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English grammar

Like, Love, Hate + -ing (Expressing Preferences)

Updated 27 Oct 2026 3 min read LingoLadder Editorial Team
Cover: Like, love, hate plus -ing — I love cooking, she hates waiting, we enjoy swimming
Short answer

To say what you enjoy, use like, love, hate or enjoy + the -ing form of a verb: 'I love cooking', 'She hates waiting', 'We enjoy swimming'. Like, love and hate can also take 'to' + verb ('I like to read'), but enjoy only takes -ing.

On this page10 sections · tap to jump
  1. 01The rule
  2. 02The forms
  3. 03Example sentences
  4. 04Common mistakes
  5. 05A short conversation
  6. 06Usage notes
  7. 07Compared with…
  8. 08Practice
  9. 09Quiz
  10. 10Recap cheat-sheet

Level: A1. When you want to say what you enjoy or dislike doing, English uses a special pattern: a feeling verb like like, love, hate or enjoy, followed by another verb in its -ing form. This page shows you that pattern and the one mistake almost every beginner makes.

The rule

Verbs such as like, love, hate and enjoy describe how you feel about an activity. When the activity is itself a verb, you cannot just put the plain verb after them. You use the -ing form (also called the gerund — a verb acting like a noun):

  • I love cooking.
  • She hates waiting.
  • We enjoy swimming.

The -ing form is made by adding -ing to the base verb: cook → cooking, read → reading, play → playing. A few spellings change: a final silent -e is dropped (make → making), and a short vowel often doubles the last consonant (swim → swimming, run → running).

There is also a second, equally correct pattern for like, love and hate: the to-infinitive (to + base verb). I like to read means almost the same as I like reading. But enjoy and can’t stand only ever take the -ing form.

The forms

Verb + -ing + to (infinitive)
like I like swimming. I like to swim.
love She loves dancing. She loves to dance.
hate They hate cleaning. They hate to clean.
enjoy We enjoy reading. — (not used)
don’t mind I don’t mind waiting. — (not used)
can’t stand He can’t stand queuing. — (not used)

Example sentences

  1. I like reading before bed.
    like + -ing.
  2. She loves dancing.
    love + -ing.
  3. They hate getting up early.
    hate + -ing.
  4. We enjoy playing football.
    enjoy only takes -ing.
  5. He doesn't like cooking.
    Negative: doesn't + like + -ing.
  6. I love listening to music.
    love + -ing.
  7. My sister hates flying.
    hate + -ing.
  8. Do you like swimming?
    Question with 'Do you like + -ing?'.
  9. I don't mind waiting.
    don't mind + -ing = it's okay with me.
  10. She can't stand queuing.
    can't stand + -ing = really dislikes.
  11. We enjoy travelling in summer.
    Spelling: travel → travelling (BrE).
  12. I like to read the news in the morning.
    like + to-infinitive — also correct.
  13. He loves to cook at the weekend.
    love + to-infinitive.
  14. They don't like driving at night.
    Negative + -ing.
  15. I hate making mistakes.
    Spelling: make → making (drop the e).
  16. She enjoys running every morning.
    run → running (double the n); -s for 'she'.
  17. My parents love walking the dog.
    love + -ing.
  18. Does he like playing chess?
    Third-person question: Does he like + -ing?
  19. I really enjoy learning English.
    enjoy + -ing.
  20. We love spending time together.
    love + -ing.

Common mistakes

  • ❌ I like swim. → ✅ I like swimming. (or I like to swim.) Never use the plain verb after like.
  • ❌ I enjoy to cook. → ✅ I enjoy cooking. Enjoy takes only the -ing form, never to.
  • ❌ She loves to cooking. → ✅ She loves cooking / She loves to cook. Don’t mix to and -ing together.
  • ❌ He don’t like running. → ✅ He doesn’t like running. Third person needs doesn’t.
  • ❌ I like swiming. → ✅ I like swimming. Short vowel + single consonant doubles: swim → swimming.
  • ❌ They hate makeing noise. → ✅ They hate making noise. Drop the silent -e before -ing: make → making.

A short conversation

A: What do you like doing at the weekend? B: I love hiking, and I enjoy cooking. What about you? A: I don’t mind hiking, but I hate getting up early for it! B: Then we can go in the afternoon. I like to relax in the morning anyway.

Usage notes

  • Likes and dislikes, strongest to weakest: love → like → don’t mind → don’t like → hate / can’t stand. Don’t mind means “it’s fine, I have no strong feeling”.
  • The subject still agrees. With he / she / it, add the usual -s to the feeling verb: She enjoys reading, He likes cooking — but the -ing verb never changes.
  • Objects and extra words fit after the -ing verb: I love playing tennis / listening to music / walking the dog.
  • Question and negative forms use do / does: Do you like dancing? / She doesn’t enjoy cleaning. The main verb stays as like/enjoy + -ing.

Compared with…

  • Gerund vs infinitive in general. Some verbs take only -ing (enjoy, finish, avoid), some take only to (want, decide, hope), and like/love/hate happily take either. Learning which verb takes which is the next step up from this lesson. See Gerund or Infinitive: An Introduction.

