Understanding how to ask and answer questions about likes and dislikes is very useful in everyday conversations. This article explains in simple language how to form these questions, how to answer them, and even how to ask for extra details.
Basic Questions About Likes and Dislikes
One common way to ask someone if they enjoy an activity is to use the structure:
Do you like verb + ing?
This question asks if someone enjoys doing something. For example:
- Do you like cooking?
How to Answer
When answering, you can respond in several ways:
- Positive Responses:
- Yes, I do.
- Yes, I love cooking.
- Negative Responses:
- No, I don’t.
- No, I hate cooking.
Basic Question and Answer
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do you like verb + ing? | Yes, I do. |
| Yes, I love verb + ing. | |
| No, I don’t. | |
| No, I hate verb + ing. | |
| Example: | |
| Do you like cooking? | Yes, I do. |
| Yes, I love cooking. | |
| No, I don’t. | |
| No, I hate cooking. |
Alternative Question Structure
Another way to ask about someone’s preferences is by using:
What do you like doing?
This form is a bit more open and invites the person to talk about any activity they enjoy. For example:
- What do you like doing?
How to Answer
You can answer by stating an activity you enjoy:
- I like cooking.
- I love cooking.
Alternative Question and Answer
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What do you like doing? | I like/love verb + ing. |
| What do you like doing? | I like cooking. |
| I love cooking. |
Asking for More Information
After learning someone’s general likes, you might want to know more details about their interests. For instance, if someone says:
- Do you like reading?
And they answer, Yes, I like reading.
You can ask for extra details by finding out more about their specific interests.
Asking for Specific Details
A common follow-up question is:
What kind of books do you like?
This question helps you discover more about the person’s taste in books.
How to Form the Follow-Up Question and Answer
- Question: What kind of + noun + do you like?
- Answer: I like + adjective + noun.
Examples:
- Question: What kind of books do you like?
- Answer: I like fantasy books.
Or: I like crime books.
Or: I like comic books.
Asking for More Details
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What kind of + noun + do you like? | I like + adjective + noun. |
| Example: | |
| What kind of books do you like? | I like fantasy books. |
| I like crime books. | |
| I like comic books. |
Putting It All Together
This is a step-by-step process to ask questions about likes and dislikes:
- Start with a Basic Question:
- Use Do you like verb + ing? to ask if someone enjoys an activity.
- Example: Do you like cooking?
- Ask an Open Question:
- Use What do you like doing? to let the person share their interests freely.
- Example: What do you like doing?
- Ask for More Details:
- Once you know someone likes an activity, ask a follow-up question for details.
- Example: What kind of books do you like?
This approach helps you have a natural conversation where you learn more about the other person’s interests.
Exercise: Test your understanding of this English lesson
You can test your understanding of Asking Questions About Likes and Dislikes by answering these 20 questions. You will get the answers and your score at the end of the quiz.
Choose the correct option:
Learning Activity
Try writing your own sentences using these structures. For example:
- Do you like playing tennis?
(Answer: Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.) - What do you like doing on weekends?
(Answer: I like hiking. / I love cooking.) - What kind of movies do you like?
(Answer: I like action movies. / I like romantic comedies.)
Practice these questions and answers with a friend or in your study group. The more you use them, the more natural they will become in everyday conversations.
