Interesting ways to say LIKE and DON'T LIKE in IELTS Speaking

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- And do you like sport?

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- Yeah, I like it.

Oh no, I don't like it.

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- Not bad,

(Keith laughing)

but not great.

Let's find some more interesting ways to say 'like'

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and 'don't like' in your IELTS speaking.

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Hello there.

This is Keith from the English Speaking Success

and the website Keith Speaking Academy.

If you haven't seen the website,

go and check it out

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at keithspeakingacademy.com.

Lots of great resources

if you're preparing for IELTS speaking,

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talking of which, in IELTS Speaking: Part One,

one of the most common questions is,

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do you like something?

And of course you can say, "Yes, I like it.

No, I don't like it,"

but in this lesson,

you're going to learn some more interesting ways

of expressing likes and dislikes so that you can show

off a wider range of vocabulary to the examiner.

I'm going to look at first expressing likes, also dislikes,

and also neither like nor dislike when you're indifferent.

Okay? Let's jump straight in.

Okay, let's begin with things that we like.

First, we can say "to be into something," right?

I'm into art.

I'm into modern art.

You can make it more natural by adding 'quite.'

I'm quite into art, especially modern art.

Next, to have a thing for something.

This is often when you like something quite unusual

or specific and maybe for unusual reasons as well.

I have a thing for chocolate mints.

Ah, man!

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Chocolate mints, After Eight.

I have a thing for After Eight mints.

Oh!

Heaven!

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(Keith giggling)

Mm, mm, mm!

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I have a thing for nineties music.

I'm stuck in the past.

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I have a thing for nineties music.

I also have a thing for Chinese comic books.

I dunno why. They're just hilarious.

Lao Fu Zi.

I think I have a thing for these 'cause I used to read them

with my daughter when she was growing up.

So, often specific things and unusual reasons, right?

"To have a thing for."

It can also be when you are attracted to somebody.

I have a thing for this girl at work.

No, it's not true. It's an example.

Next, to have a soft spot

for something, and this is when it's quite hard

to explain why you like something, right?

It can be something or someone.

For example, I have a soft spot for old movies.

I have a soft spot for dogs.

You can make it more natural.

I have a bit of a soft spot for old movies.

It can also be

for somebody when you like them, not attracted,

but when you like them.

She has a soft spot for her niece,

or this father has a soft spot

for his youngest daughter, things like that.

Next, to be partial to something, often with food and drink.

I'm partial to red wine. Hm.

I'm partial to Spanish red wine.

You can make it more natural by saying "quite."

I'm quite partial to red wine,

or I'm rather partial to red wine.

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I'm quite partial to pistachio nuts.

Hmm.

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Okay, next, we have to express a like when maybe

before, you didn't like it,

but now, you are starting to like something.

For example, and it's just an example. It's not true.

When I arrived in Spain, I didn't like the food,

but now, I'm starting to like it, right?

We can say "to take to something"

or "to warm up to something."

So, when I arrived in Spain,

I didn't like the food very much,

but now, I'm taken to it, or now, I have taken to it.

I've taken to it.

I didn't like this food before, but now I'm warming to it.

I've really warmed to it. Okay?

We can use the continuous,

present continuous, or present perfect.

Finally, we can say "to grow on."

Something is growing on me.

I'm beginning to like it.

So yeah, Spanish food has grown on me.

It's not true.

I've always liked Spanish food, but just practicing.

Let's move on.

Right, next, let's talk about that bit in the middle,

neither like nor dislike, indifferent, right?

First, we'll look at things and then activities.

For example, if you are asked, "Do you like art,"

you could say, "I'm indifferent,"

but maybe more natural is, "I don't mind it."

I don't mind it.

It's not bad. It's not bad.

I can take it or leave it.

I can take it or leave it.

I don't dislike it.

This one's an interesting one, right?

I don't dislike it,

which doesn't mean you like it, it just means indifferent.

I remember once catching up

with a friend I hadn't seen for ages.

He had got married several years earlier,

and we went for a drink

down at the pub and we sat down and I said, "Are you happy,"

and he said, "I'm not unhappy,"

(Keith scoffing)

and I thought, "Oh dear.

(Keith scoffing)

That's not good for your marriage."

Indifferent, right? I'm not unhappy.

I don't dislike it.

Great, talking about activities.

So, if you are asked,

"Do you like getting up early in the morning,"

you could say, "It's no big deal.

It doesn't bother me."

Okay? Or again, I don't mind.

I don't mind.

If you have a verb,

"I don't mind" plus the verb,

the verb is always in the gerund.

I don't mind doing that. Note, mental note.

Do you like getting up early?

Well, I don't mind getting

up early so long as it's not too early.

Lovely.

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Let's move on.

Right, let's look now at things that we don't like. Bleh!

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Do you like cooking?

You can say, "I don't care for something," right?

I don't care for it,

or, if you have the verb, "I don't care for cooking."

Notice,

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"care for," "for," preposition, plus a verb,

the verb must be in the gerund.

I don't care for getting up early.

I don't care for walking the dog.

(Keith giggling)

Okay? To make it even more natural, we often use "much."

I don't care much for that.

I don't care much for cooking.

Okay? Next, it does nothing for me.

This is a bit stronger than indifferent.

It's really that you don't like it, right?

It does nothing for me, or I can't be doing with it.

I can't be doing with it. Nice, complicated.

This is where you don't like something,

and often, you have no patience, right?

Sometimes we say, "Do you like getting up early?"

No, I can't be doing with it.

Do you like modern art?

No, I don't have the patience.

It's just so complicated. I can't be doing with it.

Very, very colloquial, but nice.

If you want to say you strongly don't like something,

I can't stand it.

I can't stand it.

Notice the T from 'can't' often drops, that sound drops.

I can't stand it.

I can't stand getting up early.

Now, some tips for you,

a couple of tips about natural spoken English.

First, for your listening skills,

did you know we often drop the subject when we're speaking?

So, do you like this?

Don't care for it.

The I can be dropped. Does nothing for me.

Can't be doing with it. Can't stand it.

So, when you're listening

to native speakers, or proficient speakers,

you may notice that the subject

is dropped and disappears, okay?

The second thing is be careful with plurals.

So, if somebody asks you, you know, "Do you like birthdays,"

birthdays plural, you need to change

the 'it' to 'them,' right?

I don't care for it, no.

If it's my birthday, I don't care for it,

but birthdays, I don't care for them.

They do nothing for me.

I can't be doing with them.

Can't stand them.

Right? Be careful with the pronoun.

It may change if it's a plural.

Excellent. Got it?

Good.

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Mm.

Oh, you're still here?

I thought we'd finished.

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Well, listen, I hope that you liked this video.

I'm rather partial to Keith's videos.

If you are new to IELTS Speaking,

or even if you've been practicing and studying a long time,

but feel a bit frustrated, I have something for you,

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That's it from me for today.

I'll see you in the next video.

Thanks for watching.

Take care. Bye-bye.

Hm.

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