Hate, like, love and prefer

We can use hate, like, love and prefer with an -ing form or with a to-infinitive:

I hate to see food being thrown away.

I love going to the cinema.

I prefer listening to the news on radio than watching it on TV.

He prefers not to wear a tie to work.

In American English, the forms with to-infinitive are much more common than the -ing form.

There is a very small difference in meaning between the two forms. The -ing form emphasises the action or experience. The to-infinitive gives more emphasis to the results of the action or event. We often use the -ing form to suggest enjoyment (or lack of it), and the to-infinitive form to express habits or preferences.

Compare

I like making jam.

He likes telling jokes.

They don’t like sitting for too long.

emphasis on the experience/action

We have a lot of fruit in the garden. I like to make jam every year.

I prefer to sort out a problem as soon as I can.

If you prefer not to go camping there are youth hostels nearby.

a habit or preference

The -ing form is more common than the to-infinitive form after hate and love:

I hate decorating. I’d rather pay a professional to do it.

Would + hate, like, love, prefer

When we use would or ’d with hate, like, love, prefer, we use the to-infinitive, not the -ing form:

We would love to hear you sing.

Not: We would love hearing you sing.

They’d hate to cause a problem.

Not: They’d hate causing a problem.

I’d prefer not to give you my name.

Not: I’d prefer not giving you my name.