# EN: like + to-infinitive / like + V-ing



## Phill

Hello all,
I was wondering, is there a rule about if we have to use the gerund or the infinitive?
I saw different forms and sentences, and I finally got lost:
"I like eating" 
"I didn't like to leave" 
Why do they use first the gerund, and then the infinitive form? 

Thanks!

*Moderator note:* Multiple threads have been merged to create this one.


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## Suehil

I don't think there is a rule, but this use of the infinitive is AE and is rarely used in BE.  
An American would say 'I like to eat' and a Brit would say 'I don't like leaving'.


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## Starosel

I can't compare frequencies between AE and BE, but an American might easily say "I like eating." In fact for eating, the gerund form may even be more likely. The two are fairly interchangeable, however. Is there a big difference in French?


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## pyan

Most of the time the two forms are interchangeable with just a change in emphasis.  There are times when only one or the other makes sense.  Here is a link to a good explanation in clear English.  It includes test modules.  It includes short lists of verbs which, when used as the main verb, force you to choose one form or the other for the second verb.

Examples:
"To complete" *must* be used with verb + ing/gerund. "He completed writing the book."  You can't say "he completed to write the book."

"To fail" *must* be used with the infinitive.  "He failed to finish the book."  You can't say "he failed finishing the book."


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## Argyll

Suehil said:


> An American would say 'I like to eat' and a Brit would say 'I don't like leaving'.


This is probably correct. In my 'formative years', I was taught 'I like + verb-ing', and the first time I heard 'I like to + verb' was from an American, probably over 25 years ago. It came as a surprise to me at that time. It has grown common since then.


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## Moon Palace

Thank you very much Pyan for the *excellent* link 
But now, I tend to agree with Argyll insofar as I am skeptical as regards the difference between 'I like to V' and 'I like Ving'. Does it really come down to an AE/BE distinction? Because we also learn that 'I like +Ving' tends to show the locutor is more involved in what he is saying than if he said 'I like toV'. 
For instance, saying 'I like listening to classical music' implies you often do so, and it is really a kind of passion. Does this make any sense to a native?


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## pyan

Moon Palace said:


> But now, I tend to agree with Argyll insofar as I am skeptical as regards the difference between 'I like to V' and 'I like Ving'. Does it really come down to an AE/BE distinction? Because we also learn that 'I like +Ving' tends to show the locutor is more involved in what he is saying than if he said 'I like toV'.
> For instance, saying 'I like listening to classical music' implies you often do so, and it is really a kind of passion. Does this make any sense to a native?


Like Starosel, I'm not in a position to judge if British and American English use is different. Yes, I see "to like verb + ing" as something that happens on a regular basis and in a general manner e.g. "I like cooking". But "I like to cook big, fruity curries" and "I like cooking big, fruity curries" mean the same thing to me. In the first there is a shade more emphasis on the "curry". In the second example the emphasis has slightly shifted towards "cooking".


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## jeaniwanski

Hi,

Phil asked a difficult question which appears to require a number of general statements to be considered before one reflects on the problem. The most important of these is that English is a highly idiomatic language more dependent on words relating to each other than following any standard patterns. Most examples on which one attempts to build some grammatical concept appear to be idiomatic and lead to some strange conclusion.

The concept of a gerund is clear - it is a verbal form which acts in a sentence as a noun. Therefore, technically it can be found in a subject,  direct object and indirect object positions in the sentence as well as being an object of a preposition.

Examples:

Reading is fundamental. (subject)

I do my reading late at night. (direct object)

The fundamentals of reading are extremely confusing in some languages because the languages lack phonetic consistency.  A single letter does not always represent the same sound. (object of a preposition)

The Gerund phrase.

It begins with a gerund and acts collectively as a noun.

If you are using Warriner grammar book as your guide, be careful because it contains a few poor examples of what a gerund is.

