Like, Love & Hate + -ing
Say what you enjoy and dislike using like, love, enjoy and hate followed by the -ing form. Practical beginner grammar with 20 questions.
One of the most useful things a beginner can say is what they enjoy or dislike. With a few simple verbs – like, love, enjoy, hate – you can talk about your hobbies, food, and interests.
The pattern: verb + -ing
After these feeling verbs, the next verb usually takes -ing.
| Feeling | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| love | like very much | I love reading. |
| like | enjoy | Emma likes drawing. |
| enjoy | get pleasure from | We enjoy learning English. |
| don’t like | dislike | James doesn’t like waiting. |
| hate | dislike very much | Thomas hates getting up early. |
Remember the -ingAfter like/love/enjoy/hate, the action verb takes -ing: “I like cooking,” not “I like cook.” (You can also say “I like to cook,” but -ing is the most common at this level.)
You can also use a noun
These verbs can be followed by a simple noun, too.
- I like football. / I like playing football.
- Emma loves music. / Emma loves listening to music.
Don’t forget the -s for he/she/it
These are present simple verbs, so he/she/it still adds -s to the feeling verb (not to the -ing verb).
- She likes reading. (likes, not like)
- He loves swimming.
Questions
- Do you like cooking? – Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
- Does Emma like drawing? – Yes, she does.
- What do you like doing at the weekend?
Tutor tipTwo things to watch: first, use -ing on the second verb (“I like studying”), not the base form. Second, keep the present-simple -s on the feeling verb for he/she: “She likes,” “He loves.” Both small endings are easy to forget.
Common mistakes
- I like cook. → I like cooking.
- She like reading. → She likes reading.
- He hates to waiting. → He hates waiting.
Practise expressing what you like with the 20 questions below.
Check your understanding
Answer the questions below. You will see instantly if you are right.
1."I love ___." (read)
After love → -ing: reading.
2."Emma likes ___." (draw)
After likes → drawing.
3."We enjoy ___ English." (learn)
After enjoy → learning.
4."Thomas hates ___ up early." (get)
After hates → getting.
5.Which is correct?
I like cooking.
6.Which is correct?
he/she/it adds -s: She likes reading.
7.Which is correct?
He loves swimming.
8."James doesn't like ___." (wait)
After like → waiting.
9.Question: "___ you like cooking?"
Do you like...?
10.Question: "___ Emma like drawing?"
Does Emma like...?
11.Answer: "Do you like reading?" (yes)
Yes, I do.
12."I like ___." (a noun is also fine)
A simple noun works: I like football.
13.Which is correct?
He hates waiting.
14."Emma loves ___ to music." (listen)
loves listening.
15."What ___ you like doing at the weekend?"
What do you like doing?
16."They enjoy ___ football." (play)
enjoy playing.
17."My mother likes ___." (cook)
likes cooking.
18.Which verb means "like very much"?
love = like very much.
19.Which verb means "dislike very much"?
hate = dislike very much.
20."Does James like ___?" (drive)
After like → driving.
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