Gerunds after nouns and adjectives

Some nouns and adjectives can be followed by preposition + -ing form. Nouns/adjectives that are followed by -ing forms cannot normally be followed by infinitives. But there are exceptions to this rule.

• I hate the idea of getting old. (NOT ... the idea to get old.)
• I am tired of listening to advice.
• She is good at painting.
• We are confident of winning the election.

After some nouns and adjectives, we can use either an -ing form or an infinitive. Normally there is little or no difference of meaning. Note that if we are using an -ing form, a preposition is used to connect it to the noun/adjective.

• I am proud of having won.
• I am proud to have won.
• We have a good chance of making/ to make a profit.

Sections in this article

Phrases
Prepositional phrases
Appositives
Verbal phrases
Participle phrases
Infinitive phrases
Gerund phrases
Adjective clauses
Noun clauses
-ing Forms

See Also

Exclamations
Exclamations exercise
Exclamations: common errors
Common mistakes with pronouns - Part 2
Common errors with adjectives - part 1
Common errors with adjectives - part 2