind walking.
Do you like dancing? Yes, I do.
My dad doesn’t like driving at night.
Tip: You can also use a noun: I like music. I love pizza. With an activity, use -ing.
Tip: Would like is different. It means want, and it takes to. You learn it at A2.
Common mistakes
✗ I like swim.
✓ I like swimming.
✗ She enjoys to read.
✓ She enjoys reading.
✗ He love cooking.
✓ He loves cooking.
✗ I hate runing.
✓ I hate running.