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)
Idiomatic Expressions
Formal Expressions
Academic Expressions
Business English Expressions
Legal English Expressions
Common Spoken Expressions
Adjectives + Preposition + -ING
accustomed to
committed to
dedicated to
devoted to
addicted to
opposed to
content with
obsessed with
delighted about
thrilled about
guilty of
incapable of
hesitant about
cautious about
careless about
skilled in
skilled at
competent at
Verbs + -ING
involve
resist
resent
justify
anticipate
acknowledge
defer
resume
quit
abandon
tolerate
endure
Verbs + Preposition + -ING
criticise someone for
praise someone for
punish someone for
arrest someone for
specialise in
engage in
persist in
indulge in
delight in
result in
invest in
result from
escape from
discourage someone from
keep someone from
charge someone with
credit someone with
associate with
threaten someone with
tire of
despair of
boast of
conceive of
base something on
Nouns + Preposition + -ING
art of
capacity for
talent for
gift for
passion for
enthusiasm for
prospect of
fondness for
addiction to
commitment to
Fixed Expressions + -ING
burst out (laughing/crying)
set about
get down to
keep someone waiting
be no use
Prepositions + -ING
besides
apart from
despite
in spite of
on (= as soon as)
Expressions Using TO as a Preposition
object to
in addition to
when it comes to
lead to
contribute to
admit to
take to
react to
respond to
adjust to
Expressions That Can Take Both -ING and Infinitive
| Expression | Meaning / usage |
|---|---|
| intend | no real meaning difference; to-infinitive slightly more common |
| propose | no real meaning difference in the sense of 'plan to' |
| bother | usually negative/questions; no real meaning difference |
Expressions Whose Meaning Changes (-ING vs Infinitive)
| Expression | Meaning / usage |
|---|---|
| regret | regret doing = be sorry about a past action; regret to do = be sorry to give bad news now |
| go on | go on doing = continue the same activity; go on to do = move on to a new activity |
| mean | mean doing = involve/result in; meant to do = intended to do |
| need | needs doing = passive sense (needs to be done); need to do = active obligation |
| dread | dread to think = fixed phrase for fearing to imagine something; dread doing = fear a future activity |
| used to | used to do = a past habit that no longer happens; be/get used to doing = be/become accustomed to something |
Idiomatic Expressions
make a point of
get away with
get round to
get on with
Formal Expressions
with regard to
with reference to
in the process of
with the aim of
for the sake of
in relation to
with the exception of
Academic Expressions
aim at
be involved in (researching)
with the objective of
in terms of
by means of
in the context of
Business English Expressions
commit to
upon receiving
as a result of
further to
in connection with
Legal English Expressions
in the event of
for the purpose of
on the grounds of
Common Spoken Expressions
I'm through with
I'm over