Page 137 - Basic English Usage

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! hate working/to work at weekends.
She began playing/to play the guitar when she was six.
! intend telling her/to tell her what | think.
In British English, we usually use like . . . -ing to talk about enjoyment,
and like to ... to talk about choices and habits. Compare:
| like climbing mountains. | like to start work early in the morning.
After the conditionals would like, would prefer, would hate and would
love, we use the infinitive.
I'd like to tell you something.
‘Can | give you a lift?’ ‘No, thanks. I’d prefer to walk.’
I'd love to have a coat like that.
Compare:
Do you like dancing? ( = Do you enjoy dancing?)
Would you like to dance? (An invitation. = Do you want to dance now?)

For the difference between | used to + infinitive | and be used to... -ing |

see 353; 354.

183 instead of ...-ing

After instead of, we can use a noun or an -ing form, but not an infinitive.
Would you like to take a taxi instead of a bus?
Would you like to take a taxi instead of going by bus?
(NOT ... #stead-te-ge-bybus-)

184 inversion: auxiliary verb before subject

| auxiliary verb + subject + main verb |

We put an auxiliary verb before the subject of a clause in several
different structures.

Questions (see 270)
Have your father and mother arrived?
(NOT Have arrtvec_yourfatherand- mother?)
Where is the concert taking piace?
(NOT Where +s taking piace the-eoncert?)
Spoken questions do not always have this word order (see 271).
You’re coming tomorrow?
Reported questions do not usually have this order (see 284).
! wondered what time the film was starting.
(NOT ... whattime-was-thetiarstaring:)