Preposition + -ing
B1 · IntermediatePrepositionsInterested in learning, good at cooking, thank you for helping — after a preposition, a verb always switches to its -ing form.
What you'll learn
- A verb placed directly after a preposition always takes the -ing form (the gerund), never the base form or the to-infinitive
- This rule applies no matter which preposition it is — in, at, for, about, of, to, and so on
- It applies after every kind of dependent preposition: verb + preposition, adjective + preposition, and noun + preposition
- This lesson focuses only on this one rule — see the Gerunds lesson for the fuller picture of how -ing forms work as nouns
One consistent rule
This is one of the most reliable rules in English grammar: whenever a verb comes immediately after a preposition, it must take the -ing form. There are no real exceptions — not even to, when to is functioning as a preposition rather than part of a to-infinitive.
It applies after any dependent preposition
This rule holds true whether the preposition is attached to a verb (succeed in, think about), an adjective (good at, afraid of), or a noun (reason for, interest in) — the verb that follows always becomes -ing.
The tricky 'to' — is it a preposition or part of an infinitive?
'to' is usually part of a to-infinitive (to go, to see), but in some fixed expressions — look forward to, be used to, object to, be accustomed to — it's actually functioning as a preposition. In those cases, the -ing rule still applies, which is why 'I look forward to see you' is wrong.
Real English
Watch out
A verb directly after a preposition always takes -ing, never the to-infinitive — even though 'interested' feels like it should introduce a plan or goal.
The base form is never correct directly after a preposition — only the -ing form is.
In 'look forward to', to is a preposition, not part of an infinitive — the following verb must be -ing.
Real life — Discussing a habit
"Are you used to getting up so early now?"
"Kind of — I'm getting better at falling asleep earlier too."
"That's great. I'm still not good at waking up before 8."
"Give it time — you'll get used to it eventually."
Practice
Exercise 1 · Choose the correct form
She's interested in ___ (learn) Spanish.
Exercise 2 · Choose the correct form
I'm looking forward to ___ (see) you.
Exercise 3 · Choose the correct form
He's good at ___ (fix) computers.
Exercise 4 · Choose the correct form
Thank you for ___ (help) me yesterday.
Exercise 5 · Choose the correct form
She's thinking about ___ (change) jobs.
Exercise 6 · Choose the correct form
We're used to ___ (work) late.
Exercise 7 · Choose the correct form
I apologize for ___ (be) late.
Exercise 8 · Choose the correct sentence
Choose the correct sentence.
Exercise 9 · Complete the sentence
Fill in the correct form: He's not very good at ___ (cook).
Exercise 10 · Complete the sentence
Fill in the correct form: I'm proud of ___ (finish) the marathon.
Exercise 11 · Put the words in the correct order
Quick challenge
Five quick questions to check what stuck.
Question 1 / 5
Score: 0/0
I'm not used to ___ (get) up early.
You learned
- A verb directly after a preposition always takes the -ing form — never the base form or the to-infinitive.
- This applies after any dependent preposition, whether attached to a verb, adjective, or noun.
- In fixed expressions like look forward to and be used to, to is a preposition, so the -ing rule still applies.
- There are no real exceptions to this rule in standard English.
Related grammar lessons
Verb + Preposition
Learn the fixed prepositions that go with common verbs like listen to, wait for, depend on, and apologize for — each verb has its own required partner.
Dependent Prepositions
Understand what a 'dependent preposition' is — a fixed preposition that a particular verb, adjective, or noun always takes, with no logical rule to predict it.
Adjective + Preposition
Learn which preposition goes with common adjectives like interested in, afraid of, good at and married to — combinations you mostly just have to memorize.
Noun + Preposition
Learn the fixed prepositions that go with common nouns like reason for, solution to, interest in, and relationship with — often related to a verb or adjective you already know.