Grammar JLPT Level N3 - Lesson 8

When used after verbs followed by the conjunction particle て, or nouns, the adverbial particle ばかり highlights that 'nothing but (A) is being done', or 'only (A) exists'. In relation to verbs, てばかり is often followed by いる, as a modified version of the standard ている. However, adding いる is not a requirement, and the same nuance may be conveyed without it.

• 先生(せんせい)はいつも怒(おこ)ってばかりいる。
  Our teacher does nothing but yell.
• 最近(さいきん)はお菓子(かし)ばかり食(た)べているから、お腹(なか)がでてきた。
  Recently, I've been eating nothing but junk, so my stomach is bulging out.

When a sentence consists of a part (A) and a part (B), ばかり will be followed by either で (with verbs or nouns), or いて (only with verbs). This is when ばかり appears directly before the sentence conjunction point, and other combinations are possible (such as ばかりだから).

• 先月(せんげつ)生(う)まれた息子(むすこ)がずっと泣(な)いてばかりいて、全然(ぜんぜん)寝(ね)れない。
  My son who was born last month does nothing but cry, so I can't sleep.
• 彼(かれ)は毎日(まいにち)残業(ざんぎょう)してばかりで、全然(ぜんぜん)家(いえ)の事(こと)を手伝(てつだ)ってくれない。
  All he does is work overtime everyday, and he won't help me with house chores.
• 彼(かれ)は口(くち)を開(あ)けると文句(もんく)ばかりで、一緒(いっしょ)にいるだけで疲(つか)れる。
  When he opens his mouth, all he can do is complain, so just being with him is exhausting.

It should be noted that the で with ばかり here is not the particle で, but the conjunctive form of the auxiliary verb, だ.