Do you enjoy…

Enjoy

Which sentence is correct:

1. The racoon enjoys to watch sci-fi movies.
2. The racoon enjoys watching sci-fi movies.

The correct answer is sentence no. 2.

The verb enjoy is followed by a verb in the -ing form.

For example:

I enjoy swimming in lake.

We use the verb enjoy a lot when we speak. So, I want you to remember this:

enjoy + -ing form of the verb.

To consolidate what we have just learned, correct the sentences that need correcting.

1. They enjoy paragliding.
2. She enjoys to work in adverstising.
3. I enjoy playing tennis.

Yes, sentence no. 2 needs to be changed to ‘working’.

Suggest

Now that we know about enjoy, how about suggest?

Which one is correct:

1. I suggest to read the document more carefully.
2. I suggest reading the document more carefully.

It’s just the same as enjoy. So, sentence no. 2 is correct.

The form is: suggest + -ing form of the verb.

Time to consolidate what you have learned. Correct where needed:

1. I suggest to call the client tomorrow morning.
2. They suggested visiting the warehouse next month.
3. He suggests postponing the meeting.

Yes, sentence no.1 needs to be altered. I suggest calling ….

Verbs that use both

There are some verbs that go with both the infinitive and the – ing form of the verb.

For example:

I love going for a jog in the morning.

I love to go for a jog in the morning.

Both these sentences are correct. The same goes for ‘prefer’.

For example:

I prefer taking the train.

I prefer to take the train.

You can click away now–if you want to

If that is enough grammar for one day, I understand. After reading this paragraph, click away. Be sure to listen to yourself when using such verbs as enjoy, love, and prefer. Make sure to use the correct form. Bye.

When to use infinitives and -ing forms

If you are interested to learn more, stay for a bit. Roll up your sleaves. We are covering some nuances now.

With verbs such as like, love, prefer, and hate we use both the infinitive form and the ing form. But, there are differences in meaning. You could drink some virtual coffee to stay focused.

Are you feeling (virtually) refreshed? Good.

Let’s get back to talking about when to use the infinitive form and when to use the -ing form.

Read these two sentences:

1. I like drinking black coffee.

This means that I enjoy drinking black coffee.

2. I like to drink two cups of coffee in the morning.

We use the infinitive form here because we want to talk about habits and choices.

Here’s another example:

1. Do you like walking in the park?

The question is whether you enjoy walking in the park.

2. Would you like to walk in the park?

You are being offered a choice. Walk in the park, or not.

The end

I hope that last part was not grammar overdose.

Remember ‘enjoy’ is followed by the -ing form. The racoon enjoys watching sci-fi movies.

Remember that some verbs use both the infinitive and the ing forms. It depends what you want to express.

And just like that, your grammar improves!

If you like learning grammar, you could read this post on the state verbs.