Verbs & Prepositions

 Verbs & Prepositions

Some verbs are usually followed by prepositions before the object of the verb. these are called dependent
prepositions and they are followed by a noun or a gerund (‘ing’ form).

 He’s waiting for a bus.

For is the dependent preposition for ‘wait’

We can use other prepositions with ‘wait’ – e.g. He waited at the bus stop – but ‘for’ is the dependent
preposition.

Here are some other verbs with their dependent prepositions.

Verbs with ‘for’

 He apologised for being late. You can also ‘apologise to someone’

 I applied for the job but I didn’t get it.
 How do you ask for a coffee in Polish?
 She spent many years caring for her aged parents.
 I can’t go out tonight because I have to prepare for my interview tomorrow.

With ‘from’

 This spray should protect you from mosquitoes.

 Has he recovered from his illness yet?
 He won an award because he saved someone from drowning.
 I suffer from hay fever.

With ‘in’

 She believes in ghosts.

 Our company specialises in computer software.
 You have to work hard if you want to succeed in life.

With ‘of’

 I don’t approve of your language, young man.

 Our dog died of old age.
 This shampoo smells of bananas.

With ‘on’

 The film is based on the novel by Boris Pasternak.

 If you make so much noise I can’t concentrate on my work.
 Come on! We’re relying on you!
 We don’t agree on anything but we’re good friends.

With ‘to’

 Can I introduce you to my wife?

 Please refer to the notes at the end for more information.
 Nobody responded to my complaint.

With ‘with’
  I agree with everything you’ve said.
 My secretary will provide you with more information if you need it.

There are many more verb + dependent preposition combinations – make a note of them as you meet
them.
 O
object to
offer something to someone
D
 
deal with
P
A decide about/on/upon
participate in something
abide by depend on/upon
pay for something
abstain from disagree on/with
pay something to someone
accuse someone of discriminate against
persist in
add something to something distinguish from
praise someone for
adhere to do research on/into/about
pray for
advise someone to do something for someone
prepare for
agree on/with dream of/about
present someone with
aim at/for  
prevent someone/something fro
allow for E
m
apologize for escape from
prohibit someone from
apply to/for excel in
protect someone/something fro
approve of exchange something for
m
argue with/about excuse someone for
protest about
arise from expect someone to
provide someone/something wi
arrest someone for  
th
arrive in/at F
punish someone for
ask for face up to
 
attend to find something for someone
R
  fine someone for
recover from
B forget about
refer to
beg for forgive someone for
rely on/upon
believe in  
rescue from
belong to G
respond to
beware of get something for someone
 
blame someone for give something to someone
S
boast about  
save someone from
borrow something from someone H
sell something to someone
brag about hide from
send something to someone
buy something for someone hope for
sentence someone to
   
show something to someone
C I
smile at
call for insist on/upon
stare at
care about/for interfere with/in
stop from
choose between introduce to
subscribe to
comment on invite someone to
substitute for
compare to/with  
succeed in
complain about/of J
suffer from
comply with joke about
 
conceal something from  
T
concentrate on L
take advantage/care of
condemn someone for laugh at
talk
conform to leave for some place
with/to someone about somethi
congratulate someone on/for someth leave something for someon
ng
ing e
thank someone for
consent to lend something to someone
think of/about
consist of listen to
 
contribute to long for
V
cook something for someone  
volunteer to
count on/upon M
vote for
cure someone of a disease make something for someo
 
ne 
W
mistake someone for
wait for
warn someone about
worry about
    PREPOSITION-DEPENDENT ADJECTIVES

dedicated to Keen on
devoted to Kind to
different from/to known for
disappointed with  
abreast of
discriminated against limited to
absent from
divorced from located in
accused of/by
done with  
accustomed to
dressed in made of/from
acquainted with
  married to
addicted to
engaged in/to  
adjacent to
envious of opposed to
afraid of / to (infinitive)
equipped with  
angry at
equivalent to patient with
annoyed with/by
excited about pleased with
associated with
exhausted from polite to
aware of
exposed to prepared for
 
  protected from
blessed with
faithful to proud of
bored with/by
familiar with  
 
famous for qualified for
capable of
fed up with  
close to
filled with related to
cluttered with
finished with relevant to
committed to
fond of remembered for
compatible with
friendly to/with reminds of
composed of
frightened of/by responsible for
concerned about
full of rude to
confronted with
furnished with  
connected to
  satisfied with
conscious of
gone from scared of/by
consistent with
goog at/for/to suitable for
content with
grateful to/for  
contrary to
guilty of terrified of/by
convinced of
  tired of/from
coordinated with
innocent of  
covered with
interested in upset with
crowded with
invited to used to
involved in useful to
   
jealous of worried about