Prepositions are a challenge, but knowing verb preposition combinations well help you a lot.
The rules for when to use different prepositions in English are very complicated. Even advanced students struggle with them.
Don’t despair! There are tricks you can use to master your use of prepositions. One of the best tips is to know about verb preposition combinations.
As this topic isn’t theme based, it can feel a bit theoretical and disconnected from your fluency goals. But if you want to master prepositions, it’s worth it to learn about this. It’s a great way for advanced students to gain fluency and confidence quickly and level up efficiently.
You are already using prepositions correctly, and you don’t even notice.
Chances are, you are often using verb preposition combinations properly already. Let me give you an example.
Which one is correct?
A) I listen at music.
B) I listen by music.
C) I listen to music.
D) I listen on music.
How did you know that the answer is C? Do you know all of the grammar rules for when to use to, and not at, by, or on?
You just knew it, because… yes, right? 🙂
You know it because the verb listen and the preposition to go together, and you have memorized this combination just by seeing and hearing it often.
Tricks to Help You Master Verb Preposition Combinations
1.) Start a list of verb preposition combinations, and add to it whenever you find one. Notice them when you hear them, and take a moment to write them down. See the lists below to get you started!
2.) Read, listen, speak, write, repeat. The more you expose yourself to English, the better you will be at knowing and using the correct prepositions. Think of the example about with listen to.
3.) Use flashcards and review them for a few minutes every day. To make the exercise more useful, make sentences with the combinations in a tense that you are working on. Do rounds of positive, negative, and interrogative sentences using different subjects.
There Are Lots of Combinations.
It’s important to know that the prepositions are the most common combinations, not the only possible ones! We use different prepositions in different situations. Check out the examples with talk and work.
Mary has talked to David about his behaviour.
Mary talked with David about the news.
Mary talks about herself all the time.
Mary talked for an hour straight!
Mary talked. David listened.
Mary and David had a conversation.
Mary is overly self-referential.
Mary spoke for a quantity of time.
Ben works for a living.
Ben works at the factory.
Ben works for the company.
Ben works in finance.
Ben works on reports.
Ben doesn’t work from home.
Ben is not financially self sufficient.
Ben’s job is located at the factory.
The company employs Ben.
The area Ben specializes in is finances.
Ben labours on tasks.
Ben isn’t located at home when he works.
Lists and Flashcards to Help You Master Prepositions
Verb Preposition Lists
Verbs with IN
Verbs with TO
Verbs with FROM
Verbs with FOR
Verbs with ON
Verbs with WITH
Verbs with AT
Verbs with ABOUT
Verbs with OF
Verbs with IN
absorb in
arrive in a vehicle
believe in
confide in
implicate in
involve in
participate in
result in
specialize in
succeed in
trust in
Verbs with TO
adapt to
add to
agree to do something
answer to
apologize to someone
apply to
attend to
belong to
compare to
confess to
consent to
devote to
give to
happen to
lead to
listen to
married to
object to
prefer X to Y
react to
refer to
return to
reply to
resort to
speak to
talk to
turn to
Verbs with FROM
abstain from
bar from
benefit from
borrow from
come from somewhere
distract from
escape from
graduate from
hide from
infer from
prevent from
prohibit from
protect from
recover from
rescue from
resign from
retire from
save from
separate from
stem from
suffer from
Verbs with FOR
account for something
allow for
answer for
be for
account for
admire for
apologize for an action
apply for
blame for
excuse someone for
fight for a cause
head for
long for
pay for
pray for
prepare for
search for
vote for
wait for
wish for
work for
Verbs with ON
be on someone
agree on
base on
blame on
comment on
concentrate on
decide on
depend on
elaborate on
impose on
insist on
pride oneself on
rely on
Verbs with WITH
acquaint with
agree with someone
associate with
charge with a crime
clutter with
coincide with
compare with
comply with
confront with evidence
confuse with
deal with
fight with someone
help with
meet with
stuff with
tamper with something
Verbs with AT
be at
aim at
arrive at a destination
excel at
get at
glance at
guess at something
hint at
laugh at
look at
point at
smile at
stare at
wink at
Verbs with ABOUT
ask about
be about a topic
care about
concerned about
dream about
forget about
know about
laugh about
think about
worried about
Verbs with OF
accuse of
approve of
aware of
compose of
consist of
convince of
deprive of
fond of
get rid of
remind of
suspect of
Verb Preposition Combinations Can Change the Meaning.
The ways in which prepositions work to connect ideas in English can feel endless. Don’t worry. Most of the time, people will understand you, even if you’ve used the incorrect preposition. Having said that, there are some combinations that change the meaning, and you should know these so that you can express yourself clearly.
A Note About Apply:
We apply to be a candidate for something.
We apply for something we want to obtain.
We apply with a manner or degree.
To learn more about this, check out DailyWritingTips.
A Note About Answer:
We answer to people who have authority over us.
We answer for our mistakes and wrongdoings.
We answer with equal or greater hostility.
A Note About Argue:
Argue is a verb that means to support something or someone with words.
To make an argument means to put forward supporting ideas and facts.
The politician argued for tougher laws.
The politician argued against leniency.
To have an argument means to engage in disagreement and verbal conflict.
Mary and David argued about everything. They didn’t get along.
A Note About Compare:
Compare to is used to talk about the similarities between things.
Compare with is used to talk about the similarities and differences between things.
To learn more about this, check out Writing Explained.
A Note About Dream:
We dream about things when we are sleeping.
We dream of things we hope for.
A Note About Laugh:
To laugh at = to mock
To laugh with someone = to share something funny
A Note About Think:
To think of = to bring to mind. Something occurs to a person.
To think about = to mentally concentrate on something.
Keep Practicing!
Learn and practice verb preposition combinations with the games and activities below.
Check out the Shrinkflation Lesson!
