Gerunds and Infinitives: Like, Love, Hate, Prefer

Some verbs can be followed by either a gerund or an infinitive with no change in meaning. The most common examples are like, love, hate, prefer, begin, start, and continue. You can say "I like swimming" or "I like to swim" — both are correct and mean the same thing. Similarly, "She started working" and "She started to work" are identical in meaning. This flexibility makes these verbs easier to use.

However, there is one small difference with "like" in British English. "I like swimming" (gerund) suggests general enjoyment — you find swimming pleasant. "I like to swim every morning" (infinitive) can suggest a habit or something you think is good for you, even if you don't particularly enjoy it. This difference is subtle and not always observed, but it may appear in advanced exams. For most purposes, both forms are interchangeable. Practising with these dual-form verbs builds confidence before moving to verbs where the form choice changes the meaning entirely.