Recap card for the English like-love-hate plus -ing lesson showing the verb pattern

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Practice

Like, love, hate + -ing practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Choose the correct sentence.
Show answer

I like swimming. — After 'like', use the -ing form (or 'to swim'), never the plain verb.

Hint: add -ing

Show answer

reading — 'Enjoy' takes the -ing form: reading.

3 Put the words in order to make a correct sentence.

Show answer

I love cooking Italian food — love + -ing + object: 'I love cooking Italian food.'

4 Match the base verb to its -ing form.

  • swim
  • make
  • run
  • play
Show answer
  • swim → swimming
  • make → making
  • run → running
  • play → playing

Short vowel doubles the consonant (swim, run); silent -e is dropped (make); otherwise just add -ing (play).

5 Which sentence is correct?
Show answer

I enjoy cooking. — 'Enjoy' takes only the -ing form: enjoy cooking.

Quiz

Check yourself

Like, love, hate + -ing quiz

12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/12 0 answered
  1. 1Complete: 'I love ___ to music.' (listen)
    Show answer

    listening — After 'love', use the -ing form: listening.

  2. 2Which is correct?
    Show answer

    She enjoys dancing. — Add -s for 'she' (enjoys), and 'enjoy' takes -ing.

  3. 3Complete: 'They hate ___ up early.' (get)
    Show answer

    getting — hate + -ing; 'get' doubles the t: getting.

  4. 4Which sentence is WRONG?
    Show answer

    I like read. — 'I like read' is wrong — use 'reading' or 'to read'.

  5. 5Which verb does NOT take 'to' + infinitive?
    Show answer

    enjoy — 'Enjoy' takes only the -ing form, never 'to'.

  6. 6Complete: 'He doesn't ___ cleaning... ' — choose the right verb form: 'He doesn't like ___.' (clean)
    Show answer

    cleaning — After 'like' use the -ing form: cleaning.

  7. 7Complete the spelling: 'I hate ___ mistakes.' (make)
    Show answer

    making — Drop the silent -e before -ing: making.

  8. 8What does 'I don't mind waiting' mean?
    Show answer

    Waiting is okay with me. — 'Don't mind' means it is acceptable — no strong feeling.

  9. 9Choose the correct question.
    Show answer

    Do you like swimming? — Question: Do you like + -ing? 'Do you like swimming?'

  10. 10Which sentence mixes the patterns wrongly?
    Show answer

    I love to cooking. — You can use 'to cook' OR 'cooking', never 'to cooking'.

  11. Show answer

    running — Short vowel + single consonant doubles: running.

  12. 12From most to least positive, which order is right?
    Show answer

    love, like, hate — Love is the strongest positive, then like, then hate (negative).

Recap cheat-sheet

Verb Pattern Example
like / love / hate + -ing or + to I like reading / to read
enjoy + -ing only I enjoy reading
don’t mind / can’t stand + -ing only I don’t mind waiting
never plain verb I like swim

