Grammar Practice in Context - David Bolton, Noel Goodey 1997
50 Preposition + -ing: I’m afraid of flying. I feel like crying
Quick reference
Preposition + -ing
Before going to bed, I fed the cat. She left without saying goodbye.
I got into the house by breaking a window. After leaving college, I got a job.
Some other common adjectives + preposition: angry about, bad at, clever at, excited about, fed up with, fond of, good at, keen on, proud of, worried about.
Some other common verbs + preposition: apologise for, approve of, decide against, dream of, insist on, talk about, think of/about.
Some other verbs + object + preposition: blame someone for, congratulate someone on, forgive someone for, prevent for stop) someone from, suspect someone of.
1 Katie Stevens is telling her new boyfriend about her life so far. Make the two sentences into one, using before, after, by and without + -ing.
1 I studied physics at university./l left school.
2 I started work./l spent a year travelling in Asia.
3 In India I paid for my food and accommodation./l gave English lessons.
4 I got back to England last month./I didn’t know what I was going to do.
2 This is some publicity for a new book for men called ’How to get on with girls’. Write the questions, using the construction adjective + preposition + -ing.
Example: You don’t want to look stupid when you meet that new girl. (Afraid?)
Are you afraid of looking stupid when you meet that new girl?
1 You haven’t got a girlfriend. (Fed up?)
Are you fed up ...?
2 Do you want to improve your chances? (Keen?)
Are you keen ...?
3 You don’t want to say the wrong thing. (Worried?)
Are you worried ...?
4 You lost that last girl because you said something wrong. (Angry?)
Are you angry ...?
5 Do you want to know all the answers? (Interested?)
Are you interested ...?
3 Simon Welch is talking about his likes and dislikes and his habits. Read the text below and decide which answer, А, В, C or D best fits each space.
I don’t approve (1) ... in the street. I don’t like people who never apologise (2) ... a mistake. I never feel (3) ... early on Monday morning. I always look forward (4) ... in the morning. I always insist (5) ... white wine ice-cold. I never believe people who accuse me (6) ... intolerant. I suspect all politicians (7) ... hypocrites. Oh, and I’d like to prevent people (8) ... too slowly on motorways.
1 A of women smoking
2 A to have made
3 A like to get up
4 A to the coming postman
5 A to drink
6 A of being
7 A to be
8 A of driving
В of smoking women
В for to make
В like get up
В to the postman come
В on to drink
В for being
В for being
В from driving
C for women to smoke
C for make
C like getting up
C to the postman coming
C to drink
C of be
C of being
C from drive
D of women to smoke
D for making
D like to get up
D to the postman
D on drinking
D to be
D being
D to drive
4 This is an advertisement for Sun Villas in the Seychelles. Read the text. Some of the lines are correct. Some have a mistake in them. If a line is correct, put a tick (✓). If a line has a mistake, underline the mistake and write the correction in the brackets.
1 Are you bored about living an ordinary life? Are you afraid of spending
2 the rest of your life in the same place? Are you tired of do the
3 same thing every day? Does your job stop you from being the person you
4 want to be? Do you ever blame yourself with being unadventurous? Do
5 you only talk about changing your life? Do you ever dream of get
6 away from it all? Have you ever thought of owning your own house in
7 paradise? Why not buy a Sun Villa in the Seychelles?
8 Then you’ll thank us for save your life!
(...)
(...)
(...) ...
5 What frightens you? What makes you angry? What do you do well? What do you do badly? What interests you? What do you really enjoy? Answer these questions, using the construction adjective + preposition + -ing. Write two answers for each question.
Examples: I'm afraid of losing my job. I get angry about not being able to play the guitar well. I'm good at speaking English. I'm bad at spelling. I'm interested in making money. I'm keen on playing volleyball.
Check your answers with a teacher.