Common mistake: “I like read books.” — Correct: “I like reading books.”
We use like/love/hate + a noun or a verb in '-ing' to talk about what we enjoy and our free time.
Preferences and structure
Preference
Structure
Example
love ♥♥♥
love + -ing
I love dancing
like ♥♥
like + -ing
She likes reading
don't like ♥
don't like + -ing
I don't like cooking
hate ✗
hate + -ing
He hates swimming
reading — leer
cooking — cocinar
dancing — bailar
swimming — nadar
playing football — jugar fútbol
watching movies — ver películas
listening to music — escuchar música
travelling — viajar
Sofía loves dancing and enjoys cooking.
Ben likes travelling, and Kenji likes reading.
Sofía doesn't like swimming in cold water.
I don't like watching TV, but I love music.
Do you like dancing? What does Ben like doing?
Does Kenji like cooking?
Do you like reading? Yes, I do.
Does Sofía like swimming? No, she doesn't.
Practice
Sofía loves ___. (dance, dancing, to dancing)
___ Kenji like cooking? (Do, Does, Is)
After like/love/hate we often use the verb + '-ing': 'I like reading'.
Ben loves ___ to new countries. (travel)
___ you like listening to music? Yes, I do.
Unscramble: likes, Sofía, cooking, .
Find the mistake: Kenji like reading books.
Sofía likes swimming. — Make it negative (use 'does not').
You like dancing. — Turn it into a question (use 'do').
Do you like cooking? (Answer: Yes, I do. / No, I don't.)
Listening
Kenji: What do you like doing in your free time, Sofía?
Sofía: I love dancing! And I like cooking on Sundays.
Kenji: Do you like swimming?
Sofía: No, I don't. I hate cold water!
Kenji: And Ben?
Sofía: Ben loves travelling. He never stays in one place.
Reading
Everyone in the group likes different things. Sofía loves dancing and enjoys cooking on Sundays, but she doesn't like swimming because she hates cold water. Ben loves travelling; he never stays in one place. Kenji likes reading and listening to music. 'Do you like the same things?' asks the teacher. 'No,' they laugh, 'but we all love learning English!'