Preposition Combinations with Adjectives and Verbs

Preposition combinations:
be innocent of
insist on/upon
be interested in
introduce to
be involved in
be jealous of
keep from
be known for
be limited to
be located in
look forward to
be made of, from
be married to
object to
be opposed to
participate in
be patient with
be pleased with
be polite to
pray for
be prepared for

 prevent from
prohibit from
be protected from
be proud of
provide with
be qualified for
recover from
be related to
be relevant to
reply on/upon
be remembered for
rescue from
respond to
be responsible for
be satisfied with
be scared of, by
stare at
stop from
subscribe to
substiture for
succeed in
take advantage of

 take care of
talk about, of
be terrified of, by
thank for
think about, of
be tired of, from
be upset with
be used to
vote for
be worried about
be absent from
be accused of
be accustomed to
be acquainted with
be addicted to
be afraid of
agree with
be angry at, with
be annoyed with, by
apologize for
apply to, for
approve of

 argue with, about

arrive in, at
be associated with
be aware of
believe in
blame for
be blessed with
be bored with, by
be capable of
care about, for
be cluttered with
be committed to
compare to, with
complain about, of
be composed of
be concerned about
be connected to
consist of
be content with
contribute to
be convinced of
be coordinated with

 count on/upon
be covered with
be crowded with
decide on/upon
be dedicated to
depend on/upon
be devoted to
be disappointed in, with
be discriminated against
distinguish from
be divorced from
be done with
dream of, about
be dressed in
be engaged in
be envious of
be equipped with
escape from
excel in, at
be excited about
be exhausted from
excuse for

 be exposed to
be faithful to
be familiar with
feel like
fight for
be filled with
be finished with
be fond of
forget about
forgive for
be friendly to, with
be frightened of, by
be furnished with
be gone from
be grateful to, for
be guilty of
hide from
hope for

There are certain combinations of

prepositions with adjectives and verbs that
we always use. These combinations are
frequently different from those of other
languages.

Preposition Combinations

Noun, Verb and Adjective + Preposition Combinations

Prepositions and the rules concerning their usage can be confusing to learners of
English as a second language. Basically, prepositions are connecting words that join
objects to other parts of sentences. Preposition choice is determined by the noun,
verb, adjective or particle which precedes it.
Noun + Preposition Combinations
English has many examples of prepositions coming after nouns. In such cases, the
prepositions are often followed by a phrase containing a noun, as in example (a)
below. They can also be followed by a noun, as in example (b), or an -ing verb, as in
example (c).
(a) Scientists at the research institute think they are close to finding a solution
to the problem.
(b) Everyone was surprised by his lack of concern.
(c) We need to call an expert at plumbing as soon as possible.
Here are a few more nouns and prepositions which are used together:
the use of
the cost of
the price of
a lack of
Verb + Preposition Combinations
Many English prepositions also follow verbs. Sometimes they introduce a phrase
that contains a noun, as in example (a). They can also introduce a noun, as in
example (b), or an -ing verb, as in example (c).
(a) I don't know how long we can depend on his generosity. He has already done
so much for us.
(b) Many of the town's residents relied on neighbours for help during the flood.
(c) She believes in helping people who are less fortunate than her.
Here are some other verbs and prepositions that are used together:
I insist on . . .

He can deal with . . .

This can result in . . .

Do you plan on . . .

We belong to . . .

This could lead to . . .

My answer will depend on . . .

You can rely on . . .

They fight for . . .

We fight against . . .

We contribute to . . .

I believe in . . .

Adjective + Preposition Combinations

English also has many instances of prepositions coming after adjectives. In many
cases, the prepositions precede phrases containing nouns, as in example (a), or
pronouns, as in example (b). It is also possible for the prepositions to precede an
-ing verb, as in (c).
(a) I was amazed at all the improvements.
(b) We were all shocked by his behaviour.
(c) Because the exam was more difficult than I expected, I'm worried
about passing.
Here are some more adjectives and prepositions that are used together:
proud of

identical to

different from

tired of

related to

opposed to

satisfied with

eager for

based on

famous for

necessary for

excited about

Common Sentence Errors with Prepositions

There are three common types of sentence errors which involve prepositions.
1. Using a preposition which doesn't fit the context of the sentence:
I was amazed from all the improvements.
I was amazed at all the improvements.

Wrong!
Right!

2. Omitting a preposition that belongs in a sentence:

I was amazed all the improvements.
I was amazed at all the improvements.

Wrong!
Right!

