Talking about general likes and dislikes

Posted By Manjusha, Filed in English Speaking

There's a whole range of English expressions you can use to talk about how much you like or dislike something.

Key words and phrases

Love
Like
Dislike
Fond of
Adore
Can’t bear
Can’t stand
Hate
Detest
Loathe

If you like something

• ‘I like him very much.’
• ‘I very much like going to parties and meeting people.’
• ‘I love eating ice-cream.’
• ‘I adore sun-bathing.’
• ‘She's fond of chocolate.’
• ‘I like climbing mountains.’
• ‘I don’t like people phoning me in the middle of the night.’
• ‘I like swimming very much.’
• ‘He quite likes going to the cinema.’
• ‘I like cooking.’

If you neither like nor dislike something

• ‘I don't mind doing the housework.’
• ‘I don’t mind you coming in late if you don’t wake me up.’

If you don't like something

• ‘She doesn't like cooking very much.’
• ‘He's not very fond of doing the gardening.’
• ‘I dislike wasting time.’

If you really dislike something

• ‘I don't like fish at all.’
• ‘He can't stand his mother-in-law.’
• ‘She can't bear cooking in a dirty kitchen.’
• ‘I hate liars.’
• ‘He detests being late.’

Grammar Notes

Like is not usually used in progressive forms.

• ‘What do you think of the soup?’ ‘I like it.’ (NOT I am liking it.)

Note that very much does not come between like and its object.

• I like him very much. OR I very much like him. (NOT I like very much him.)

In British English, like + -ing form is used mostly to talk about enjoyment, and like + infinitive mostly to talk about choices and habits. In American English, like + infinitive is common in both senses.

• I like swimming in the sea. (GB)
• I like to swim in the sea. (US)

Would like

Would like + infinitive is often used as a polite way of saying want, especially in requests and offers.

• ‘Would you like to dance with me?’ ‘Yes, OK.’

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