At A2 level, students need to talk about what they like and don't like. But four common verbs — like, love, enjoy, prefer — are not the same. They differ in two ways. First, in strength: 'love' is stronger than 'like'. Second, and more importantly for beginners, in grammar: each verb needs a different structure after it. 'I enjoy play football' is wrong — it must be 'I enjoy playing football'. 'I prefer tea than coffee' is wrong — it must be 'I prefer tea to coffee'. These are among the most common A2 and B1 errors, and they become fixed habits if not taught early. This lesson gives teachers a clear way to teach each verb with its correct pattern, so students do not build bad habits that are hard to break later.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
I enjoy tea. ✓
I enjoy drinking tea. ✓
I enjoy to drink tea. ✗
I love tea. ✓
I love drinking tea. ✓
I love to drink tea. ✓
Look at the three verbs — like, enjoy, love. Two of them can be followed by 'to drink', but one of them cannot. Which one, and why is this important?
'Enjoy' is different from 'like' and 'love'. You can say 'I like tea' or 'I like to drink tea' or 'I like drinking tea' — all three work. You can say 'I love tea' or 'I love to drink tea' or 'I love drinking tea' — all three work. But 'enjoy' cannot be followed by 'to + verb'. 'I enjoy to drink tea' is wrong. 'Enjoy' must be followed by a noun ('I enjoy tea') or by an -ing verb ('I enjoy drinking tea'). This is one of the most common B1 errors. The teaching point: each verb has its own grammar rules, and students must learn them with the verb, not separately.
Sentence A: 'I ________ my family very much.' (like / love)
Sentence B: 'I ________ going to the market on Saturday.' (enjoy / love)
Sentence C: 'I ________ rice ________ bread.' (prefer __ to / prefer __ than)
Sentence A: 'love' is stronger and more natural for family. 'I like my family' is possible but sounds weak and distant. 'I love my family' is the normal way to express the feeling. Sentence B: both 'enjoy' and 'love' work here, but 'enjoy' is the most natural word for pleasant activities ('I enjoy going to the market'). 'Love' is stronger. Sentence C: 'prefer X to Y' is the correct grammar — 'I prefer rice to bread'. 'Prefer X than Y' is a very common error, often copied from other languages. Each sentence shows a different question: (A) strength, (B) choice between close synonyms, (C) correct grammar. All three must be taught together.
Do you like coffee? (Do you enjoy coffee in general?)
Would you like coffee? / Would you like some coffee? (Do you want coffee now?)
'Like' on its own and 'would like' are very different. The first is about general preference — what you usually enjoy. The second is about what you want right now. Why is this difference important for students?
This is a key politeness and meaning distinction. 'Do you like tea?' is a question about the person's taste in general. 'Would you like tea?' is an offer — a polite way to ask if the person wants tea now. Students who say 'Do you like tea?' when offering tea to a guest cause confusion — the guest may answer 'yes, I like tea' but not know if they are being offered tea now. Similarly, 'I like some water' (wrong) is a common error — students mean 'I would like some water' (= I want some water, please). Teach 'would like' / 'I'd like' as a separate polite expression early.
| Verb | Strength | Grammar after the verb | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| like | Moderate | like + noun / like + -ing / like + to + verb | I like football. / I like playing football. / I like to play football. |
| love | Strong | love + noun / love + -ing / love + to + verb | I love music. / I love dancing. / I love to dance. |
| enjoy | Moderate — pleasant activity | enjoy + noun / enjoy + -ing (NOT 'to + verb') | I enjoy films. / I enjoy watching films. ✗ I enjoy to watch films. |
| prefer | Choice between things | prefer + noun + to + noun / prefer + -ing + to + -ing | I prefer tea to coffee. / I prefer walking to running. |
| hate | Strong negative — opposite of love | hate + noun / hate + -ing / hate + to + verb | I hate lies. / I hate lying. / I hate to lie. |
| 'd like (would like) | Polite want (right now) | 'd like + noun / 'd like + to + verb | I'd like some tea, please. / I'd like to ask a question. |
DISTINCTION 1 — Like vs love: 'Love' is much stronger than 'like'. 'I like my brother' is weak and distant — it sounds almost cold. 'I love my brother' is natural for family. For food and hobbies, both work — 'I like football' / 'I love football' just differ in strength. Teach students to use 'love' for strong feelings, especially about people they are close to.
