Sumie's question of August 2, 1999 about the usage of "hate":

Thank you for the answer to the "hate" question.

Please allow me to ask you again just to make sure if

I have got it right. Do the following sentences make sense?

"I hate drinking because it always gives me a headache."

"I hate to drink because I believe alcohol affect brains."

Both of these sentences make perfect sense. The first one is a good illustration of expressing what you like or don't like, and the second one clearly shows that you think that drinking is bad.

I would change the second one, however, to something like the following:

"I hate to drink because I believe alcohol affects the brain."

When we're talking about the actual thing inside our head, we usually say "the brain." When we're referring to someone's intelligence, we often say 'brains.'

When it comes to men, some women prefer brains to brawn. (intelligence)

Sometimes the distinction is not so clear, so you might be able to use either one.

She is not only cute--she also has brains.

She is not only cute--she also has a good brain.

Here, the difference might be that the second one sounds a little more literal: she has a good brain inside her head. The first one sounds like a reference to her general intelligence.