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
Hello Tim,
Yes, that's correct. There are different types of transitive verbs -- some admit only one object (e.g. 'eat'), whereas others can have two (e.g. 'give'). Some grammars even speak of transitive verbs that can have three objects. You can read more about all of this at the beginning of the Transitive verb Wikipedia article.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Mussorie,
There are two different meanings of approve here:
With this second meaning, somebody could say I approve your decision (affirmative), as an official statement of acceptance of that person's decision. But the negative version (I don't approve your decision) is less likely. The reason is that approve is a performative verb (also called a 'speech act verb' - a verb which performs the act that it describes when somebody says it, e.g. I promise / I apologise). If someone wants to officially say 'no' to someone's decision, they might prefer to use another performative verb (e.g. I reject your decision), rather than using approve in the negative, to convey this 'officialness'.
I hope that helps.
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Rafaela1,
These sentences sound a bit odd for various reasons. If we don't approve of something someone did, we'd normally say 'I don't approve of your behavior' or 'of your decision' or something more specific than the whole person.
When we speak about someone dying, we don't normally use a personal pronoun that refers to a person, but rather a disease, condition or something abstract such as an emotion (e.g. 'of grief').
The case of 'smells of you' is similar -- it sounds a little unnatural, as we'd usually say 'smells like' a person.
It's not that the forms you ask about are impossible; they are grammatically correct, but we don't tend to use them that way.
Hope this helps.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Mussorie,
We use tired of + an object (which may be a gerund) to describe an emotional state rather than physical exhaustion. It means something like I'm bored of / I'm not interested in continuing / I've lost motivation.
We use adjective + -ing form (a participle here, not a gerund) to describe how we feel while we are doing something. For example:
I think your context is unlikely because fighting a war is such an extreme situation that being tired is not really something we'd draw attention to; it seems too weak a reference for the context.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team