Is it true that if you use a preposition and then a verb, it must end with "ing"?

I've read a grammar rule. If you use a preposition and then a verb, it must end with "ing" Is it always true, or there are exceptions?

Solution 1:

This is kind of tricky, let's see if I can explain...

As Claudiu pointed out already, gerund is the term. However, expanding on what he said, "a verb ending in -ing" is not necessarily a gerund; it could be a present participle. A gerund is an -ing form used as a noun (more precisely, as the head of a noun clause; it might still behave as a verb within the clause itself).

Thus, the rule you read is kind of okay, yet it is also kind of backwards. Being able to be preceded by a preposition is a nominal characteristic, not a verbal one. You can't really put a preposition in front of a verb — once you do that it needs to start functioning as a noun, and "normal" verbs can't do that. So you need a verb form that works as a noun. And that would be the gerund.

But what about this, you say:

Well, yeah, the verb fail somehow managed to start working as a noun all by itself. But again, the whole point is that when it acts as a noun it is, well, a noun; it is no longer a verb.

Solution 2:

It seems to generally work. Be careful when you use "to". It might be denoting the infinitive:

I'm going to kill him.

or it might be used as a preposition:

I am used to crying all day.

As an aside, the technical term for "a verb ending in -ing" is a gerund.