Verbs

-ing form

Use the -ing form after these verbs to express likes and dislikes: like, love, prefer, enjoy and hate.

• I like swimming.
• I love singing.
• I prefer going to the cinema to watching videos.

The -ing form is also used after the verbs go, spend time, start, stop, admit, deny, keep and (don't) mind.

• She admits stealing the bag but denies taking the money.

Use -ing forms after prepositions. Certain verbs and adjectives take certain prepositions.

Adjective + preposition + -ing

be good / bad at
be interested in
be proud / ashamed / afraid of
be worried / concerned / excited about

• They are good at learning languages.
• I am interested in learning another language.
• She is proud of passing the exam.

Verb + preposition + -ing

agree with, believe in, insist on, think of, be arrested for, be accused of, be bored with, be fed up with

• He insisted on bringing the wine.
• He was arrested for driving while drunk.
  

Before or after + -ing

• Before having breakfast, I have a shower.
• After seeing the film, we went for a coffee.
  

Use the -ing form to make suggestions after How about...?, What about...?, Do you fancy...?.

• What about going to the cinema?
• How about helping me with this?
• Do you fancy having a coffee?

The -ing form is also used in many compound nouns and to pre-modify a noun, like an adjective.

• shopping mall, washing machine, waiting room, training programme, parking area, shaving cream
• with each passing year ..., with each working hour ...

The -ing form can also post-modify a noun, like a relative clause.

• ... among student nurses coping with time targets ...

The -ing form is used in non-finite clauses.

• Having decided on a destination, we booked our holiday.
  = After we decided on a destination, we booked our holiday.

• It rained every day, ruining our holiday.
  = It rained every day, which ruined our holiday.

• Saying nothing, I maintained a low profile.
  = I maintained a low profile because I said nothing.

It + -ing form

The -ing form is common when functioning as a noun, after the word it.

• It's nice having a bit of free time.
• It's good being able to be here today.

Determiners + -ing form

The -ing form is also common as a noun, following a determiner.

• It requires the dismantling of perverse productivity targets.
• This implies the rescheduling of our deadlines.

Collocations

There are many common collocations with -ing forms.

• a burning desire
• a flying visit
• a crying shame
• a living legend
• a nagging suspicion
• a running joke
• a shining example
• a glaring fact
• a daring feat
• a crying shame
• diminishing returns