Study Resource: Common phrases that use preposition + gerund in English
By: revel arroway
The following are some common cases where you’ll use a gerund or gerund phrase after a preposition in English.
preposition + gerund
after | After reading the textbook, Jimmy did his homework. |
before | Put on your boots before taking a hike. |
by | I passed the test by studying very hard. |
on | He called his mother on hearing his brother would be late. |
without | Mark played the piano without making any mistakes. |
adjective + preposition + gerund
afraid of | Patty is afraid of eating sushi because it is raw. |
angry about | The team was angry about losing the game. |
bad at / good at | Jimmy is good at writing, but he’s bad at doing math problems. |
crazy about | I’m not crazy about swimming in the river. |
disappointed about | The boss was disappointed about losing the client. |
excited about | I’m really excited about going to the beach! |
famous for | That actor is famous for playing super heroes. |
fed up with | I’m really fed up with seeing the park so dirty! |
happy about | The students were happy about visiting the museum. |
interested in | John is interested in traveling through Europe. |
sick of | You must be sick of working so many hours. |
sorry for | I’m sorry for eating the last banana. |
tired of | I’m tired of listening to you complain! |
used to | Susan is used to running every morning. |
worried about | Muriel is worried about missing the plane. |
noun + preposition + gerund
advantage of | I don’t see the advantage of talking to Susan now. |
chance of | You have a chance of landing that good job. |
choice between | I’ll give you a choice between walking or riding your bike to school. |
danger of | We are in danger of experiencing really hot temperatures this summer. |
doubt about | Muriel has doubts about making that cake. |
idea of | She likes the idea of dancing this Friday. |
interest in | We have an interest in studying that matter. |
trouble for | Jimmy got in trouble for failing his math exam. |
way of | Is there any way of speeding up the process? |
verb + preposition + gerund
accuse of | The police accused the man of stealing a car. |
apologize for | He apologized for breaking the window. |
believe in | I don’t believe in wasting water. |
blame for | You can’t blame him for wanting to stay out late. |
concentrate on | Will you please concentrate on finishing your homework? |
decide against | They decided against flying to California, they’ll drive instead. |
depend on | Your pay depends on getting good results. |
feel like | I feel like playing tennis this afternoon. |
get used to | Jill got used to driving her son to school every day. |
look forward to | Muriel is looking forward to decorating that wedding cake. |
succeed in | What’s the best way to succeed in speaking English well? |
think about | Are they thinking about vacationing in Asia this year? |
worry about | Mark worried about hurting his fingers before a piano concert. |
