like / love / hate / enjoy + -ing

Rules

• Rule 1: Feeling verbs

  love (very much) → like / enjoy → don't like → hate (not at all).

  Pattern: love > like / enjoy > don't like > hate

  Example: I love summer vacations.

  Example: We enjoy picnics.

• Rule 2: Verb after them → -ing

  When an activity (a verb) comes after these verbs, add -ing to it. The spelling rules are the same: make → making, swim → swimming. Note: like, love, hate can also take to + verb (I like to draw), especially in American English. But enjoy only takes -ing.

  Pattern: like / love / hate / enjoy + verb-ing

  Example: I love climbing trees.

  Example: We enjoy baking cookies.

• Rule 3: he / she / it → likes, loves…

  With he / she / it, add -s: likes, loves, hates, enjoys. The -ing verb doesn't change.

  Pattern: he / she / it + likes / loves / hates / enjoys + verb-ing

  Example: Ece likes playing the drums.

  Example: My dad enjoys fishing.

• Rule 4: Negatives and questions

  Negative: don't / doesn't like + -ing. Question: Do / Does + subject + like + -ing? No -s on like after doesn't / Does!

  Pattern: don't / doesn't like + -ing · Do / Does … like + -ing?

  Example: I don't like going to bed early.

  Example: She doesn't enjoy watching football.

Common mistakes

• I like swim. → I like swimming.

  After like → -ing.

• She like reading. → She likes reading.

  she → likes.

• He doesn't likes dancing. → He doesn't like dancing.

  After doesn't → base form.