Noun + Preposition Combinations Followed by Gerunds

The following is ONLY A SAMPLE LIST of the most commonly used noun + preposition combinations that can be followed by gerunds.

addiction to - His addiction to surfing the Internet is a problem.

advantage of - He has the advantage of speaking English fluently.

anxiety about - Her anxiety about speaking in public caused her to lose the job.

belief in - His belief in not harming animals was something he learned from his mother.

credit for - She took credit for improving the filing system.

dedication to - His dedication to teaching was impressive.

delay in - The delay in processing the visa caused problems.

devotion to - His devotion to biking allowed him to win the competition.

disadvantage of - The disadvantage of flying is that you can't see the scenery along the way.

experience in - She has a great deal of experience in introducing new products to international markets.

With the noun "experience," sometimes a gerund is added without the preposition "in." "Experience introducing new products" would also be acceptable.

fear of - His fear of flying made travel difficult.

fondness for - Her fondness for traveling led to her career in the travel industry.

habit of - His habit of smoking in restaurants caused many problems in California.

interest in - Her career as a pilot evolved out of her interest in flying.

knowledge of - Her knowledge of climbing helped her during the competition.

love of - His love of singing developed when he was a child.

memory of - Their memories of traveling in Africa will stay with them forever.

preference for - I think his preference for speaking his native language is natural.

process of - The process of painting such a large mural is more complicated than you might think.

reaction to - His reaction to winning the prize was quite funny.

reason for - The main reason for taking the course is to improve your language skills.

regret for - The criminal's regret for committing the crime did not convince the judge.

report on - The magazine's report on choosing the right car was not well researched.

reputation for - Her reputation for lying is well known.

responsibility for - His responsibility for completing the project on time was acknowledged by the company.

story about - I don't know if I believe his story about seeing a UFO.

talent for - His talent for learning languages was impressive.