enjoy

The word "enjoy" is a verb similar to the verb "like."

• Jessica enjoys dancing.
• Bob enjoys his new job.
• The children enjoy their new Sony Playstation.
• Chris enjoyed the coffee at that cafe.
• He enjoyed having coffee with his friends.
• I enjoy listening to music.
• What do you enjoy doing?

There are two very important things to take note of for the verb "enjoy. First, this is a transitive verb, so it requires an object of some kind. Bob enjoys his new job. the word "job" is an object in that sentence. Second, the verb "enjoy" is often followed by a gerund. You can’t use an infinitive after "enjoy."

• I enjoy gardening. I enjoy to garden. (No!)

This is one way in which "enjoy" is different from the verb "like." After "like," the use of either a gerund of an infinitive is okay:

• I like gardening. I like to garden.

Here are some other common ways in which "enjoy" is used:

• They’re enjoying themselves. ("Enjoy" is often used with a reflexive pronoun.)
• Are you enjoying yourself? (Are you having a good time?)
• He enjoys being with other people. (The word "being" is a gerund, and it’s often used after "enjoy.)
• She enjoys being a student.
• Enjoy your trip! (This is a command. "Enjoy" is often used in the imperative form.)
• Enjoy!*

You can add "able" as a suffix to "enjoy" to make the adjective, "enjoyable."

• The trip was enjoyable.
• It was an enjoyable experience.
• She had an enjoyable evening with her friends.

*Note: Sometimes "enjoy" is used as a one-word imperative sentence. The object here is implied and dependent on the situation. You often hear "enjoy" used this way by people who work in the hospitality industry, mainly wait staff and hotel workers. Enjoy!

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January 4, 2013