Thread: don't like to
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Unread Sep 1st, 2019, 10:10 am
susan53 susan53 is offline
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Default Re: don't like to

See my first reply here (would enjoy + v.ing ?)
before you read on.

As indicated there and in my other replies in this thread, when discussing the verb like you always need to decide first if you're talking about :
a) enjoyment (like + Ving)
b) whether you think it's a good idea to do something or not (like + to + infinitive)
c) whether it's something you do or don't want to do (would like + to + infinitive)

So:

1. Perhaps - 1/2 can certainly be interpreted as expressing enjoyment (so is possible). What would be the context for 1/1? It seems possible but without knowing the context, I can't be sure.

2. The verb in the second sentence of each example is incorrect. After would like to the infinitive must be used (that's a syntactic rule) - so I wouldn't like to talk to him again. As for the extract as a whole - I can't think of a context where 2/1 might be said, so can't give you an answer. Can you provide one? Remember - grammatical choices express meaning, and the meaning of a sentence always depends on the context and the speaker's intention in that context. Isolated sentences, devoid of context, are impossible to interpret or judge unless they break a clear syntactic rule (eg as in your second sentence here that to can't be followed by a past form verb). 2/2 can easily be interpreted as expressing enjoyment in the situation, so no problem.

3. 3/1 sounds strange to me. The meaning seems clearly "Do you enjoy..." rather than "Do you think it's a good idea...". Again, I can't think of a context which would produce it.

I would say that all these examples would probably refer to a context where the speaker is asking about the listener's feelings (of enjoyment/discomfort) rather than whether they think something is "a good idea" or not, so like + Ving is more probabale (in British English certainly)
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