 Re: go swimming
People often use like + Ving and like to+ infinitive interchangeably to express enjoyment. I think like to + inf is slightly more usual in US English.
However, like to +inf can also be used to express the idea "I think it's a good idea". Look at the following:
I don't like going to the dentist, but I like to go about every six months because that way there's never too much to be done.
I don't like going to the dentist = I don't enjoy going to the dentist
I like to go to the dentist about every six months = I think it's a good idea to go to the dentist... (etc)
For the second part of your question - as in the examples above, it would be dependent if the concept of "going somewhere" were relevant or not. Eg:
I like to swim in fairly shallow water - never out of my depth. Where she "goes" swimming is irrelevant. It's the depth of the water that she's talking about.
But I like to go swimming at the lake - not in the sea. Here she's talking about the place where she "goes" in order to swim so might choose to say go swimming
But as always, these aren't "rules", but speaker choices dependent on what concept is uppermost in their minds and what they want to express. |