DISTINCTION 2 — Enjoy is different: 'Enjoy' is followed by a noun ('I enjoy music') or an -ing verb ('I enjoy listening to music'). It CANNOT be followed by 'to + verb' — 'I enjoy to listen' is wrong. This is the single most common error with this verb group. 'Enjoy' also usually needs something to follow it — 'I enjoy' alone sounds incomplete.
DISTINCTION 3 — Prefer X to Y: The correct grammar is 'prefer + thing + to + other thing'. 'I prefer tea to coffee.' 'I prefer walking to running.' Students often say 'prefer X than Y' — this is wrong. 'Than' works with 'more' (I like tea more than coffee), but with 'prefer' the word is 'to'.
DISTINCTION 4 — 'I like' vs 'I'd like': These look similar but mean very different things. 'I like coffee' = I enjoy coffee in general (fact about my taste). 'I'd like coffee' = I want coffee now (polite request). Mixing these up causes confusion and can sound rude. Teach them as two different expressions from the start.
DISTINCTION 5 — Using 'really' to strengthen 'like': 'I really like' is softer than 'I love' and is often more natural. For a friend you like a lot but would not say 'love' about, 'I really like him' is better than 'I love him'. This gives students a middle option between 'like' and 'love'.
The grammar patterns of these four verbs are among the most error-heavy at A2 and B1. Teachers should correct errors firmly but kindly — 'I enjoy to swim' is so common that students often do not hear the error. Write the correct form on the board next to the error. Repeat the pattern: 'enjoy + -ing — always.' The repetition is the teaching. Students will not remember the rule from one correction — they need to hear it many times across many lessons.
Build a simple three-column board: LIKE / LOVE — followed by noun, -ing, or 'to' + verb. ENJOY — followed by noun or -ing only. PREFER — X to Y. Keep this board up for the whole lesson. Point to it every time a student makes an error. Visual repetition fixes the pattern more than verbal correction.
Choose the correct word or phrase for each sentence. Think about meaning (strength), grammar (what comes after the verb), and situation (general preference or polite offer).
Each sentence has a common error with like, love, enjoy, or prefer. Find the error, write the correct sentence, and explain the rule.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — A scale from like to love (5 min): Draw a line on the board. At one end write 'like a little'. In the middle write 'like'. Then 'really like'. Then 'love'. Students suggest things they feel each way about — 'I like rice'; 'I really like mangoes'; 'I love my family'. Establish that 'like' and 'love' are on a scale of strength.
STEP 2 — The enjoy trap (7 min): Write three sentences on the board: 'I enjoy football.' ✓ / 'I enjoy playing football.' ✓ / 'I enjoy to play football.' ✗ Ask students to repeat the rule: 'enjoy + noun' or 'enjoy + -ing'. Never 'enjoy + to'. Drill with five more examples: enjoy music, enjoy cooking, enjoy reading, enjoy the lesson, enjoy my holiday. Students repeat until the pattern is automatic.
STEP 3 — Prefer X to Y (5 min): Write the pattern on the board: 'I prefer ________ to ________.' Give examples: 'I prefer tea to coffee' / 'I prefer rice to bread' / 'I prefer walking to running'. Warn: not 'than'. Have students produce five true sentences about their own preferences using the pattern. Correct any 'than' errors immediately.
STEP 4 — Like vs would like (4 min): Write two sentences: 'Do you like tea?' (= question about general taste) and 'Would you like some tea?' (= offer). Act out both in a role-play: host offering tea to visitor. Students practise 'Would you like...?' as an offer and 'I'd like...' as a polite request.
STEP 5 — Talk about yourself (4 min): Each student produces three true sentences using three different verbs from the set: one with 'like' or 'love', one with 'enjoy + -ing', and one with 'prefer X to Y'. Share in pairs. Partner checks: is the grammar correct? Is the verb choice natural?
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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