When learning English, one of the most important skills is expressing what you enjoy. This is where Like and Love with Nouns and Verb+ing comes in. These two patterns help you talk about hobbies, interests, and activities in a natural way. In this guide, you’ll learn the rules, see examples, and practice using them correctly.
What Does Like and Love with Nouns Mean?
When you use like or love with a noun, you are talking about objects, ideas, or general things that you enjoy.
✅ Positive Sentences
I / You / We / They like computers.
He / She / It loves computers.
Notice that with he, she, it, the verb changes: like → likes and love → loves.
🚫 Negative Sentences
I / You / We / They don’t like computers.
He / She / It doesn’t love computers.
Here, use don’t for “I, you, we, they” and doesn’t for “he, she, it.”
❓ Yes / No Questions and Short Answers
Do I / you / we / they like computers?
Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
Does he / she / it like computers?
Yes, he does. / No, she doesn’t.
This structure makes it easy to ask and answer questions about preferences.
How to Use Like and Love with Verb+ing
When you use like or love followed by verb+ing, you are talking about activities—things you do and enjoy doing.
✅ Positive Sentences
I / You / We / They like eating.
He / She / It loves eating.
🚫 Negative Sentences
I / You / We / They don’t like eating.
He / She / It doesn’t love eating.
❓ Yes / No Questions and Short Answers
Do I / you / we / they like eating?
Yes, you do. / No, we don’t.
Does he / she / it love eating?
Yes, he does. / No, she doesn’t.
This structure is especially common when talking about hobbies or daily habits. For example:
I like swimming.
She loves reading.
They like playing football.
Spelling Rules for Verb+ing
When changing a verb into its -ing form, remember these simple spelling rules:
eat → eating (just add “-ing”)
live → living (drop the “e”)
run → running (double the last consonant)
meet → meeting (just add “-ing”)
dance → dancing (drop the “e”)
shop → shopping (double the “p”)
These rules help keep pronunciation natural and spelling correct.
Comparing Like/Love + Noun and Like/Love + Verb+ing
Both forms are correct, but they show slightly different meanings.
I love chocolate. → I enjoy the food itself.
I love eating chocolate. → I enjoy the activity of eating it.
She likes football. → She enjoys the sport in general.
She likes playing football. → She enjoys the activity of participating.
Understanding this difference helps you sound more natural and precise.
Practice Sentences and Exercises
Try these to test yourself:
Complete the sentences:
I like ______ (noun).
I like ______ (verb+ing).
He loves ______ (noun).
She loves ______ (verb+ing).
Turn into negative sentences:
I like pizza. → __________________
She loves dancing. → __________________
Make yes/no questions:
They like shopping. → __________________
He loves books. → __________________
Conclusion: Using Like and Love Naturally in English
Using like and love with nouns and verb+ing is a simple but powerful way to talk about your interests, hobbies, and passions. Remember:
Use noun when you’re talking about a thing.
Use verb+ing when you’re talking about an activity.
Don’t forget the spelling rules for -ing forms.
Adjust the verb depending on whether the subject is I/you/we/they or he/she/it.
Mastering these patterns will make your English sound smooth, natural, and confident.
From Grammar to Confidence
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