Like, Love, Hate + -ing Exercises
Do more with this exercise
Like, love, hate and don't mind + -ing
After like, love, hate and don't mind, use a verb with -ing (I like swimming) or a noun (I love pizza).
- Verb + -ing:
- Use the -ing form after like, love and hate: I like swimming. She loves cooking. They hate getting up early. Do not say I like swim. I like to swim is also correct, but in this lesson we practice the -ing form.
- Don't mind:
- Don't mind means it is OK for me. Use the -ing form after it: I don't mind cooking. He doesn't mind walking to school.
- Noun:
- You also use a noun after these verbs: I love pizza. He hates coffee. For things in general, use no the: I like apples.
- Spelling of -ing:
- Most verbs add -ing: play → playing. Verbs with a final -e lose the e: make → making. Short verbs with one vowel and one consonant double the consonant: swim → swimming, run → running (but not w, x or y: play → playing). Verbs in -ie change to -y: lie → lying.
- He, she, it:
- With he, she and it, add -s to like, love and hate: he likes, she loves. The -ing verb does not change: She likes cooking.
- Questions and negatives:
- Use do or does: Do you like cooking? Does she like tea? I don't like running. He doesn't like coffee. Short answers: Yes, I do. No, he doesn't.
Examples
I like swimming.
Use the -ing form after like.
She hates getting up early.
Get becomes getting: double the t.
We love pizza.
After love, you also use a noun.
My dad doesn't mind cooking.
Doesn't mind means it is OK for him.
Do you like dancing?
Use do for the question. Dance becomes dancing.
He doesn't like running.
Use doesn't with he. Run becomes running.
Practice exercises
Choose the Correct Form
Choose the correct word for each sentence.
1.I like ___ in the sea.
2.My sister ___ cooking.
3.___ your brother like football?
4.They don't mind ___ to school.
5.He doesn't ___ getting up early.
6.I love ___ cakes.
Write the -ing Form
Write the verb in brackets in the -ing form.
Put the Words in Order
Click the words in the correct order to build the sentence.
13. Build the sentence:
14. Build the sentence:
15. Build the sentence:
16. Build the sentence:
True or False
Decide if each statement is true or false.
17.'I like swim' is correct English.
18.The -ing form of 'make' is 'making'.
19.This sentence is correct: 'She don't like tea.'
20.This sentence is correct: 'I love chocolate.'
21.The short answer to 'Do you like dancing?' is 'Yes, I like.'
Like, Love and Hate + -ing: Talking About What You Like
We use like, love and hate to talk about things we enjoy or do not enjoy. After these verbs, we use a noun or a verb with -ing: I love chocolate. I love cooking. Do not use the base verb: I like swimming, not I like swim.
Don't mind is in the middle: it means something is OK for you. I don't mind washing the dishes. After don't mind, always use the -ing form.
The spelling of the -ing form has a few simple rules. Most verbs just add -ing: cook, cooking. Verbs with a final -e lose it: make, making. Short verbs like swim, run and get double the last letter: swimming, running, getting. Verbs with a final -ie change it to -y: lie, lying.
Like, love and hate are normal verbs in the present simple. With he, she and it, add -s: She likes tea. For questions and negatives, use do and does: Do you like cooking? He doesn't like coffee. Short answers are Yes, I do and No, he doesn't. The exercises above practice all of this in short, real sentences.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it 'I like swimming' and not 'I like swim'?
After like, love, hate and don't mind, English does not use the base verb. Use the -ing form: I like swimming. She hates cooking. Many languages use the base verb here, so I like swim is a common mistake.
Is 'I like to swim' correct too?
Yes. Like, love and hate also take to + verb, and the meaning is almost the same: I like to swim. The -ing form is very common. After don't mind, only the -ing form is correct: I don't mind waiting.
How do I spell the -ing form?
Most verbs add -ing: play, playing. A final -e goes: make, making. Short verbs with one vowel and one consonant double it: swim, swimming. A final -ie becomes -y: lie, lying.
What does 'don't mind' mean?
I don't mind cooking means cooking is OK for me. I do not love it and I do not hate it. With he, she and it, say doesn't mind: She doesn't mind walking.
How do I make questions and negatives with like?
Like is a normal verb in the present simple, so use do and does: Do you like tea? Does he like running? I don't like coffee. She doesn't like getting up early.
Answer key
1. I like ___ in the sea.
Answer: swimming
After like, we use the -ing form: swimming.
2. My sister ___ cooking.
Answer: loves
My sister means she, so the verb takes -s: loves.
3. ___ your brother like football?
Answer: Does
Your brother means he, so the question takes does.
4. They don't mind ___ to school.
Answer: walking
After don't mind, we always use the -ing form: walking.
5. He doesn't ___ getting up early.
Answer: like
After doesn't, the verb has no -s: doesn't like.
6. I love ___ cakes.
Answer: making
Make ends in -e, so we drop the e and add -ing: making.
7. I don't mind ___ dinner.
Answer: cooking
Cook just adds -ing: cooking.
8. She hates ___ up early.
Answer: getting
Get is short, with one vowel and one consonant at the end, so we double the t: getting.
9. Do you like ___ at parties?
Answer: dancing
Dance ends in -e, so we drop the e: dancing.
10. My brother loves ___ in the park.
Answer: running
Run is short, with one vowel and one consonant at the end, so we double the n: running.
11. We like ___ on the beach.
Answer: lying
Lie ends in -ie, so ie changes to y: lying.
12. He doesn't like ___ at night.
Answer: driving
Drive ends in -e, so we drop the e: driving.
13. cooking / like / ? / you / do
Answer: Do you like cooking?
In a question, do comes before you: do + you + like + -ing.
14. coffee / doesn't / . / like / she
Answer: She doesn't like coffee.
With she, the negative is doesn't like. Coffee is a noun after like.
15. up / mind / early / I / getting / . / don't
Answer: I don't mind getting up early.
The order is I + don't mind + getting up early.
16. swimming / sister / ? / like / your / does
Answer: Does your sister like swimming?
Your sister means she, so the question starts with does.
17. 'I like swim' is correct English.
Answer: False
After like, use the -ing form: I like swimming.
18. The -ing form of 'make' is 'making'.
Answer: True
Make ends in -e, so we drop the e: making.
19. This sentence is correct: 'She don't like tea.'
Answer: False
With she, we use doesn't: She doesn't like tea.
20. This sentence is correct: 'I love chocolate.'
Answer: True
After love, like or hate, we also use a noun.
21. The short answer to 'Do you like dancing?' is 'Yes, I like.'
Answer: False
The short answer uses do: Yes, I do.