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Some English words almost “choose” the preposition that comes after them. We say depend on, interested in, responsible for, and agree with because those pairings are standard English. They do not work like ordinary place or time prepositions, where meaning often gives you a clear clue. With dependent prepositions, the safest approach is to learn the word and its preposition together. The lists below group common verb-preposition and adjective-preposition patterns, with examples to make each one easier to remember.
Contents
- How Dependent Prepositions Work
- Verb Patterns with About
- Verb Patterns with At
- Verb Patterns with For
- Verb Patterns with From
- Verb Patterns with In
- Verb Patterns with Of
- Verb Patterns with On
- Verb Patterns with To
- Verb Patterns with With
- Adjective Patterns with Prepositions
- Using -ing After a Preposition
- Errors Learners Often Make
- Try These Practice Items
How Dependent Prepositions Work
A dependent preposition is linked to a particular verb, adjective, or noun. The preposition is part of the pattern. If you replace it with another preposition, the sentence may sound unnatural, become wrong, or take on a different meaning.
Marco is interested in jazz. (NOT "interested about")
I agree with your suggestion. (NOT "agree to your suggestion")
Nina applied for the position. (NOT "applied to the position")
Many businesses depend on reliable internet. (NOT "depend from")
These patterns can be difficult because they are often not predictable. You learn them by seeing them often, saying them in full phrases, and checking them when you are unsure.
Verb Patterns with About
| Verb + About | Example |
|---|---|
| care about | Good managers care about their teams. |
| learn about | The class learned about climate change. |
| think about | We're thinking about moving next year. |
| complain about | Several guests complained about the cold food. |
| talk about | Let's talk about the plan after lunch. |
| forget about | I almost forgot about your appointment. |
| worry about | Please don't worry about the small details. |
| know about | Does anyone know about the new policy? |
| dream about | Leo dreamed about the ocean all night. |
Verb Patterns with At
| Verb + At | Example |
|---|---|
| aim at | The campaign is aimed at young voters. |
| look at | Look at the chart before you answer. |
| shout at | The coach shouted at the players from the sideline. |
| stare at | It is rude to stare at strangers. |
| arrive at | They arrived at the station just before noon. |
| laugh at | Everyone laughed at the comedian's story. |
Verb Patterns with For
| Verb + For | Example |
|---|---|
| prepare for | The team is preparing for the final match. |
| wait for | I'm waiting for a reply from the office. |
| thank for | We thanked her for the invitation. |
| look for | Tom is looking for his passport. |
| pay for | My company paid for the training course. |
| ask for | The customer asked for a receipt. |
| search for | Volunteers searched for the missing dog. |
| apply for | Jamal applied for a visa. |
| blame for | They blamed the delay for the missed connection. |
| apologize for | She apologized for interrupting the meeting. |
Verb Patterns with From
| Verb + From | Example |
|---|---|
| benefit from | New writers benefit from regular feedback. |
| suffer from | He suffers from back pain. |
| differ from | This version differs from the one I saw yesterday. |
| recover from | Maya is recovering from a bad cold. |
| escape from | The cat escaped from the carrier. |
| prevent from | The lock prevented the door from opening. |
Verb Patterns with In
| Verb + In | Example |
|---|---|
| specialize in | Dr. Evans specializes in sports medicine. |
| believe in | They believe in equal opportunities for all. |
| result in | The storm resulted in several cancellations. |
| succeed in | We succeeded in reducing costs. |
| invest in | She invested in a small technology company. |
| participate in | Hundreds of runners participated in the race. |
Verb Patterns with Of
| Verb + Of | Example |
|---|---|
| approve of | His supervisor did not approve of the shortcut. |
| consist of | The meal consists of soup, rice, and vegetables. |
| remind of | That song reminds me of summer camp. |
| dream of | Alex dreams of opening a bakery. |
| die of | The old tree died of disease. |
| think of | What did you think of the film? |
| accuse of | The manager was accused of unfair treatment. |
Verb Patterns with On
| Verb + On | Example |
|---|---|
| focus on | Try to focus on one task at a time. |
