Look at these examples to see how prepositions are used after verbs.
Can you wait for me to finish my lunch?
I'm relying on my co-worker to answer all my emails while I'm on holiday.
Sun cream protects you from getting burnt.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
When a verb is part of a longer sentence, it is often followed by a specific preposition.
I agree with Mike.
She listens to the radio a lot.
He thanked me for the flowers.
There are no grammatical rules to help you know which preposition is used with which verb, so it's a good idea to try to learn them together. To help you do this, write new vocabulary in your notebook in a sentence or phrase. Here are some common verbs for each preposition.
Verbs with for
They're waiting for a bus.
He apologised for being late.
I applied for the job but I didn't get it.
How do you ask for a coffee in Polish?
I can't go out tonight because I have to prepare for my interview tomorrow.
Verbs with from
This spray should protect you from mosquitoes.
Has he recovered from the accident yet?
She won an award because she saved someone from drowning.
I suffer from allergies.
Verbs with in
She doesn't believe in coincidences.
Our company specialises in computer software.
You have to work hard if you want to succeed in life.
Verbs with of
I don't approve of hunting animals for their fur.
Our dog died of old age.
This shampoo smells of bananas.
Verbs with on
Their decision will depend on the test results.
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 still good friends.
Verbs with to
What kind of music do you like listening to?
Can I introduce you to my grandfather?
Please refer to the notes at the end for more information.
Nobody responded to my complaint.
She apologised to me the next day.
Verbs with with
I agree with everything you've said.
My assistant will provide you with more information if you need it.
We're finding it difficult to deal with the stress.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Hi everyone,
I'm hoping to get some insights from you regarding the correct usage of prepositions with "join."
Thanks in advance for your help!
Hello Omyhong,
Both 'for' and 'at' are possible here but with different meanings.
Join me for... means you want to participate in something together. You could say 'Join me for a coffee' (you want to have a coffee together) or 'Join me for a chat' (you want to have a conversation together), for example.
Join me at... describes where you want to meet. If you say 'Join me at the zoo' you mean that you will meet the person there rather than meeting earlier and going there together.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Dear teachers,
I've read some English grammar books and websites, n they said that verb-ing after preposition is called gerund, while the video (from BBC learning English) explained that it is participle like in this example 'by practising it,... '
Which one is correct?
Thank you
Hello Risa warysha,
Both the term 'gerund' and 'present participle' refer to the -ing form. When the -ing form is used as a noun it is traditionally called a gerund and when it is used as a (non-finite) verb or adjective it is traditionally called a present participle.
Prepositions take objects and objects in English can be nouns, so in traditional terminology the -ing form in by practising is a gerund, not a participle.
All that said, modern English grammar is moving away from this terminology. Most grammarians these days prefer to talk about one form (the -ing form) which has multiple uses rather than try to describe each use as a different form. Thus we say the -ing form can be used as a noun, as an adjective and so on. You can see that on our page about the -ing form.
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/english-grammar-reference/ing-forms
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello,
I want to know how to use "apologized for" and "apologized to" as in your examples?
- He apologized for being late.
- She apologized to me the next day.
Same question for "agree on" and "agree with"?
- We don't agree on anything but we're still good friends.
- I agree with everything you've said.
THANKS
Hello Ama1,
We use apologise for before the thing we did wrong:
We use apologise to before the person we wronged:
We can use both forms in the same sentence
The phrases with agree are similar in meaning. We use agree with the show that we accept the sense of a person or statement:
We use agree on to show that we do not contest an offer or point made:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
How does "in" in "in which" work in this sentence? I usually just say "which" without "in".
You are correct - but questions like those are asked in informal conversation, in which people are often careless about grammar.
Hi Plokonyo.
"Which" introduces a clause that describes the preceding noun, e.g. This is the school which Henry went to. ("Henry went to" describes "school") and This is the photo which I took yesterday ("I took yesterday" describes "photo"). The "which"-clause functions similarly to an adjective.
In your sentence, "people are often careless about grammar" does not describe "informal conversation" in that way. Instead, "informal conversation" is the location where "people are often careless ..." happens. That's why "in which" is needed, rather than "which". "In which" introduces an action that is located in the preceding noun (rather than describing the preceding noun).
It is also possible to just say "which" and put the preposition at the end of the clause, e.g. questions like those are asked in informal conversation, which people are often careless about grammar in.
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
LearnEnglish team
Hi teachers,
I often see sentences that contain "of" located after be verb, like this sentence "Accesibility is of paramount importance for..."
What does that mean and is the function of 'of' there?
Thank you, teachers
Hello Risa Warysha,
In this example, the idea is that accessibility is extremely important. The writer could probably just as easily have said 'Accessibility is extremely important', but for whatever reason they chose to use the noun 'importance' modified by the adjective 'paramount'. But although the sentence 'Accessibility is paramount importance' is grammatically correct, it doesn't make a lot of sense.
What is meant that accessibility is 'a matter of paramount importance' or 'an issue of paramount importance'. As far as I can tell, the phrase 'to be of importance' (and other similar phrases) are reductions of the phrases with 'a matter' or 'an issue'. So in this sense, 'of' tells us what kind of issue or matter is being discussed.
Best wishes,
Kirk
LearnEnglish team