Verbs + -ing (like / prefer / be good at)
Gerund after certain verbs and prepositions.
Some verbs and phrases in English must be followed by the -ing form (also called the gerund). The most common verbs that take -ing are: like, love, enjoy, hate, and prefer. For example, we say 'I like swimming' — NOT 'I like swim'. We also use -ing after certain phrases with prepositions, such as 'be good at', 'be interested in', 'be bad at', and 'look forward to'. In all these cases, the word after the preposition is a noun form of the verb, so it must end in -ing. Spelling rules matter: for short verbs ending in one vowel + one consonant (run, swim, sit), double the final consonant before adding -ing (running, swimming, sitting). Verbs ending in silent -e drop the -e before adding -ing (make→making, ride→riding). Verbs ending in -ie change to -y + ing (lie→lying). For example: My brother is good at playing the guitar — 'playing' is the gerund after the preposition 'at'.
Key terms
| Verb | Correct (verb + -ing) | Incorrect (do NOT use) |
|---|---|---|
| like | I like playing football. | I like play / I like to playing |
| love | She loves reading books. | She loves read / She loves to reading |
| enjoy | We enjoy cooking at home. | We enjoy cook / We enjoy to cook |
| hate | He hates waking up early. | He hates wake / He hates to waking |
| prefer | I prefer drinking tea. | I prefer drink / I prefer to drinking |
After like, love, enjoy, hate, and prefer — always use verb + -ing.
| Phrase | Preposition | Correct example |
|---|---|---|
| be good at | at | Ali is good at drawing pictures. |
| be bad at | at | Kamal isn't good at reading maps. |
| be interested in | in | My sister is interested in learning new languages. |
| look forward to | to | I look forward to visiting you. |
After a preposition (at, in, to), the verb must be in the -ing form.
| Verb ending | Rule | Base verb | -ing form |
|---|---|---|---|
| most verbs | just add -ing | read | reading |
| most verbs | just add -ing | play | playing |
| silent -e | drop -e, then add -ing | make | making |
| silent -e | drop -e, then add -ing | ride | riding |
| silent -e | drop -e, then add -ing | hike | hiking |
| silent -e | drop -e, then add -ing | come | coming |
| one vowel + one consonant (short verb) | double the consonant, then add -ing | swim | swimming |
| one vowel + one consonant (short verb) | double the consonant, then add -ing | run | running |
| one vowel + one consonant (short verb) | double the consonant, then add -ing | sit | sitting |
Check the verb ending before you add -ing — the spelling rule depends on the final letters.
- 1Step 1: Choose your verb: Start with a verb that takes -ing: enjoy
- 2Step 2: Add the subject and the main verb: Nilufar enjoys ___
- 3Step 3: Check the spelling rule for the next verb: The next verb is 'try'. It ends in consonant + y — just add -ing: trying
- 4Step 4: Complete the sentence: Nilufar enjoys trying food from different countries.
- 1Step 1: Look at the base verb: run — it ends in one vowel (u) + one consonant (n). This is a short CVC verb.
- 2Step 2: Apply the doubling rule: Double the final consonant: run → runn
- 3Step 3: Add -ing: runn + ing = running
- 4Step 4: Check the sentence: She hates running in the cold. (NOT 'runing' — one n is wrong!)
The -ing form after like/enjoy/hate is NOT a continuous tense. 'I enjoy travelling' means travelling is the object of enjoy — it tells us WHAT you enjoy, not that you are doing it right now.
After a preposition (at, in, to), never use 'to + verb'. Write 'good at playing', not 'good at to play'. The word after a preposition must always be a noun form — so use -ing.
Common mistake: writing 'runing' or 'swiming' with only one consonant. When the base verb ends in one vowel + one consonant (run, swim, sit), you MUST double the final consonant before -ing: running, swimming, sitting.
Common mistake: using 'to + -ing' after verbs like enjoy and love — for example, 'I enjoy to swimming' or 'She loves to reading'. This is never correct. After enjoy, love, like, hate, and prefer, use ONLY the -ing form: 'I enjoy swimming', 'She loves reading'.
Rules
- 1Use verb + -ing after like, love, enjoy, hate, and prefer (She loves reading, He hates waking up early).
- 2Use -ing after 'be good at', 'be interested in', 'be bad at', and 'look forward to' (They are good at cooking).
- 3For short verbs ending in one vowel + one consonant, double the last consonant before -ing (swim→swimming, run→running).
- 4For verbs ending in silent -e, drop the -e before adding -ing (make→making, ride→riding).
- 5The -ing form after these verbs and prepositions acts as the object of the sentence, not a continuous tense (I enjoy travelling = travelling is the object of enjoy).
Practice
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