If a preposition (in/for/about etc.) is followed by a verb, the verb ends in -ing:
| preposition | verb (-ing) | |
| Are you interested | in | working | for us? |
| I'm not good | at | learning | languages. |
| Sue must be fed up | with | studying. | |
| What are the advantages | of | having | a car? |
| Thanks very much | for | inviting | me to your party. |
| How | about | meeting | for lunch tomorrow? |
| Why don't you go out | instead of | sitting | at home all the time? |
| Amy went to work | in spite of | feeling | ill. |
You can also say 'instead of
somebody doing something', 'fed up with
people doing something' etc. :
- I'm fed up with people telling me what to do.
Note the use of the following prepositions + -ing:
before -
ing and
after -
ing:
- Before going out, I phoned Sarah. (not Before to go out)
- What did you do after finishing school?
You can also say 'Before I went out ... ' and ' .. . after you finished school'.
by -
ing (to say
how something happens):
- The burglars got into the house by breaking a window and climbing in.
- You can improve your English by reading more.
- She made herself ill by not eating properly.
- Many accidents are ca used by people driving too fast.
without -
ing:
- We ran ten kilometres without stopping.
- It was a stupid thing to say. I said it without thinking.
- She needs to work without people disturbing her. (or ... without being disturbed.)
- I have enough problems of my own without having to worry about yours.
To -ing (look forward to doing something etc.)
To is often part of the
infinitive (
to do /
to see etc.):
- We decided to travel by train.
- Would you like to meet for lunch tomorrow?
But
to is also a
preposition (like
in/
for/
about/
with etc.). For example:
- We went from Paris to Geneva.
- I prefer tea to coffee.
- Are you looking forward to the weekend?
If a preposition is followed by a verb, the verb ends in -
ing:
- I'm fed up with travelling by train.
- How about going away this weekend?
So, when
to is a preposition and it is followed by a verb, you must say
to -
ing:
- I prefer driving to travelling by train. (not to travel)
- Are you looking forward to going on holiday? (not looking forward to go)
