INFINITIVE OR -ING?

A) THESE VERBS AND EXPRESSIONS ARE OFTEN FOLLOWED BY -ING:

Like
Dislike

hate
love

enjoy
mind

can't bear
can't stand

Examples:

I enjoy be*ing *alone
Why do you dislike liv*ing* here?
I don't like people shout*ing* at me



Ann hates fly*ing*
Tom doesn't mind work*ing* at night.

After love and can't bear, you can use -ing or infinitive:

I love meet*ing *people
She can't bear be*ing *alone

or

I love* to meet* people
She can't bear *to be* alone.

B) LIKE

Often it doesn't matter whether you say 'I like doing' or 'I like *to do*'.

We usually say 'I like do*ing'* when 'like' means enjoy.

Example: I like *cooking* = I enjoy cooking.
I don't like *driving.* = I don't enjoy driving.

On the other hand, we use 'I like *to do*' when we do not really enjoy doing
something, but we find it is good or right to do it.

Example: I like *to wash* the dishes as soon as I finish to eat. (it does
not mean that I enjoy it, it means that I think it is a good thing to do)

C) WOULD LIKE

When the expression *would like* is used , we have to use *to + infinitive*.
(It is wrong to use -*ing*).
Notice the difference between *I like* and *I would like* in the examples:

I *like playing* tennis. (= I enjoy it in general)
I *would like to play* tennis today. (= I want to play)

We also use* to + infinitive* after would *love/hate/prefer.*

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