Expressing likes: like/likes + a noun or an -ing verb
What like means here
Like describes what a person enjoys or feels positively about. It often expresses a general preference, but that preference can change; the sentence does not guarantee that it existed before or will last forever. You can also evaluate a particular thing: I like this soup.
This distinguishes like from a description of a single action: I like tea states a general fact, not that the person is drinking tea now.
I like tea.
I like tea.
A general preference; the sentence does not say whether the person is drinking tea now.
My friend likes long train journeys.
My friend likes long train journeys.
A general preference of the friend, not a description of one particular journey.
The forms like and likes
After I, you, we, and they, the verb stays in its base form: like. After he, she, and it, add -s: likes.
This is the same rule that applies to most Present Simple verbs. It depends on the sentence's subject, not the person or thing named in its object.
I / you / we / they + like ...; he / she / it + likes ...
We like Italian food.
We like Italian food.
We is not third-person singular, so use like without -s.
My grandmother likes gardening.
My grandmother likes gardening.
My grandmother corresponds to third-person singular she, so use likes with -s.
The cat likes attention.
The cat likes attention.
The cat is third-person singular, like it, so -s is also needed.
A noun or a verb after like
Like/likes can be followed simply by a noun naming the thing or phenomenon someone likes.
It can also be followed by an -ing verb when describing an activity. Like/likes + verb-ing names an action someone enjoys, rather than just the thing itself.
Subject + like/likes + noun / verb-ing
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V-ing / -ing —
- The verb form ending in -ing: working, going. Its role depends on the construction.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
She likes strong coffee.
She likes strong coffee.
The noun coffee is the direct object of the liking.
She likes drinking strong coffee.
She likes drinking strong coffee.
Drinking specifies that she enjoys the activity of drinking coffee; the previous sentence names coffee more generally.
Choose one verb pattern, not two
In this construction, choose either an -ing form or to + base form after like/likes: like swimming or like to swim. Like to swimming does not fit. This rule concerns these particular ways of attaching a verb after like.
A common beginner's error is mixing the patterns by adding both to and -ing to the same verb in the same phrase.
I like reading in the evening.
I like reading in the evening.
Only one verb pattern is used here: the -ing form.
I like to read in the evening.
I like to read in the evening.
To read is a correct alternative; it naturally describes an evening reading habit here.
Like + to + base form as an alternative
Both an -ing form and to + base form are possible after like/likes. The difference is often small.
The -ing form focuses on enjoyment of an activity, while to + base form can highlight a habit or desired result. Both constructions are correct, but the nuance depends on the context.
My father likes to walk before breakfast.
My father likes to walk before breakfast.
To walk naturally describes a preferred habit; walking is also possible.
They like to visit their grandparents every month.
They like to visit their grandparents every month.
To visit suits a habitual choice; this does not rule out visiting.
A general preference, not an action happening now
For an ordinary preference, use the Present Simple: I like it. Conversational I'm liking it can express a developing current reaction; that is not this lesson's main pattern.
I like baking expresses a preference; I am baking describes baking now. In other contexts, continuous forms can have other meanings too.
My sister likes baking bread.
My sister likes baking bread.
The sentence describes the sister's preference, not whether she is baking bread at this moment.
My sister is baking bread right now.
My sister is baking bread right now.
This is a grammatical sentence about the present moment. It does not express a general preference and answers a different question.
A natural affirmative: subject + likes + object
In an ordinary affirmative sentence, the finite verb is likes or like. It does not require an extra auxiliary be before it.
The direct object after like can be a noun or an -ing form. No preposition is normally needed before it when it directly names what someone likes.
Subject + like/likes + noun / verb-ing
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
- verb / V —
- A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
- V-ing / -ing —
- The verb form ending in -ing: working, going. Its role depends on the construction.
- noun —
- A word naming a person, thing or idea: student, book, happiness.
Their children like playing outside after school.
Their children like playing outside after school.
The complete predicate like playing needs no extra auxiliary.
My neighbour likes his new bicycle.
My neighbour likes his new bicycle.
Likes takes the direct object his new bicycle without a preposition.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:I like to swimming in the sea.
Correct:I like swimming in the sea.
Do not combine to and -ing in this pattern after like. Choose one option: swimming or to swim.
Incorrect:She like reading before bed.
Correct:She likes reading before bed.
Third-person singular she requires -s: likes, not like.
Incorrect:My colleagues likes working from home.
Correct:My colleagues like working from home.
The subject my colleagues is plural, so use the verb without third-person -s: like, not likes.
Incorrect:My aunt like cooking dinner for us every Friday.
Correct:My aunt likes cooking dinner for us every Friday.
My aunt corresponds to she, so likes is required. The meaning about a preference stays the same.
Incorrect:My brother likes computer game.
Correct:My brother likes computer games.
The plural computer games is natural for a general preference. A singular noun is also possible, but it needs a determiner: a computer game or the computer game.
Incorrect:She likes to swims every weekend.
Correct:She likes to swim every weekend.
After to, use the base verb without -s: to swim, not to swims.