I don’t like “LIKE”

• Did you like the film?
• We liked that Maltese restaurant.
• In my free time I like walking in the countryside.
• My husband likes washing the car on a Saturday.

Those sentences are grammatically correct but – and this is a big BUT – they are boring. Like is an easy word to use so for many students it is an excuse to be lazy. I am quite sure most of you know the verbs enjoy, prefer and love.

• We loved that Maltese restaurant.
• In my free time I prefer walking in the countryside.
• My husband enjoys washing the car on a Saturday.

There, changing just one word makes the sentence more interesting. Next time the word like is going to slip off your tongue, pause for a second and replace it with a suitable alternative. By the way, love is more intense than like. If love is not strong enough, try adore, which is even stronger. Let me use myself as an example. Since I am a chocoholic, saying I like chocolate, or I love chocolate, is inadequate. With hand on heart, I can say that I adore chocolate.