OXFORD PRACTICE GRAMMAR 70 VERB/ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION + ING-FORM Introduction Claire: I'm thinking of going to Turkey. Travel agent: Are you interested in travelling around the country, or would you like to stay in one place? Claire: / don't want to do a lot of travelling. Some verbs and adjectives can have a preposition after them (see Units 125- 126). / apologized for my mistake. Laura is keen on photography. Sometimes we can use an ing-form after the preposition. PREPOSITION ING-FORM I apologized for making a mistake. Laura is keen on taking photos. I'm thinking of going to Turkey. Are you interested in traveling around? We're tired of not having a place to live. We can use not before the ing-form, e.g. not having. B Verb + preposition + ing-form Don't you believe in discussing things openly? Laura doesn't feel like cooking tonight. Unfortunately Tom insisted on telling us all about United's win. I'm looking forward to seeing my friends again. I've succeeded in getting hold of the CD I wanted. Also: agree with, apologize for, concentrate on, object to, rely on, think of We can use about after ask, complain, dream, speak, talk, think, and wonder. They're talking about building a new swimming-pool. C Verb + object + preposition + ing-form After some verbs we can put an object (e.g. Matthew). Emma accused Matthew of not caring about her. Higher prices will discourage customers from buying. The fire-fighters prevented/stopped the fire (from) spreading. The club has punished its players for fighting during a match. Also: blame . for, congratulate . on, thank . for We can use this structure in the passive. Matthew was accused of not caring. The customers will be discouraged from buying. D Adjective + preposition + ing-form People were annoyed at not being able to see properly. I'm bored with waiting. Vicky is excited about going to America. I'm fed up with living in this awful place. Tom is good at telling jokes. The man was found guilty of stealing from his employers. I'm pleased about/at winning a prize. Also: capable of, fond of, interested in (see Unit 71B), keen on, tired of 125 Adjective + preposition 126 Verb + preposition 70 EXERCISES 1 Verb + preposition + ing-form (A-B) Complete the conversation between Claire and her sister Sophie. Put in the verbs with these prepositions: for, in, like, of, on Sophie: Where's that little radio of yours? Claire: Oh, it got broken. Henry knocked it off the table. Unfortunately he hasn't succeeded (►) in getting (get) it to work again. Sophie: Oh, what a pity. Claire: It was only a cheap thing. In fact I'd been thinking (1) ……………………. . (buy) a new one. But Henry not only apologized (2) . (break) it, he insisted (3)…………………………… (buy) me a much nicer one. It's in the dining-room. Sophie: Henry is such a gentleman. Claire: He didn't really need to buy me a new one, but I didn't feel (4)…………………………… (argue). 2 Verb (+ object) + preposition + ing-form (A-C) Comment on these situations. Join each pair of sentences using a preposition and an ing-form. ► The police prevented the crime. It didn't take place. The police prevented the crime from taking place. 1 Laura blamed Trevor. He forgot the tickets. Laura ……………………………………………………………………………… ………………… 2 The doctors succeeded. They saved the driver's life. The doctors . . 3 The customers complained. They didn't receive the goods. 4 Emma has accused Matthew. She says Matthew broke his promise. 5 Melanie is insisting. She's going to cook a meal for David. 6 A new traffic scheme has stopped cars. They can't go into the town centre. 7 Everyone congratulated Claude. He won the quiz competition. 8 Some football fans were arrested. They attacked a policeman. 3 Verb/Adjective + preposition + ing-form (A-D) Complete Emma's letter to her friend Kirsty. Put in a preposition and an ing- form. Thank you (►) for inviting (invite) me to come and see you next month. I'm already excited (1)………………………………………………………….(see) you again. You must be very pleased (2) .(get) the job you wanted. Congratulations. Personally, 1 wouldn't be keen (3) (travel) forty miles to work. I apologize (4)…………………………(not write) sooner, but a week in bed with flu has prevented me (5)……………………….(do) anything. I haven't even felt (6)………………………… (write) letters until today. I must be getting better because I'm starting to feel bored (7)……………………………… (do) nothing. I'm thinking (8) . (go) back to work tomorrow. . OXFORD PRACTICE GRAMMAR 70 VERB/ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION + ING-FORM Introduction Claire:. 71B), keen on, tired of 125 Adjective + preposition 126 Verb + preposition 70 EXERCISES 1 Verb + preposition + ing-form (A-B) Complete the conversation