Simple Guide to Talking About Interests and Free-Time Activities

Interests and Activities in Free Time

Understanding your interests and activities is essential when learning a new language. In English, we use various verbs to talk about what we like or dislike, and these verbs help us express our feelings more clearly.

Let’s begin by exploring common phrases used to talk about likes, dislikes, and preferences. For example, "I like playing chess," means that the speaker enjoys playing chess. On the other hand, saying "I hate doing my homework" expresses a strong dislike for homework. In English, verbs such as "like," "love," "hate," and "prefer" are used to communicate these feelings.

Describing What You Like and Dislike

In everyday life, we often describe what we enjoy or dislike doing. For instance, you may say, "I love going for walks," if you enjoy taking walks in nature, or "I can’t stand waiting," if you strongly dislike waiting for something. These expressions help you communicate your feelings about various activities. You can even use different verbs like "can’t bear" or "can’t stand" to emphasize your dislike.

Examples:

• “I love swimming.”
• “I hate cleaning the house.”
• “She can't stand listening to loud music.”
• "He prefers reading books over watching TV."

The Verb Forms: Gerund vs. Infinitive

In English, when using verbs like "love," "like," "hate," and "prefer," we often follow them with either the gerund (-ing form of a verb) or the infinitive (to + verb). The difference depends on whether we are talking about a general habit or a specific action.

For instance:

• Gerund (general): "I like playing soccer." (This refers to the general activity of playing soccer.)
• Infinitive (specific situation): "I like to play soccer on weekends." (This refers to a specific time, such as weekends.)

We can also use the phrase "would like" when making requests or expressing polite desires. For example:

• "Would you like a coffee?" (Polite request)
• "Would you like to watch a movie?" (Polite invitation)

Talking About What You Want

In addition to the verbs "like" and "love," we often use the verb "want" to express desires or needs. Sometimes, we use "want" in the continuous form to sound more indirect or polite. For example:

• "We are wanting to visit New York next summer." (This sounds more polite than saying "We want to visit New York.")
• "She was wanting to talk about her plans." (Emphasizing a past desire.)

Talking About Activities Using Prepositions and Gerunds

In English, gerunds (verbs ending in -ing) can also be used after prepositions. For example:

• "I’m interested in playing tennis." (The gerund “playing” follows the preposition “in.”)
• "She is good at singing." (The gerund “singing” follows the preposition “at.”)

Other common prepositions that go with gerunds include "about," "for," and "to":

• "We argued about going to the party."
• "I’m excited about starting my new job."

Object Pronouns

When talking about people or things, we often use object pronouns. These are used to replace a noun that is the object of a verb or preposition. For example:

• "She loves him." (Here, “him” is the object pronoun replacing the noun “John.”)
• "I like them." (The object pronoun “them” refers to a group of people or things.) Object pronouns include: me, you, him, her, it, us, and them.

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns are used when we don’t refer to a specific person, thing, or amount. For example:

• "Everybody enjoys a good movie." (We don’t know exactly who "everybody" is.)
• "Everything was ready for the event." (We don’t specify what "everything" is.) In such cases, a singular verb is used, and the pronoun is usually followed by a plural pronoun in the next sentence.

Using "Really" for Emphasis

The adverb "really" is useful for emphasizing what you are saying. It can make your feelings stronger or weaker depending on its position in the sentence:

• "I really enjoy reading." (This means you enjoy reading very much.)
• "I don’t really like jazz music." (This means you don’t dislike jazz, but it’s not your favorite.)

Conclusion

In everyday conversations, learning how to express your interests and dislikes in English is crucial. Understanding how to use verbs like "like," "hate," "prefer," and "want" along with gerunds and infinitives helps you form clear and accurate sentences. Practice these expressions in various situations, and soon, you will be able to talk about your interests, activities, and feelings fluently.

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References

Murphy, R. (2012). English grammar in use: A self-study reference and practice book for intermediate learners of English (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

Swan, M. (2005). Practical English usage (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.