like/ dislike

[poorboy_9]

When I "like" a "verb", my choices are the gerrund or the infinitive form (i.e.- I like swimming/ I like to swim ). Are my choices the same for "dislike"? ( It may be just a personal preference but I rarely say: "I dislike to swim." - "I hate to swim", sure.) Is it just me, or .........:-?

Thanks for your input

 

[Tarheel]

Interesting. When i say I like spaghetti it means Iike the taste of spaghetti. When I say I like playing basketball it means I enjoy the activity. You can certainly say either that you like swimming or that you don't like swimming. You can say it the other way too.

 

[Rover_KE]

There's often a difference between 'dislike' and 'don't like'.

'I don't like to swim after a heavy meal' is OK and so is 'I don't like swimming after a heavy meal', but only the second can take 'dislike', IMO.

 

[poorboy_9]

So.......it's not just me, but is there any "grammar rule" involved? / Would "I dislike to swim after a heavy meal" be incorrct?

 

[emsr2d2]

So (no dots required here) it's not just me, but is there any "grammar rule" involved? (No slash required here) Would "I dislike to swim after a heavy meal" be incorrect?

Yes, in BrE at least, "I dislike to swim" is incorrect.

I like to swim. :tick:
I like swimming. :tick:
I dislike to swim. :cross:
I dislike swimming. :tick:

 

[poorboy_9]

Sorry for the typo, I've got a "tweaky" keyboard (e & t). So it is a rule and not just speech preference? I do AmE.

 

[Raymott]

"I dislike to <verb>" is incorrect. To me, that's a rule.