Verb structures: LOVE, LIKE, HATE Practice Tests with A1 Grammar Rules & Examples

Verb Structures: Love, Like, Hate

In English, we use the verbs love, like, and hate to talk about our feelings. We use them to say what we enjoy, what we think is good, and what we do not enjoy.

Look at these simple examples:

• I love cats.
• She likes pizza.
• He hates rain.

These are very useful, everyday verbs. In this lesson, you will learn exactly how to use love, like, and hate correctly in English.

What Do Love, Like, and Hate Mean?

Before we look at the grammar rules, let us understand what each verb means.

• Love = I have a very strong good feeling about something. I enjoy it very much.
  Example: I love chocolate. (Chocolate makes me very, very happy!)
• Like = I have a good feeling about something. I enjoy it.
  Example: I like coffee. (Coffee is good. I enjoy it.)
• Hate = I have a very strong bad feeling about something. I do not enjoy it at all.
  Example: I hate spiders. (Spiders are terrible for me!)

Think of it like a scale:

love 😍 → like 🙂 → hate 😠

Introducing the Grammar: A Simple Story

Meet Anna. She is a student. Let us read about Anna.

"My name is Anna. I love music. I like dogs. I hate homework."

Now meet Tom. He is Anna's friend.

"Tom loves football. He likes pizza. He hates cold weather."

Did you notice something? When we talk about Anna (I), we write love, like, hate. When we talk about Tom (he), we write loves, likes, hates. There is an -s at the end!

This is the important rule. Let us look at it carefully now.

Rule Breakdown: Love, Like, and Hate With Different Subjects

In English grammar, a subject is the person or thing we are talking about. The subject is usually at the start of the sentence. For example, in "I love cats", the subject is I. In "She likes pizza", the subject is She.

The subjects in English are:

• I (me, the person speaking)
• You (the person listening)
• He (one man or boy)
• She (one woman or girl)
• It (one thing, one animal)
• We (me and other people)
• They (more than one person or thing)

The Rule: Add -s for He, She, and It

Here is the most important rule for love, like, and hate:

With I, you, we, they → use love / like / hate (no change)
With he, she, it → add -s → use loves / likes / hates

Let us say it in very simple words: He, she, and it always get an -s on the verb.

Pattern for LOVE

I love ice cream.
You love music.
He loves football.
She loves cats.
It loves warm sun. (talking about a cat, for example)
We love holidays.
They love pizza.

Pattern for LIKE

I like coffee.
You like books.
He likes video games.
She likes flowers.
It likes water. (talking about a plant or animal)
We like school.
They like dogs.

Pattern for HATE

I hate spiders.
You hate cold weather.
He hates homework.
She hates noise.
It hates rain. (talking about a cat, for example)
We hate traffic.
They hate early mornings.

Love, Like, Hate: Full Grammar Table

What Can We Put After Love, Like, and Hate?

After love, like, and hate, we can use a noun or a verb with -ing.

A noun is a word for a person, place, or thing. For example: cat, pizza, music, football, school.

A verb with -ing means we add -ing to the end of another verb. For example: play → playing, read → reading, swim → swimming.

Structure 1: Love / Like / Hate + Noun

Use a noun (a person, place, or thing) directly after the verb.

Subject + love/like/hate + noun

• I love music.
• She likes cats.
• He hates rain.
• We love summer.
• They hate spiders.

Structure 2: Love / Like / Hate + Verb-ing

Use a verb with -ing after the main verb. This means you enjoy the activity.

Subject + love/like/hate + verb-ing

• I love listening to music.
• She likes reading books.
• He hates waking up early.
• We love playing football.
• They hate doing homework.

How to Make Verb + -ing

Most verbs: just add -ing
play → playing, read → reading, watch → watching, eat → eating

Verbs that end in a silent -e: remove the -e, then add -ing
ride → riding, write → writing, make → making

Short verbs with one vowel + one consonant: double the last letter, then add -ing
swim → swimming, run → running, sit → sitting

(Do not worry too much about these spelling rules now. The most important thing is to learn the structures!)

Verb Structures: Love, Like, Hate in Sentences

Here are some complete example sentences using both structures. Notice how natural they sound.

