Use Gerunds After Prepositions

Use gerunds after prepositions.

Gerunds after Prepositions

Verbs + Preposition + Gerund
Some verbs require a preposition before the gerund.

  • She insists on going early.
  • He succeeded in solving the problem.
  • They apologized for being late.

Some common verbs followed by prepositions + gerunds:

  • approve of (doing something)
  • depend on (getting help)
  • focus on (improving skills)
  • complain about (working too much)
  • think about (moving abroad)
  • worry about (failing exams)

Adjectives + Preposition + Gerund
Some adjectives require a preposition, and the verb after it must be a gerund.

  • She’s afraid of speaking in public.
  • He’s interested in learning Spanish.
  • They are tired of waiting.

Some common adjectives followed by prepositions + gerunds:

  • good at (playing chess)
  • bad at (cooking)
  • excited about (starting a new job)
  • capable of (solving problems)
  • famous for (writing great books)
  • used to (living in a big city)

Nouns + Preposition + Gerund
Some nouns require a preposition, and the verb after it must be a gerund.

  • She has experience in teaching English.
  • He has a fear of failing.There’s no point in arguing.

Some common nouns followed by prepositions + gerunds:

  • habit of (waking up early)
  • problem with (understanding math)
  • method of (solving a puzzle)
  • reason for (leaving early)
  • excuse for (not finishing work)

Prepositions at the Beginning of a Sentence + Gerund
Some prepositional phrases at the beginning of a sentence are followed by a gerund.

  • Before leaving, check the door.
  • After studying, she took a break.
  • Instead of complaining, try to fix it.

Some common prepositions followed by gerunds:

  • After (eating, leaving)
  • Before (going, starting)
  • Without (saying, thinking)
  • By (doing, working hard)
  • Instead of (complaining, watching TV)

Conjunctions + Preposition + Gerund
Some conjunctions that contain a preposition require a gerund.

  • In spite of being sick, she went to work.
  • Because of studying hard, he passed the exam.

Some common conjunctions followed by gerunds:

  • Because of (studying, working late)
  • In spite of (being tired, raining)
  • Due to (not sleeping well, feeling sick)

Key Rule: If a verb comes after a preposition, it must be in the gerund form (-ing).
❌ Never use the infinitive (to + verb) after a preposition.

Remember: Gerunds after Prepositions

be accustomed to – звикнути
He was not accustomed to working alone. I’m accustomed to sleeping in late on the weekend. The young man has been accustomed to doing hard work.

be interested in – бути зацікавленим
She’s interested in learning languages. I am interested in starting my own business. I am interested in knowing why she committed the crime.

be capable of – бути здатним
He is capable of winning a gold medal. She is capable of doing repetitive work.

be the reason for – бути причиною
What is the reason of his going abroad? There is no reason of her being tired.

be experienced in – мати досвід
He is experienced in skiing down the steep hills. She is very experienced in marketing. I am experienced in software engineering.

be involved in – бути залученим до
I want to be involved in fighting global poverty. They’re involved in volunteering.

be excited about – бути в захваті від
The children were excited about opening their presents. Tourists were excited about visiting an old castle.

be in charge of – бути відповідальним за
She was in charge of managing the project. She is in charge of hiring new employees.

be no sense in – не мати сенсу
There is no sense in paying such an expensive price for a product that doesn’t even work the way it should. There’s no sense in asking him; he doesn’t know anything.

have an/no excuse for – мати/немає виправдання
I have no excuse for coming late. There is no excuse for behaving like that.

suspect of – підозрювати в
The police suspected him of stealing the money. I suspected her of damaging the equipment.

surprise with -здивувати
He surprised us with getting an excellent result at the exam.

dream of – мріяти про
I’ve dreamed of being an astronaut since I was eight years old. My father is very generous, but I wouldn’t dream of actually asking him for money.

blame for – звинувачувати за
You can’t blame them for not telling you. They are blamed for blocking the road.

insist on – наполягати на
She insists on doing everything her own way. They insist on playing their music late at night.

Make up your own sentences with gerunds after prepositions.