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Rules›Gerund after Prepositions

Gerund after Prepositions

A2

After a preposition, use the verb in -ing form: after eating, without saying, interested in learning, good at cooking.

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What you'll learn

  • Use -ing after a preposition.
  • Link actions with after + -ing and before + -ing.
  • Show a missing action with without + -ing.
  • Recognize phrases like interested in and good at before -ing.

Structure

after/before + verb-ing

Use this pattern to connect two actions in time.

without + verb-ing

Use this pattern when an action did not happen.

adjective/phrase + preposition + verb-ing

Look at the final preposition in the phrase. The next verb takes -ing.

Build a sentence

Starter
Verb
Aftercooking

After cooking, Anna cleaned the kitchen.

After + verb takes -ing.

When to use

Order of actions

Use after + -ing and before + -ing to show which action happened first. After finishing work, Anna went home.

Missing action

Use without + -ing when something did not happen. Tom left without locking the door.

Adjective + preposition

Some adjective phrases end with a preposition: interested in, good at, afraid of, tired of. The next verb takes -ing.

Markers

afterbeforewithoutinatof

Spelling

most verbs→ + ingwork → working
final silent -e→ drop -e, + ingmake → making

Common mistakes

Wrong
She left without to say goodbye.
Correct
She left without saying goodbye.
After a preposition, use verb + -ing, not to + verb.
Wrong
Before leave, Tom checked his bag.
Correct
Before leaving, Tom checked his bag.
Before is a preposition here, so the next verb must be in the -ing form.
Wrong
Maria is interested to learn more.
Correct
Maria is interested in learning more.
The phrase is interested in. After in, use the -ing form.
Wrong
He left without say goodbye.
Correct
He left without saying goodbye.
Without is followed by verb + -ing, not a bare verb.

Common misconceptions

❝ If one verb follows another word, I can use to + verb. ❞

Not after a preposition. After a preposition, use verb + -ing: after eating, without speaking, in learning.

❝ In interested in learning, only interested matters. ❞

The whole phrase matters. The final preposition in controls the next verb form, so learning takes -ing.

Skills in this rule (5)

USE_ING_AFTER_PREPOSITIONSw5

Use the -ing form after a preposition

After a preposition, the next verb takes the -ing form. This includes short prepositions like after, before, without, and preposition phrases like interested in and good at.

RECOGNIZE_PREPOSITION_PHRASESw4

Recognize preposition phrases that are followed by -ing

Some common patterns end with a preposition, so the next verb takes -ing: interested in, good at, afraid of, tired of. Focus on the whole phrase, not one word alone.

PICK_COMMON_PREPOSITIONSw3

Recognize common prepositions that are followed by -ing

Words like after, before, without, in, at, and of can come before a verb. When they do, the verb changes to -ing.

USE_TIME_LINKS_WITH_INGw4

Use after and before with -ing to link actions

Use after + -ing and before + -ing to show the order of actions. This makes a short time link between two actions in one sentence.

USE_WITHOUT_PLUS_INGw4

Use without + -ing to show something did not happen

Without + -ing shows that one action was missing. It often explains how another action happened.

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