Virtuous English AcademyLike, Love and Hate + -ing in English (A1)
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Preference verbs are how a beginner starts saying something personal rather than something factual. This lesson gives you like, love, hate and don't mind followed by the -ing form, with the spelling rules for that ending.
Preferences are where beginner English stops being a set of facts and starts being a person. I work in an office is information; I love cooking but I hate washing up is character, and it invites a reply. That makes this one of the highest-value patterns at A1, because it is the first structure that reliably produces a conversation rather than an answer.
The grammar itself is a single pattern with one wrinkle. Like, love, hate, enjoy, don't mind and prefer are followed either by a noun — I like coffee — or by the -ing form of a verb: I like drinking coffee. That -ing form is doing the job of a noun, which is why it can sit in the same slot. Enjoy accepts nothing else, so it is the safest verb to test yourself with.
British English also allows like followed by to and the infinitive, with a slight difference in feel: I like swimming describes enjoyment, while I like to swim before work leans towards habit or choice. At A1 this distinction is optional, and the -ing form is the one to build first. What is never allowed is combining the two markers — like to swimming exists in no variety of English.
How to form Like, Love and Hate + -ing
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Positive | subject + like/love/hate + -ing | I love reading. |
| Third person | he/she/it + likes/loves/hates + -ing | She hates getting up early. |
| Negative | don't / doesn't + like + -ing | I don't like waiting. |
| Question | Do / Does + subject + like + -ing? | Do you like cooking? |
| Neutral | don't mind + -ing | I don't mind working late. |
| With a noun | like/love/hate + noun | He loves football. |
Like, Love and Hate + -ing: the key rules
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After like, love, hate, enjoy and don't mind, use the -ing form of the next verb.
I like swimming. She hates waiting.
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These verbs are ordinary present simple verbs, so he/she/it still takes -s.
He loves cooking. She enjoys running.
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Negatives and questions use don't and doesn't as normal.
I don't like getting up early. Does he like dancing?
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Spelling: drop a silent -e, and double a final consonant after a short stressed vowel.
make → making, swim → swimming, but listen → listening
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A noun can follow these verbs directly, with no -ing.
I like coffee. She loves football.
When to use Like, Love and Hate + -ing
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Talking about free time
The default use, and the one that appears in every A1 speaking task.
I like playing tennis at the weekend.
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Saying what you dislike
Hate is strong; don't like is neutral; don't mind means it is fine rather than enjoyable.
I hate ironing. I don't like queuing. I don't mind cleaning.
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Describing other people
The third-person -s stays on the preference verb, which learners frequently drop here.
My brother loves cycling. She enjoys painting.
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Asking questions
Standard do/does questions — the -ing form is unaffected by the auxiliary.
Do you like dancing? Does he enjoy his job?
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Giving a reason
Pairing a preference with because turns a short answer into a real contribution.
I love swimming because it helps me relax.
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Degrees of preference
A small set of adverbs lets you grade the statement instead of repeating like.
I really like it. I quite like it. I don't like it much at all.
like + -ing vs. would like + to
These two look similar and mean entirely different things. One is about you in general; the other is about this moment.
like + -ing — general preference
Describes what you enjoy, always and in general. It is a statement about your character.
I like drinking coffee. (in general, I enjoy it)
would like + to — a request now
Describes what you want at this moment. It is a polite request, not a fact about you.
I'd like to drink a coffee. (now, please)
Like, Love and Hate + -ing in example sentences
- I love watching films at the weekend.Preference verb + -ing.
- She doesn't like getting up before seven.Negative with doesn't; like stays bare; getting keeps its -ing.
- Do your children enjoy swimming?Enjoy takes only the -ing form.
- He hates travelling by plane.Third-person -s on hates, double l in the British spelling of travelling.
- I don't mind working at the weekend.Don't mind = it's acceptable, not that I enjoy it.
- We like living in a small town.Living: the silent e in live is dropped before -ing.
- They love running in the park before work.Running doubles the n after a short stressed vowel.
- I really like cooking, but I hate shopping for food.Two preferences contrasted with but — a natural A1 sentence.
Like, Love and Hate + -ing in a real conversation
Notice how each preference is followed by a reason. That is what turns an answer into a conversation.
Hana:What do you like doing at the weekend?
Leo:I love cycling. I don't like staying at home.
Hana:Really? I quite like reading in the garden.
Leo:Does your husband enjoy cycling too?
Hana:He hates it. But he doesn't mind walking.
Leo:Then come walking with us on Sunday. We start early.
Common mistakes (and how to fix them)
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I like to swimming.
I like swimming.
You can say like swimming or like to swim, but never both markers together.
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She like dancing.
She likes dancing.
Like is a normal verb and still needs the third-person -s.
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I don't like get up early.
I don't like getting up early.
The -ing form is required after like even inside a negative.
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He enjoys to read.
He enjoys reading.
Enjoy takes only the -ing form — unlike like, it has no infinitive alternative.
Practise Like, Love and Hate + -ing today
Every sentence below should be true about you. Personal sentences are remembered; invented ones are not.
- Write two things you love doing, two you like, two you don't mind and two you hate.
- Add because and a reason to each of the eight sentences.
- Rewrite four of them about a friend or family member, remembering the third-person -s.
- Write five questions with Do you like…? and five with Does he/she like…?
- Check the -ing spelling of ten verbs: swim, make, run, write, get, study, travel, come, sit, listen.
Like, Love and Hate + -ing: frequently asked questions
Is it 'I like swimming' or 'I like to swim'?
Both are correct English. I like swimming is the more common form and describes enjoyment of the activity itself. I like to swim leans slightly towards habit or preference of choice, and often appears with a time expression: I like to swim before breakfast. At A1 the -ing form is the one to master, because it works in every case and because enjoy, don't mind, hate and love all accept it.
Why is 'I like to swimming' wrong?
Because to and -ing are two different ways of marking the same verb, and English allows only one. You can say like swimming or like to swim, and mixing them produces a form that exists in no variety of English. If you find yourself writing to plus -ing anywhere, one of the two markers has to go.
What does 'I don't mind' mean?
It means the activity is acceptable to you — neither enjoyable nor unpleasant. It sits between like and don't like, and it is the standard polite answer when someone offers you a choice you have no strong feeling about. Would you like tea or coffee? — I don't mind. Note that it is followed by -ing, never by an infinitive: I don't mind waiting.
How do I spell the -ing form?
Three rules cover almost everything. Add -ing to most verbs: work → working. Drop a silent final -e first: make → making, write → writing. Double a final consonant after a single stressed vowel: run → running, swim → swimming, get → getting. British English also doubles the l in travel → travelling and cancel → cancelling, where American English does not.
Can I use these verbs with a noun instead of -ing?
Yes, and it is very common. I like coffee, she loves football, he hates the winter are all correct and complete. The -ing form is only needed when what you like is an activity rather than a thing. Both can appear together: I like football but I hate playing it in the rain.