English — -ing after prepositions
When a verb follows a preposition, it takes the -ing form: good at cooking, interested in learning. This applies to every preposition, with no exceptions.
How it works
Any verb placed directly after a preposition ends in -ing, never in the infinitive: instead of waiting (not instead of to wait), before leaving, interested in learning. The preposition may belong to an adjective (good at cooking), a verb (think about moving) or stand alone (after eating).
Examples
| Preposition | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| at | good at cooking | skilled at an activity |
| in | interested in learning | keen on something |
| of | instead of waiting | in place of an action |
| before | before leaving | prior to an action |
| after | after eating | following an action |
| about | think about moving | concerning an action |
| without | leave without saying goodbye | lacking an action |
| on | insist on paying | firmly about an action |
Good to know
Watch out for to: it is usually part of an infinitive (want to go), but in some fixed phrases it is a preposition and takes -ing: look forward to seeing you, be used to getting up early, object to paying. Test it by trying a noun after to — if look forward to the weekend works, then look forward to seeing is correct.