Interesting+ ways+ to+ say+ like+ and+ dont+ like+ in+ ielts+ speaking+

Interesting ways to say LIKE and DON''''T LIKE in IELTS Speaking KE ITH O ''''HARE LIKE AND DON''''T LIKE IN IELTS SPEAKING INTERESTING WAYS TO SAY C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 2 3 , K E I T H S P E A K I N G A C A[.]

KEITH O'HARE

LIKE AND DON'T LIKE

IN IELTS SPEAKING

INTERESTING WAYS TO SAY

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Keith runs The Keith Speaking Academy He has been working in international education for

over 20 years as a teacher, teacher trainer, and education manager

He has helped over 40,000 students prepare for their IELTS Speaking test with his online

courses.

About the Author

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In this PDF I will show you some interesting ways of expressing likes and

dislikes, so you can show off a wider range of vocabulary to the

examiner

We will look at ways to say,

1 You like it

2 You are indifferent (neither like nor dislike)

3 You don’t like it

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I am into art

I am into modern art

I’m quite into art, especially modern art

I have a thing for chocolate mints

I have a thing for 90's music

I have a thing for Chinese comic books

I have a thing for this girl at work

I have soft spot for old movies

I have a soft spot for dogs

I have a bit of a soft spot for old movies

1 To be into _

Often used for hobbies

2 To have a thing for

When you like unusual and specific things

This phrase can also be used for people, when you are attracted to that person

3 To have a soft spot for

You like something or someone, but it’s hard to explain why

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She has a soft spot for her niece

This father has a soft spot for his youngest daughter

I am partial to red wine

I am partial to Spanish red wine

I’m quite partial to Spanish red wine

I’m rather partial to Spanish red wine

When I arrived in Spain, I didn’t like the food, but now I’m taking to it When I arrived in Spain, I didn’t like the food, but now I have taken to

it

I never used to like this job, but now I’m warming to it

I never used to like this job, but now I have warmed to it

I used to hate gardening, but nowadays it’s growing on me

I used to dislike history, but since watching that documentary it has

grown on me

4 To be partial to

5 To take to / To warm up to / To grow on

The following phrases are for things you didn’t like at first, but now you are starting to like it / them.

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I don’t mind it

It’s not bad

I can take it or leave it

I don’t dislike it

It’s no big deal

It doesn’t bother me

I don’t mind it

Below we have some phrases to talk about both things and activities

that you neither like nor dislike.

Do you like art?

Do you like getting up early in the morning?

TIP 1: If we use ‘don’t mind’ followed by a verb, the verb

needs to be in the gerund.

I don’t mind doing that

I don’t mind getting up early, so long as it’s not too early!

I don’t mind + Verb (Gerund)

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I don’t care for it

I don’t care for cooking, it’s too much hard work!

I don’t care for English food

Do you like cooking?

1 I don’t care for

TIP 2: If we use ‘don’t care for’ followed by a verb, the

verb needs to be in the gerund

I don’t care for cooking

I don’t care much for cooking

I’m really not into history, it does nothing for me.

No, I can’t be doing with it It makes no sense to me.

I don’t care FOR + VERB (gerund)

2 It does nothing for me

3 I can’t be doing with it

Often connected to being impatient and not liking something.

Do you like modern art?

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I can’t stand waiting in line

I can’t stand maths, it’s just too complicated

I can’t stand this food, it’s horrible

4 I can’t stand it

Saying more strongly that you really don’t like something

TIP 3: Notice, when speaking, we sometimes drop the

subject

don’t care for it

does nothing for me

can’t be doing with it

can’t stand it

Do you like this?

TIP 4: Be careful with plurals!

I don’t care for them

They do nothing for me

I can’t be doing with them

Can’t stand them

Do you like celebrating birthdays?

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CRACK IELTS SPEAKING PART 1

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