Making Negative Sentences: Don't and Doesn't

Sometimes we want to say something is not true. This is a negative sentence. To make a negative sentence with love, like, and hate, we use do not or does not.

We can also use the short forms (called contractions):

• do not → don't
• does not → doesn't

Here is the rule:

With I, you, we, they → use don't + love/like/hate (no -s on the verb!)
With he, she, it → use doesn't + love/like/hate (no -s on the verb!)

Important: When you use doesn't, the verb goes back to its base form. There is no -s. The -s is already in doesn't.

Negative Examples

• I don't like spiders.
• You don't love football.
• He doesn't like vegetables.
• She doesn't hate homework.
• It doesn't like cold water.
• We don't hate Mondays.
• They don't love winter.

Negative Sentences: Full Table

Asking Questions With Love, Like, and Hate

To ask a question with love, like, and hate, we use Do or Does at the start of the sentence.

With I, you, we, they → start with Do
With he, she, it → start with Does

Again, when you use Does, the verb has no -s. The -s is in Does.

Question Examples

• Do you like football?
• Do they love music?
• Does he like pizza?
• Does she hate spiders?
• Does your cat like warm weather?

Short Answers to Questions

We can answer these questions with a short answer. Look at these examples:

Do you like football?
→ Yes, I do. / No, I don't.

Does she love music?
→ Yes, she does. / No, she doesn't.

Does he hate vegetables?
→ Yes, he does. / No, he doesn't.

Important Differences and Special Cases

Love vs. Like: What Is the Difference?

Both love and like are positive. But they are not the same strength.

• Like = it is good. I enjoy it. ✅
• Love = it is wonderful! I enjoy it very much. ✅✅

I like chocolate. → Chocolate is nice.
I love chocolate. → Chocolate is amazing! I really want it!

Don't Like vs. Hate: What Is the Difference?

Both don't like and hate are negative. But they are not the same strength.

• Don't like = it is not good for me. I do not enjoy it. ❌
• Hate = it is very bad for me! I really do not enjoy it. ❌❌

I don't like spiders. → Spiders are not nice for me.
I hate spiders. → Spiders are terrible! I really cannot stand them!

Using Names and People as Subjects

We often use names or nouns (not just pronouns like he/she/I) as subjects. Remember: names of one person work the same as he or she. They need -s on the verb.

• Anna loves music. (Anna = she → loves)
• Tom likes pizza. (Tom = he → likes)
• My mum hates spiders. (My mum = she → hates)
• My dog loves walks. (My dog = it → loves)

Two or more people together work the same as they. No -s on the verb.

• Anna and Tom love music. (Anna and Tom = they → love)
• My parents like coffee. (My parents = they → like)

Common Mistakes

❌ She love cats.
✅ She loves cats. (She needs -s on the verb: loves)

❌ He likes play football.
✅ He likes playing football. (After like, use verb + -ing: playing)

❌ She doesn't likes coffee.
✅ She doesn't like coffee. (After doesn't, use the base verb: like, not likes)

❌ Does he loves pizza?
✅ Does he love pizza? (After Does, use the base verb: love, not loves)

❌ I love play tennis.
✅ I love playing tennis. (After love, use verb + -ing: playing)

❌ They hates cold weather.
✅ They hate cold weather. (They does not need -s on the verb: hate)

❌ My brother don't like coffee.
✅ My brother doesn't like coffee. (My brother = he → use doesn't, not don't)

Contractions: Short Forms

A contraction is when we join two words together and use an apostrophe ('). We use contractions in everyday speaking and writing.

Both forms are correct. In conversation, the contraction form (don't / doesn't) is more natural and more common.

Verb Structures: Love, Like, Hate — Quick Summary

Here are the key things to remember about the verb structures love, like, and hate:

• Love = very strong positive feeling. Like = positive feeling. Hate = very strong negative feeling.
• With I, you, we, they → use love / like / hate (no -s).
• With he, she, it (and names of one person or thing) → use loves / likes / hates (add -s).
• After love, like, and hate, use a noun or a verb + -ing.
• For negative sentences: I/you/we/they + don't + love/like/hate and he/she/it + doesn't + love/like/hate.
• For questions: start with Do (I/you/we/they) or Does (he/she/it).
• After doesn't and does, always use the base verb (no -s!).

Now practise verb structures: love, like, hate in the exercises below.