Prepositions after specific verbs
(Using English prepositions that follow individual verbs)
Contents
What are the combinations of verb and preposition?
Now, the previous articles have taught us that prepositions in general and especially in the English language are difficult to learn due to missing rules. However, various verbs are connected to a specific preposition for one particular meaning. When such a connection occurs, the preposition comes after the verb (but not necessarily directly after it) and before the object. As these word combinations are fixed, it is, therefore, a good idea to learn these verbs together with the corresponding prepositions.
Since there are many such verbs in English, the excerpt below presents the most frequently used ones. Have a look at the list:
List of combinations consisting of verb and preposition
| English verb | English preposition | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| adapt | to | “When you move to another country, you should adapt to its culture.” |
| agree | on | “They finally agreed on that solution.” |
| apologise | for | “We apologise for any inconvenience.” |
| apply | for | “Have you applied for the job yet?” |
| approve | of | “We do not approve of your behaviour.” |
| ask | for | “I’m sure you can have it. You just need to ask for it.” |
| base | on | “The film is based on a true story.” |
| believe | in | “Do you believe in God?” |
| belong | to | “The car belongs to my friend.” |
| boast | about | “He boasted about his new job.” |
| borrow | from | “He’s always borrowing money from me.” |
| care | for | “She cares for her brother.” |
| concentrate | on | “Please, concentrate on your work.” |
| depend | on | “It all depends on the weather.” |
| die | of | “If you don’t drink, you die of thirst.” |
| differ | from | “The two products only differ from each other in the price.” |
| introduce | to | “May I introduce you to my assistant?” |
| listen | to | “I never listen to the radio.” |
| pay | for | “My boss paid for everything.” |
| prepare | for | “She’s preparing for the meeting.” |
| protect | from | “A helmet protects you from falling objects.” |
| provide | with | “The tour guide provides us with the necessary equipment.” |
| recover | from | “He has almost recovered from a flu.” |
| refer | to | “The essay has many footnotes that refer to the same author.” |
| respond | to | “He hasn’t responded to any of my emails.” |
| save | from | “All the passengers could be saved from drowning.” |
| specialise | in | “This company specialises in e-bikes.” |
| succeed | in | “If you work hard, you will succeed in business.” |
| suffer | from | “She’s been suffering from a cold.” |
| wait | for | “We were waiting for the train.” |
| worry | about | “Don’t worry about that!” |
| yearn | for | “After that long hike the two adventurers yearn for a steak.” |
Further explanations related to the ‘Prepositions after certain verbs’
The following explanations are related to the topic ‘Using prepositions after certain verbs in English’ and may therefore be helpful too: