Gerunds as subjects and after prepositions

The -ing form as a noun: swimming is good for you, I'm interested in learning, before leaving, look forward to hearing.

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The -ing form of a verb can work like a noun. Then it is called a gerund. We use it as the subject of a sentence (Swimming is good for you) and after prepositions (I'm good at cooking).

Gerund as the subject

When an activity is the subject of the sentence, use the -ing form. It can have its own object or words after it: Learning a language takes time.

Cycling to work saves me a lot of money.
Living in a big city can be stressful.
Getting up early is hard in winter.
Incorrect: Swim is good for your back.
Correct: Swimming is good for your back.
An activity as the subject takes the -ing form.

One gerund as the subject takes a singular verb, even when a plural noun comes after it.

Incorrect: Learning foreign languages take a lot of time.
Correct: Learning foreign languages takes a lot of time.
The subject is learning, one activity, so the verb is takes.

To + verb as a subject (To learn a language is difficult) is possible, but it sounds formal. The -ing form is the usual choice. In speech we also often start with it: It's hard to get up early.

After a preposition: -ing

When a verb comes straight after a preposition, it takes the -ing form. This works the same for adjective + preposition, verb + preposition and noun + preposition.

Type	Examples
adjective + preposition	interested in, good at, bad at, tired of, afraid of, worried about
verb + preposition	think about, talk about, apologise for, succeed in, insist on
noun + preposition	the idea of, a way of, the reason for, the chance of

I'm interested in learning Japanese.
She's tired of waiting for an answer.
He apologised for being late.
Is there a way of making this faster?
Incorrect: I'm interested in learn Japanese.
Correct: I'm interested in learning Japanese.
After in, use -ing.
Incorrect: Thank you for help me with the move.
Correct: Thank you for helping me with the move.
For is a preposition, so the verb after it takes -ing.

Before, after, without, instead of, by

These words also take -ing. Use this pattern when the subject of both parts is the same person.

Before leaving, please switch off the lights.
After finishing university, she moved to London.
He left without saying goodbye.
Let's walk instead of taking the bus.
You can save money by cooking at home.
Incorrect: He left the room without say a word.
Correct: He left the room without saying a word.
Without is a preposition, so use -ing.

By + -ing says how you do something: I improved my English by watching films.

When to is a preposition

Usually to comes before a verb (I want to go). But in some phrases to is a preposition, so the -ing form follows it. Learn these:

look forward to: I'm looking forward to seeing you.
be used to / get used to (= be or become familiar with): I'm used to working at night.
Incorrect: I look forward to hear from you.
Correct: I look forward to hearing from you.
In look forward to, to is a preposition, so the verb takes -ing.

A test: if you can put a noun after to (I look forward to the holiday), then a verb there takes -ing.

Negative: not + -ing

Put not before the -ing form.

Sorry for not calling you back.
Not having a car makes life difficult here.

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Where this rule sits

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Verb patterns: -ing vs to-infinitiveB1Intermediate