IDIOMATIC USE OF PREPOSITIONS

The use of prepositions can vary greatly between languages, even between two variants of a
single language such as American English and British English. When a word phrase or expression
is peculiar to a given language and cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its
elements, it is called ‘idiomatic.’ Because idioms (idiomatic word patterns) cannot be deduced
from a general knowledge of the words and their meaning, we need to simply memorize them.
For native speakers of the language, this process usually happens unconsciously: certain word
patterns just sound right. Non-native speakers may have to work at mastering idioms. Here
are some common prepositional idioms of American English:

abide by a rule impatient of restraint

abide in a place or state impatient for something to happen
accords with impatient with a person
according to independent of
accuse of a crime infer from
adapt from a source inferior to
adapt to a situation involved in a task
afraid of involved with a person
agree on a plan oblivious of or to one’s surroundings
agree to a proposal oblivious of something forgotten
agree with a person occupied by a person
angry with occupied in study
aware of occupied with a thing
based on opposed to
capable of part from a person
certain of part with a possession
charge for a purchase prior to
charge with a crime related to
concur in an opinion rewarded by the judge’s decision
contend for a principle rewarded for something done
contend with a person rewarded with a gift
dependent on similar to
differ about or over a question superior to
differ from in some quality wait at a place
differ with a person wait for a train, a person
disappointed by or in a person wait on a customer
disappointed in or with a thing
familiar with
identical with or to
impatient at someone’s conduct