"Reading late at night" is taken from the  above sentence is considered a gerund phrase but when posted alone as an example most people identify it as a participial phrase.  In most cases one needs to be very careful when identifying gerunds in more complicated sentences.

Infinitive.

In English, the infinitive is always in a phrase form with the preposition "to" in front of it.  It evolved somewhat strangely but this phrase contains the most fundamental element of a verbal form, that is, a definition of action or state of being.

The infinitive, being the most primitive of verbal forms, is devoid of tense, person, number, mood and any other verb characteristic.  It is best identified by its position in a sentence.

To err is divine.

John wants to go home.

I hope my little lecture will help you understand the conceptual difference between a gerund and an infinitive. I still find many difficulties with these concepts.

Regards,

Jean Iwanski


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## Moon Palace

Thank you, Pyan, this does make more sense to me and then we can reconcile what we learnt with what is the daily use...  Because from what I understand, when you say 'I like to cook curries' it means that you may not do so quite so often (as you would like maybe ) whereas if you say 'I like cooking curries,...' it is the activity of cooking which you point to, regardless of what you cook somehow. Hope I got it right


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## pyan

Moon Palace said:


> Thank you, Pyan, this does make more sense to me and then we can reconcile what we learnt with what is the daily use...  Because from what I understand, when you say 'I like to cook curries' it means that you may not do so quite so often (as you would like maybe ) whereas if you say 'I like cooking curries,...' it is the activity of cooking which you point to, regardless of what you cook somehow. Hope I got it right


Yes, you have expressed clearly what I was trying to say.   This is a personal view.  Edit:  Now I must do some reading.  Thanks, jeaniwanski.


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## cheche12

What is the difference between "to like doing something" and "to like to do something"?

For example: I like going to the movies and I like to go to the movies...

Thank you for your help!!


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## jann

Welcome, cheche12!

They mean essentially the same thing.  I have trouble distinguishing any difference in nuance in this particular case.  I would use both sentences indifferently, with a slight preference for "I like going..." since it is easier to say... and perhaps the gerund construction feels just a little more comfortable (better adapted) for making a general statement like this one.


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## floise

Hi cheche12,

The quick answer is that the two sentences you give both mean the same thing, basically.

What I am pasting below is a fuller explanation of verbs followed by either the infinitive (to + base form of verb) or gerund (base form of verb + ing):

[...]

[Moderator note: I am so sorry, but I had to remove the lovely, long explanation.  Direct quotations from other sources are limited to 4 lines only, so we cannot allow extensive copy and paste content here, even when a source is cited (rule 16).  Please just refer to the link provided below, where you can read the explanation in its entirety at the original source.]

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerund

Explanations like the one above are found in most English grammar books.

Floise


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## Caro28

Hy, 

Can you explain me what's the difference between to like to and to like + ing please?

Thanks!!


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## cropje_jnr

Can you give some examples in sentences? I think it would help. 

Generally speaking *to like to + V* = _aimer + V. _I don't see how your second construction is different...


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## Cath.S.

Je crois que Caro veut savoir si_ I like to read_ signifie exactement la même chose que _I like reading._ 
En tous cas, ça se traduit pareil : _j'aime lire_.


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## Caro28

Maybe the difference between "I like to get up early" and "I like getting up early"... But I would like to know the general explanation, not just in one example...


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## cropje_jnr

> Maybe the difference between "I like to get up early" and "I like getting up early"... But I would like to know the general explanation, not just in one example...


 
No difference I can discern . But if you post here: http://forum.wordreference.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6, you will doubtlessly get more in-depth responses.



> En tous cas, ça se traduit pareil : _j'aime lire_.


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## DearPrudence

Yes, don't forget the English Only Forum.
The mods of this forum have renamed threads on that subject so that you can find them more easily. Here they are


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## Junky_Hero

Hi, please can you tell me what sentence is correct:

- I like to play football
- I like playing football

Maybe both of them can be used, i don't know...

thanks


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## marget

They both sound correct.


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## jann

Les deux phrases sont tout à fait correctes. 

Lorsque vous vous hésitez entre _[verb conjugué] + infinitif  _vs. _[verb conjugué] + V-ing_, vous pouvez souvent vérifier sur les sites proposés ici dans la section "les temps du verbe - gérondif ou infinitif ?"...


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## peter13

''I like to play'' means that you prefer whereas ''I like playing'' means that you enjoy. For example: ''I like playing tennis because I take pleasure in it''  and '' I like to play tennis at this place because it's funnier''.

It all depends on what you want to say!


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## Odilec

Hello, Can anyone explain to me the difference between I like to + verb and I like +verb-ing ( I like to read as opposed to I like reading). Is there a difference between American English and British English on that matter? And  how would one explain the difference clearly to French high-school students?
Thanks


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## b1947420

Welcome to the forum.

A _*continuous* present_ construction would be "I like *reading*"

An _*infinitive*_ construction would be "I like *to read.*" This construction is a general statement.


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## Samajanantha

You can use them interchangeably.  The only difference is a matter of style.  

I like reading in bed = I like to read in bed.  

They both mean the same thing, and you can use them in the same contexts.


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## lualua

Bonjour à tous,

ça fait depuis pas mal de temps que je me pose la question, et apèrs plusieurs recherches sans trop de résultat, je préfère vous demandez.

Donc on peut voir des phrase comme : I like to share / I like going out / I like to get up at 7 AM etc....

Mais j'aimerais savoir quelle est la véritable différence entre les deux.

La seule chose que j'ai lu c'est lorsque l'on utilise like + to + verb, c'est faire quelque chose que l'on aime pas forcemment, mais que l'on fait malgré tout... C'est un peu brouillon pour moi...

Merci pour votre aide


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## Thomas1

Like doing exprime une préférence générale : 
I like reading books. -- J'aime lire les livres.

Like to do peut exprimer la nuance suivante : je pense que l'action en question (n')est (pas) prudente. Par exemple :
I don't like the kids to play in the street. -- Je n'aime pas quand les enfants jouent dans la rue. (Parce que cela peut être dangereux.)
Like to do est aussi utilisé dans les situations spécifiques (et non like doing), donc c'est pourquoi on dit :
I would like to go to the cinema. -- J'aimerais aller au cinéma.


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## lualua

Merci Thomas1.

En attendant une réponse, j'ai cherché su le forum et j'ai vu, que oui, lorsque c'est I like to + verb : c'est spécifique.

d'ou

_I like to get up at 7 AM_. *(spécifique car 7 AM)*

_I like getting up in the morning_ *(General)*

_I would like to go to the cinema_ *(specifique car c'est au cinéma et nulle par ailleur)*

_I'd prefer to go to X restaurant tomorrow_ *(Spécifique car c'est ce restaurant et pas un autre et c'est demain et pas un autre jour)*


Est-ce que c'est bien ça ?

thanks a lot for your help


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## Thomas1

lualua said:


> _I like to get up at 7 AM_. *(spécifique car 7 AM)*


 Il me semble qu'on doit ajouter quelque chose de plus pour que la situation soit spécifique, par exemple : I would like to get up at 7 a.m. Si non, la phrase exprime une préférence (avec une nuance dont j'ai parlé dessus (selon mon manuel de grammaire, elle existe surtout dans l'anglais britannique)). EDIT: En y réflechissant, je pense que vous avez raison. 


> _I'd prefer to go to X restaurant tomorrow_ *(Spécifique car c'est ce restaurant et pas un autre et c'est demain et pas un autre jour)*


[Je ne suis pas sûr que tu l'aies fait volontairement mais, au cas si non, le dernier exemple c'est 'prefer' [bien qu'il s'agisse de la même chose].


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## lualua

Merci Thomas01,

Prefer est volontaire, je l'ai pris sur  un thread du forum  ,

En gros : I like getting up a 7 Am  & I like to get up at 7 Am

C'est la même chose car comme vous dites

_Like doing exprime une préférence générale : 
*I like reading books. -- J'aime lire les livres.*_
_*(Je suis un grand fan de livre, j'adore lire tous les jours ETC...)*_

_I like to read books ===> J'aime lire les livres_
_*( J'aime lire, mais pas tous les jours, à l'ecole ça suffit)*_


_I like getting up at 7 Am_
_*( J'aime me lever  à 7 heure ,car je peux profiter de ma journée, être tranquil, profiter du calme etc...)*_

_I like to get up at 7 Am_
_*( J'aime me lever à 7 heure, mais  je ne pourrais pas me lever tous les jours à cette heure-ci, je suis du matin mais  je n'éprouve pas de plaisir particulier à me lever tôt)*_


ça pourrait être ça ?

Thanks a lot


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## Keith Bradford

There is no difference, so long as the statement is general. Don't waste time looking for / inventing one. There is no difference between_ I like reading _and _I like to read_.

However, with "*prefer*" this may be general (_I prefer to read = I prefer reading_).  Or it may be a decision for the future "I prefer to take to bus tomorrow".  In that case, you must use the infinitive.


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## Thomas1

Pour que cette différence existe, il faut une situation spécifique, ce qui peut nous fournir, par exemple, 'would'. À la question : What do you want to do tonight?, on répond généralement "I would like to go to the cinema" et pas "I would like going to the cinema" (la situation est spécifique mais 'going' exprime une préférence générale. Il y a un conflit.). Cette spécificité peut être aussi exprimée par la nuance dont j'ai parlé ci-dessus et qui peut être trouvée dans vos phrases. En général, je les comprends de manière pareille. 
Aussi, voir ici p. 34, points 5 à gauche et 3 à droite.

Comme on peut voir de ce fil, la différence n'est pas tellment nette pour tous les anglophones mais je ne suis pas tellment sûr que si certains d'entre eux ne la voient pas, elle n'existe pas pour tous (voir ce  post, bien que tout le fil soit intérresant). On doit, néanmoins, prendre en considération qu'il y a des avis différents et prendre la réalité telle quelle est même si nous ne sommes pas conscients de tous ses aspects.


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## TSR

Il y a une différence entre les deux formulations.

On utilise pour des situations spécifiques V + TO, car l'accent se porte sur l'action, son résultat.
Avec des situations génériques, donc pas spécifiques, on utilise V + ING, car l'action se porte sur le processus.

En règle général, la structure en -ING réfère à l'action. On se place au coeur de l'action.
Avec l'infinitif, on n'ajoute aucune nuance, on ne se préoccupe que du sens du verbe.

"I like going to the cinema" voudrait dire qu'on aime le trajet jusqu'au cinéma, en pensant qu'à l'arrivée, on aura un film.

De la même façon, on trouve des present perfect et present perfect continuous: "I have waited" et "I have been waiting". Les deux veulent dire la même chose, dans les faits. Mais, en anglais, les aspects (et parfois les auxiliaires modaux) apportent des informations sur le point de vue de l'énonciateur. Avec -ING on se focalise sur le processus.


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## jann

TSR said:


> "I like going to the cinema" voudrait dire qu'on aime le trajet jusqu'au cinéma, en pensant qu'à l'arrivée, on aura un film.


Je suis désolée de vous contredire, mais je trouve que vous exagérez la distinction entre les deux structures... si même il y en a une.

Si je dis _I like going to the movies, _cela ne veut pas dire que j'aime le trajet, pas plus que _I like to go to the movies _!  Les deux phrases expriment l'idée que j'aime aller au cinéma ; elles sont synonymes, on peut les employer indifféremment.  Inutile de chercher une distinction au niveau de la signification, ou des nuances qui ne sont pas là.


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