Love, like and hate

[Rachel Adams]

I read that either gerund or infinitive can be used with "prefer": "We can use a to-infinitive or an -ing form after prefer. A to-infinitive is more common.

She’s not keen on coffee. She prefers to drink tea. (or She prefers drinking tea to coffee.)."

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ru/грамматика/британская-грамматика/prefer

Can "like," "love," and "hate" be used without any change in meaning? For example,

1. "I love to listen to music before sleep" or "I love listening...."

2. "I hate to listen to music before sleep" or "I hate listening..."

3. "I like to listen to music before sleep" or I like listening...."

 

[GoesStation]

They're all possible, but I don't agree that there's no change in meaning. The participle form conveys more of a sense of duration.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I read that either gerund or infinitive can be used with "prefer": "We can use a to-infinitive or an -ing form after prefer. A to-infinitive is more common.

She’s not keen on coffee. She prefers to drink tea. (or She prefers drinking tea to coffee.)."

Can "like," "love," and "hate" be used without any change in meaning?

No. "Like," "love," and "hate" have very different meanings.

For example,

1. "I love to listen to music before sleep" or "I love listening...."

More natural:

- before going to sleep.

- before bedtime.

2. "I hate to listen to music before sleep" or "I hate listening..."

See 1.

3. "I like to listen to music before sleep" or I like listening...."

See 1.

"I love to listen" and "I love listening" mean the same thing to me.

 

[emsr2d2]

Rachel, I'm quite certain that your English is of a high enough standard that you know that "like/love" and "hate" don't mean the same thing! I can understand learners sometimes getting confused between "like" and "love" but I'm genuinely surprised that you thought "hate" means the same.

 

[probus]

I don't think Rachel meant to imply that. She was merely asking whether all three verbs could take both the "to" infinitive or the "-ing" infinitive.

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't think Rachel meant to imply that. She was merely asking whether all three verbs could take both the "to" infinitive or the "-ing" infinitive.

If that's the case, the following question is misleading ...

Can "like," "love," and "hate" be used without any change in meaning?

 

[jutfrank]

There is indeed a difference in meaning between the -ing forms and the to-infinitive forms.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I don't think Rachel meant to imply that. She was merely asking whether all three verbs could take both the "to" infinitive or the "-ing" infinitive.

Of course. We're showing her that the question she asked is not the question she wanted answered. We've answered both what she did and didn't ask.

To get the right answer, ask the right question!

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

There is indeed a difference in meaning between the -ing forms and the to-infinitive forms.

In those examples, I don't see the choice of verb form altering her pre-sleep activities.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Rachel, I'm quite certain that your English is of a high enough standard that you know that "like/love" and "hate" don't mean the same thing! I can understand learners sometimes getting confused between "like" and "love" but I'm genuinely surprised that you thought "hate" means the same.

Sorry, if my question was not clear I was wondering if all three verbs can take either "to" or "ing" without any change in meaning.

 

[Rachel Adams]

There is indeed a difference in meaning between the -ing forms and the to-infinitive forms.

A sense of duration is one difference, as GoesStation stated. What are other differences in meaning in my sentences?

 

[jutfrank]

In those examples, I don't see the choice of verb form altering her pre-sleep activities.

Yes, that's right. The pre-sleep activity is identical in both cases. We have to be very careful to specify what we mean by 'meaning', which is a tremendously complicated and difficult thing to understand. I've noticed that forum members have quite different ideas about this. Subtle differences in what we generally call meaning can sometimes be explained with notions such as 'emphasis' 'focus', and 'modality' to name just three.

So whether a change of the verb form effects a change in meaning depends on what kind of meaning you're talking about. I'll take one of Rachel's examples and try to show in a simple way how the difference in form is significant.

I like listening to music before sleeping. = I'm talking about an activity that I enjoy.

I like to listen to music before sleeping. = I'm talking about how I prefer to organise my life.