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Verbs of Preference + gerunds

Use:
We can use several different words and phrases in English to talk about things we like and dislike.

 like love enjoy


 don’t mind
 dislike hate can’t stand

Form:
After these words you can use a noun or a verb in the –ing form.

I like water. I like swimming.


I love sports. I love running.
We enjoy good food. We enjoy eating out.

I don’t mind housework. I don’t mind cooking.

I dislike buses. I dislike waiting.


I hate housework I hate cleaning.
I can’t stand planes. I can’t stand flying.

Spelling rules
Remember the spelling rules when you make the –ing form.

 If a verb ends in e, delete the e before you add –ing.

have => I love having breakfast in bed.

 If a verb ends one vowel and one consonant, double the consonant.

swim => I don’t like swimming.

Exceptions: words that end in w or y.


row => I love rowing.
sew => I don’t like sewing.
play => I like playing football.

Other exceptions:
iron => My mum hates ironing.
open => I don’t mind opening the window for you.

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