3. Adding a preposition which is not needed in the sentence:

I was amazed at that the improvements were done so quickly.
I was amazed that the improvements were done so quickly.

Wrong!
Right!

When you are sure that you understand the lesson, you can continue with the
exercises.
Common Verbs and Adjectives with Prepositions

agree with
apologize for
apply for
apply to
approve of
argue for
argue with
arrive at
arrive in
be
be absent from
be accused of
be accustomed to
be acquainted with
be addicted to
be afraid of
be angry at
be angry with
be annoyed at
be annoyed with
be associated with
be aware of
be capable of
be cluttered with
be committed to
be composed of
be concerned about
be connected to
be content with
be convinced of
be coordinated with
be covered with
be crowded with
be devoted to
be disappointed in
be disappointed with
be discriminated
against
be divorced from
be done with
be dressed in
be engaged to
be envious of
be equipped with
be excited about

be made from
be made of
be married to
be opposed to
be pleased with
be polite with
be prepared for
be prepared to
be proud of
be qualified for
be related to
be relevant to
be responsible for
be satisfied with
be terrified of
be tired of
be upset with
be used to
be worried about
believe in
blame (someone) for
compare to
compare with
complain about
complain of
consist of
contribute to
count on
count upon
decide on
decide upon
depend on
distinguish from
dream about
dream of
escape from
excel at
excel in
excuse for
feel for
fight for
forgive (someone) for
have a reason for
have an excuse for

PREPOSITION-DEPENDENT VERBS
A
abide by
abstain from
accuse someone of
add something to something
adhere to
advise someone to
agree on/with
aim at/for
allow for
apologize for
apply to/for
approve of
argue with/about
arise from
arrest someone for
arrive in/at
ask for
attend to
B
beg for
believe in
belong to
beware of
blame someone for
boast about
borrow something from so
meone
brag about
buy something for someone
C
call for
care about/for
choose between
comment on
compare to/with
complain about/of
comply with
conceal something from
concentrate on
condemn someone for
conform to
congratulate someone on/f

D
deal with
decide
about/on/upon
depend on/upon
disagree on/with
discriminate
against
distinguish from
do research
on/into/about
do something for so
meone
dream of/about
E
escape from
excel in
exchange somethin
g for
excuse someone for
expect someone to
F
face up to
find something for s
omeone
fine someone for
forget about
forgive someone fo
r
G
get something for so
meone
give something to so
meone
H
hide from
hope for
I
insist on/upon
interfere with/in

O
object to
offer something to som
eone
P
participate
in something
pay for something
pay something to some
one
persist in
praise someone for
pray for
prepare for
present someone with
prevent someone/some
thing from
prohibit someone fro
m
protect someone/somet
hing from
protest about
provide someone/some
thing with
punish someone for
R
recover from
refer to
rely on/upon
rescue from
respond to
S
save someone from
sell something to some
one
send something to som
eone
sentence someone to
show something to som
eone
smile at
stare at

introduce to
invite someone to
J
joke about
L
or something
consent to
consist of
contribute to
cook something for someon
e
count on/upon
cure someone of a disease

laugh at
leave for some
place
leave something for
someone
lend something to s
omeone
listen to
long for
M
make something for
someone
mistake someone f
or

stop from
subscribe to
substitute for
succeed in
suffer from
T
take advantage/care
of
talk
with/to someone abou
t something
thank someone for
think of/about
V
volunteer to
vote for
W
wait for
warn someone about
worry about

PREPOSITION-DEPENDENT ADJECTIVES

abreast of
absent from
accused of/by
accustomed to
acquainted with
addicted to
adjacent to
afraid of / to (infinitive)
angry at
annoyed with/by
associated with
aware of
blessed with
bored with/by
capable of
close to
cluttered with
committed to
compatible with
composed of
concerned about
confronted with
connected to
conscious of
consistent with
content with
contrary to
convinced of
coordinated with
covered with
crowded with

dedicated to
devoted to
disappointed with
discriminated against
divorced from
done with
dressed in

known for

engaged in/to
envious of
equipped with
equivalent to
excited about
exhausted from
exposed to

opposed to

faithful to
familiar with
filled with
finished with
fond of
friendly to/with
frightened of/by
full of
furnished with
gone from
grateful to/for
guilty of

limited to
located in
made of/from
married to

patient with
pleased with
polite to
prepared for
protected from
proud of
qualified for
related to
relevant to
remembered for
responsible for
satisfied with
scared of/by
suitable for
terrified of/by
tired of/from

innocent of
interested in
invited to
involved in

upset with
used to
useful to

jealous of

worried about