| depend on | The picnic depends on the weather. |
| insist on | He insisted on checking the figures himself. |
| rely on | You can rely on this dictionary for clear definitions. |
| comment on | The article comments on recent research. |
| concentrate on | Students should concentrate on the main question. |
| spend on | We spent too much on office supplies. |
Verb Patterns with To
| Verb + To | Example |
|---|---|
| object to | Several residents objected to the proposal. |
| belong to | Those gloves belong to my brother. |
| contribute to | Small donations contribute to the fund. |
| listen to | Please listen to the announcement carefully. |
| adjust to | It can be hard to adjust to a night shift. |
| refer to | The speaker referred to the latest report. |
| respond to | The doctor responded to the question clearly. |
Verb Patterns with With
| Verb + With | Example |
|---|---|
| fill with | She filled the basket with apples. |
| agree with | I agree with your main point. |
| argue with | Don't argue with the security guard. |
| deal with | Our support team deals with billing questions. |
| provide with | The school provided each student with a laptop. |
| cope with | He copes with pressure calmly. |
Adjective Patterns with Prepositions
Adjective Pairings with Of
| Combination | Example |
|---|---|
| tired of | I'm tired of hearing the same excuse. |
| afraid of | The child is afraid of thunder. |
| proud of | We're proud of our volunteers. |
| aware of | Are they aware of the deadline? |
| jealous of | He was jealous of his friend's success. |
| capable of | This software is capable of handling large files. |
| fond of | My grandfather is fond of old movies. |
Adjective Pairings with In
interested in — Daniel is interested in photography.
involved in — Several departments were involved in the launch.
successful in — The company was successful in foreign markets.
Adjective Pairings with For
famous for — Naples is famous for its pizza.
responsible for — Who is responsible for locking the building?
ready for — The children are ready for bed.
sorry for — I'm sorry for the confusion.
Adjective Pairings with About
excited about — We are excited about the new exhibition.
worried about — Lena is worried about her interview.
angry about — Customers were angry about the price increase.
happy about — I'm happy about your promotion.
Adjective Pairings with With
satisfied with — Were you satisfied with the repairs?
pleased with — The editor was pleased with the final draft.
bored with — The audience grew bored with the long speech.
angry with — Rosa is angry with her roommate.
Using -ing After a Preposition
If a verb comes after a dependent preposition, use the gerund, the -ing form. Do not use the infinitive after the preposition.
He is interested in studying Arabic. (NOT "to study")
They apologized for leaving early.
I'm thinking about buying a bicycle.
She insisted on driving us home.
The group succeeded in raising enough money.
Rule: Preposition + verb = -ing form. This pattern applies to English prepositions generally, not only to dependent prepositions.
Errors Learners Often Make
Error 1: Choosing the Wrong Preposition
❌ I'm interested about architecture. → ✅ I'm interested in architecture.
❌ The answer depends of the context. → ✅ The answer depends on the context.
❌ My son is afraid from insects. → ✅ My son is afraid of insects.
Error 2: Using an Infinitive After a Preposition
❌ He is good at to draw. → ✅ He is good at drawing.
❌ We apologize for to arrive late. → ✅ We apologize for arriving late.
Error 3: Putting in a Preposition You Do Not Need
❌ They discussed about the contract. → ✅ They discussed the contract.
❌ Maria entered into the classroom. → ✅ Maria entered the classroom.
Try These Practice Items
Fill in the correct preposition.
1. She is interested _______ photography.
Answer: in
2. He apologized _______ the mistake.
Answer: for
3. I agree _______ you completely.
Answer: with
4. The result depends _______ your effort.
Answer: on
5. She is afraid _______ flying.
Answer: of
6. Please listen _______ the instructions.
Answer: to
7. He succeeded _______ passing the exam.
Answer: in
8. We are looking _______ a new apartment.
Answer: for
Dependent prepositions take patience. You cannot always reason your way to the correct choice, so learn the combinations as chunks: interested in, depend on, responsible for, agree with. Read and listen for them, write your own sentences, and correct them when needed. Over time, the patterns will start to sound natural.
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