does not like doing

[JEic]

Smith does not like doing crafts as much as solving puzzles.

Is this correct?
- Smith would rather solve puzzles than do crafts.

 

[teechar]

That's what it implies. Where did you find it?

 

[JEic]

That's what it implies. Where did you find it?

I saw it in a random English exercise/practice sheet;.

I am trying to understand whether Smith dislikes which one more: doing crafts or solving puzzles.

I am unsure which is correct:
(a) Smith would rather solve puzzles than do crafts.
(b) Smith would rather do crafts than solve puzzles.

If he likes doing crafts as much as solving puzzles, this means he likes them equally. But, when it comes to "does not like" with "as much as", I'm unsure.

 

[Barque]

I am trying to understand whether Smith dislikes which one more: doing crafts or solving puzzles.

I am unsure which is correct:
(a) Smith would rather solve puzzles than do crafts.
(b) Smith would rather do crafts than solve puzzles.

You offered your opinion in your opening post and you got a confirmation in #2.

 

[Barque]

when it comes to "does not like" with "as much as",

This means "[He] doesn't like X as much as he likes Y".

 

[teechar]

I am trying to understand whether which one Smith dislikes which one more: doing crafts or solving puzzles.

The sentence does not say anything about disliking. It simply says that he does not like doing crafts to the same extent that he likes doing puzzles.

I am unsure which is correct:
(a) Smith would rather solve puzzles than do crafts.

That is correct.

(b) Smith would rather do crafts than solve puzzles.

That is incorrect.

 

[Tarheel]

He very well might like both. He just likes one more than the other. (There's nothing remarkable about that.)

 

[JEic]

That's what it implies. Where did you find it?

That's what it implies. Where did you find it?

I saw it in a English practice exercise sheet. I found the "as much as" rather confusing because I thought it could mean:

(a) He does not like solving puzzles more than he dislikes doing crafts.

(b) He does not like doing crafts to the same extent that he dislikes solving puzzles.


If it is, "Smith likes doing crafts as much as solving puzzles", then he likes both equally.

So I thought if he does not like, then it means he dislikes doing both equally.

 

[teechar]

I saw it in an English practice exercise sheet.

I found the "as much as" rather confusing because I thought it could mean:

(a) He does not like solving puzzles more than he dislikes doing crafts.

(b) He does not like doing crafts to the same extent that he dislikes solving puzzles.

What you wrote (a and b) is actually confusing.

If it is, "Smith likes doing crafts as much as solving puzzles", then he likes both equally.

Right.

So I thought if he does not like two things, then it means he dislikes doing both equally.

For that, we use "dislike". For example:
He dislikes tuna as much as he dislikes salmon. [ dislikes both equally]

We do not mix "does not like" with "dislike".
He does not like tuna as much as he dislikes salmon.

Note that you can say:
He does not dislike tuna as much as he dislikes salmon. [ He dislikes both, salmon more than tuna]

 

[jutfrank]

Just to add to what teechar has said above:

There's an important difference in meaning between not like and dislike. You're thinking that they have the same meaning.

 

[5jj]

There's an important difference in meaning between not like and dislike.

I think that not like is normally far closer in meaning to dislike than to have no positive feeling of liking for.

 

[jutfrank]

I think that not like is normally far closer in meaning to dislike than to have no positive feeling of liking for.

Yes, in context, 'not like' is extremely likely to mean 'dislike'. The difference is in the logic only. I didn't make that clear from my post.