Next

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Grammar path

125 topics 125 ready now
A1 30 topics · 30 ready
  1. 01 Verb 'To Be' in the Present (am, is, are)
  2. 02 Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
  3. 03 Present Simple: Affirmative and the -s Ending
  4. 04 Present Simple: Negatives and Questions (do/does)
  5. 05 Articles: a / an and When to Use Each
  6. 06 The Definite Article 'The': When to Use It
  7. 07 Zero Article: When to Use No Article
  8. 08 Plural Nouns: Regular and Irregular Forms
  9. 09 This, That, These, Those (Demonstratives)
  10. 10 Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her
  11. 11 Possessive 's and s' (Showing Belonging)
  12. 12 There Is / There Are (Saying What Exists)
  13. 13 Have Got: Talking About Possession
  14. 14 Can and Can't for Ability
  15. 15 Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing)
  16. 16 Imperatives: Giving Orders and Instructions
  17. 17 Adjectives: Position and Basic Use
  18. 18 Prepositions of Place: in, on, at
  19. 19 Prepositions of Time: in, on, at
  20. 20 Question Words: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
  21. 21 How Much vs How Many
  22. 22 Countable and Uncountable Nouns
  23. 23 Some and Any: Which One to Use
  24. 24 Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, them
  25. 25 Adverbs of Frequency and Their Position
  26. 26 Like, Love, Hate + -ing (Expressing Preferences) You are here
  27. 27 Would Like: Polite Wants and Offers
  28. 28 Making Requests: Can, Could, May I
  29. 29 Past Simple of 'To Be' (was / were)
  30. 30 Let's and Shall We: Making Suggestions
A2 25 topics · 25 ready
  1. 31 Past Simple: Regular Verbs and -ed Spelling
  2. 32 Past Simple: Irregular Verbs (go, see, have)
  3. 33 Past Simple: Negatives and Questions (did)
  4. 34 Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive)
  5. 35 Superlative Adjectives (the biggest, the most)
  6. 36 Going To: Plans and Predictions
  7. 37 Will: Predictions, Decisions and Offers
  8. 38 Present Continuous for Future Arrangements
  9. 39 Present Perfect for Experience (ever / never)
  10. 40 Present Perfect with just, already, yet
  11. 41 Present Perfect vs Past Simple
  12. 42 Have To and Don't Have To (Obligation)
  13. 43 Should and Shouldn't for Advice
  14. 44 Could: Past Ability and Polite Use
  15. 45 Much, Many, A Lot Of
  16. 46 A Few, A Little, Few, Little
  17. 47 Adverbs of Manner (quickly, well, hard)
  18. 48 Verb + -ing or Verb + to (Introduction)
  19. 49 Zero Conditional (Facts and Rules)
  20. 50 First Conditional (Real Future Possibility)
  21. 51 Prepositions of Movement (to, into, through)
  22. 52 Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, hers
  23. 53 Past Continuous (was/were + -ing)
  24. 54 Too and Enough (Degree)
  25. 55 Order of Adjectives Before a Noun
B1 27 topics · 27 ready
  1. 56 Past Continuous vs Past Simple
  2. 57 Used To and Would for Past Habits
  3. 58 Present Perfect Continuous (have been -ing)
  4. 59 Present Perfect: Simple vs Continuous
  5. 60 Past Perfect (had + past participle)
  6. 61 Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future)
  7. 62 Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
  8. 63 Reported Speech: Statements (Backshift)
  9. 64 Reported Questions
  10. 65 Reported Commands and Requests
  11. 66 Passive Voice: Present and Past Simple
  12. 67 Must and Mustn't (Strong Obligation)
  13. 68 May, Might, Could for Possibility
  14. 69 Defining Relative Clauses (who, which, that)
  15. 70 Non-Defining Relative Clauses (with commas)
  16. 71 Gerunds and Infinitives: Full Verb Patterns
  17. 72 Verbs Where -ing vs to Changes Meaning
  18. 73 Future Continuous (will be -ing)
  19. 74 So and Such (Emphasis)
  20. 75 As...As Comparisons (equality)
  21. 76 Question Tags (isn't it? do you?)
  22. 77 Phrasal Verbs: Separable and Inseparable
  23. 78 Linking Words: because, so, although, but
  24. 79 Infinitive of Purpose (to / in order to)
  25. 80 Indirect Questions (Can you tell me...)
  26. 81 Make, Let, Allow, Help (Causatives Intro)
  27. 82 Be Used To and Get Used To (+ -ing)
B2 25 topics · 25 ready
  1. 83 Narrative Tenses for Storytelling
  2. 84 Past Perfect Continuous (had been -ing)
  3. 85 Mixed Conditionals
  4. 86 Wish and If Only (Regrets and Wishes)
  5. 87 Wish/If Only + would (Complaints)
  6. 88 Passive Voice: All Tenses and Modals
  7. 89 Reporting Passive (It is said that / is said to)
  8. 90 Causative: Have/Get Something Done
  9. 91 Reduced Relative Clauses (Participles)
  10. 92 Modals of Deduction: Present and Past
  11. 93 Needn't Have vs Didn't Need To
  12. 94 Future Perfect (will have done)
  13. 95 Participle Clauses (-ing / -ed / having done)
  14. 96 Advanced Comparatives (far/much + er, the more)
  15. 97 Conditional Alternatives: unless, as long as, provided
  16. 98 Advanced Determiners: each, every, either, neither
  17. 99 Intensifiers and Adverbs of Degree
  18. 100 Advanced Contrast: despite, in spite of, however
  19. 101 Advanced Linkers: therefore, moreover, consequently
  20. 102 Advanced Article Use (generalisations, names)
  21. 103 Verb + Preposition and Adjective + Preposition
  22. 104 Relative Clauses: whose, where, when, quantifier + whom
  23. 105 Subject-Verb Agreement: Tricky Cases
  24. 106 Emphatic Do (I do like it)
  25. 107 Would for Past Habits (Formal Narrative)
C1 18 topics · 18 ready
  1. 108 Inversion with Negative Adverbials
  2. 109 Inversion in Conditionals (Had I known)
  3. 110 Cleft Sentences (It was... / What I need is...)
  4. 111 Fronting and Emphasis (Word Order)
  5. 112 Subjunctive and Mandative (I suggest he be)
  6. 113 Ellipsis and Substitution (so, do, one)
  7. 114 Hedging and Cautious Language
  8. 115 Nominalisation (Academic Noun Style)
  9. 116 Advanced Discourse Markers (Spoken & Written)
  10. 117 Advanced Passive (passive + infinitive, get-passive)
  11. 118 Advanced Comparative Structures (no sooner...than)
  12. 119 Future in the Past (was going to / would)
  13. 120 Advanced Modals (may well, might as well, would rather)
  14. 121 Advanced Reported Speech (Reporting Verbs + Patterns)
  15. 122 Advanced and Idiomatic Phrasal Verbs
  16. 123 Collocation and Colligation (Natural Combinations)
  17. 124 Advanced Concession (much as, whatever, however + adj)
  18. 125 Absolute and Non-Finite Clauses (Formal)