Adjectives + Preposition + -ING
Verbs + -ING
Verbs + Preposition + -ING
Nouns + Preposition + -ING
Fixed Expressions + -ING
Prepositions + -ING
Expressions Using TO as a Preposition
Expressions That Can Take Both -ING and Infinitive
Expressions Whose Meaning Changes (-ING vs Infinitive)
Academic Expressions
Business English Expressions
Common Spoken Expressions
Adjectives + Preposition + -ING
fond of
keen on
capable of
responsible for
famous for
brilliant at
enthusiastic about
passionate about
serious about
concerned about
satisfied with
disappointed with
annoyed about
upset about
pleased about
ashamed of
sick of
fed up with
confident about
unsure about
uncertain about
experienced in
successful in
optimistic about
pessimistic about
relaxed about
Verbs + -ING
avoid
consider
admit
deny
risk
postpone
delay
recall
appreciate
imagine
give up
put off
carry on
keep on
can't help
complete
Verbs + Preposition + -ING
apologise for
thank someone for
blame someone for
forgive someone for
pay for
succeed in
believe in
participate in
insist on
rely on
depend on
count on
congratulate someone on
plan on
accuse someone of
suspect someone of
dream of
approve of
disapprove of
cope with
deal with
put up with
recover from
suffer from
benefit from
prevent someone from
stop someone from
complain about
argue about
Nouns + Preposition + -ING
difficulty in
experience in
possibility of
risk of
method of
means of
hope of
importance of
purpose of
process of
benefit of
advantage of
disadvantage of
problem with
trouble with
excuse for
need for
plan for
opportunity for
thought of
idea of
memory of
sense of
feeling of
love of
point in
Fixed Expressions + -ING
it's no good
it's no use
there's no point in
what's the point of
worth
have difficulty
have trouble
have a hard time
end up
catch someone
find someone
Prepositions + -ING
by (means)
since
instead of
for (purpose)
Expressions Using TO as a Preposition
look forward to
be used to
get used to
Expressions That Can Take Both -ING and Infinitive
| Expression | Meaning / usage |
|---|---|
| prefer | -ing = general preference; would prefer + to-infinitive for a specific occasion |
| continue | no real meaning difference |
Expressions Whose Meaning Changes (-ING vs Infinitive)
| Expression | Meaning / usage |
|---|---|
| stop | stop doing = end an activity in progress; stop to do = pause in order to do something else |
| remember | remember doing = recall a past event; remember to do = not forget an obligation |
| forget | forget doing = have no memory of a past event; forget to do = fail to do something needed |
| try | try doing = experiment with a method; try to do = make an effort, possibly unsuccessfully |
Academic Expressions
focus on
concentrate on
Business English Expressions
look forward to hearing from you
thank you for contacting us
in charge of
be responsible for
Common Spoken Expressions
would you mind
fancy
I'm not into
I'm up for
I can't be bothered
I'm done
you'll get used to