Prepositions Dependent on-adjectives - and-nouns

PREPOSITIONS

DEPENDENT ON ADJECTIVES AND NOUNS

be absorbed ~

• The man was absorbed ~ his work
• The man was absorbed in his work

to accuse someone ~ -ing

• He accused the man ~ stealing
• He accused the man of stealing

be accustomed ~

• I am accustomed ~ hot weather
• I am accustomed to hot weather .

be afraid ~ something

• The girl is afraid ~ the snake.
• The girl is afraid of the snake.

to aim ~ something

• He aimed ~ the bird
• He aimed at the bird

be angry ~ somebody

• The father was angry ~ his son
• The father was angry with his son
• NOTE but ` at a thing` He was angry at the weather

be annoyed ~ something

• I was annoyed ~ the way my friend spoke to me.
• I was annoyed by the way my friend spoke to me.

be annoyed ~ someone

• I am annoyed ~ you.
• I am annoyed with you.

be anxious ~ (troubled)

• The mother is anxious ~ her son`s health.
• The mother is anxious about her son`s health.

be anxious ~ her

• I am anxious ~ her to get a good education
• I am anxious for her to get a good education

to apologise ~ somebody ~ something

• I think we should apologise ~ the Smiths
• I think we should apologise to the Smiths
• I must apologise ~ disturbing you.
• I must apologise for disturbing you

to arrive ~

• Workers arrived ~ the village in the morning
• Workers arrived at the village in the morning
• NOTE a rrive in is used of countries and large cities ( He arrived in London)

be ashamed ~

• He is now ashamed ~ his rude behaviour
• He is now ashamed of his rude behaviour

to believe ~

• Muslims believe ~ Hz Muhammed SAV
• Muslims believe in Hz Muhammed SAV

to benefit ~

• My sister has benefited ~ the change
• My sister has benefited by the change

to boast ~

• My boss boasted ~ his riches
• My boss boasted of / about his riches

be careful ~

• My grandfather is very careful ~ his health
• My grandfather is very careful of his health

be clever ~

• I am not very clever ~ cooking.
• I am not very clever at cooking.

to come or go ~ bus

• The President came ~ train yesterday
• The President came by train yesterday

to complain ~

• A lot of people complain ~ the heat in summer
• A lot of people complain of the heat in summer

be composed ~

• Our school is composed ~ 300 students
• Our school is composed of 300 students

confidence ~

• I have great confidence ~ my room mate
• I have great confidence in my room mate
• NOTE Also in confidence as Let me tell you something in confidence

to conform ~ conform : to obey the rule or law

• The students must conform ~ the rules
• The students must conform to the rules

to congratulate ~ something congratulations ~ something

• Congratulations ~ your new job.
• Congratulations on your new job.

to congratulate somebody ~ doing

• I want to congratulate you ~ your success.
• I want to congratulate you on / for your success.
• for (American Eng.)

to consist ~

• One week consists ~ seven days
• One week consists of seven days

be covered ~

• The mountains are covered ~ snow.
• The mountains are covered with / in snow.

to cure ~

• The patient was cured ~ his illness
• The patient was cured of his illness

to depend ~

• Being successful depends ~ working hard
• Being successful depends on working hard
• I depend on my parents

be deprive ~

• He was deprived ~ his freedom after murder
• He was deprived of his freedom after murder

to die ~ illness

• Many people have died ~ cancer for many years in the world.
• Many people have died of cancer for many years in the world.
• A week after the accident he died from his injuries

be different ~

• My name`s different ~ yours
• My name`s different from yours

from is generally used after different ; many British people also use to . American English, than is common

Bri. American football is very different from / to soccer.

US. American football is very different from / than soccer.

be disappointed ~

• I was disappointed ~ your work
• I was disappointed in your work

to divide ~ parts

• Mary divided the cake ~ four parts
• Mary divided the cake into four parts

doubt ~

• I have no doubt ~ his ability
• I have no doubt of /about his ability

be dressed ~

• The old woman was dressed ~ black
• The old woman was dressed in black

exception ~

• This is an exception ~ the rule
• This is an exception to the rule

to exchange ~

• Children exchanged old car ~ new car
• Children exchanged old car for new car

to fail ~

• Lazy students failed ~ English last year
• Lazy students failed in English last year

be filled ~

• The room was filled ~ thick smoke.
• The room was filled with thick smoke.

be frightened ~ a mouse

• I was frightened ~ a mouse that ran into the room.
• I was frightened by a mouse that ran into the room.

be frightened ~ +ing be frightened ~ something

• Old man has been terribly frightened ~ dying.
• Old man has been terribly frightened of dying. ( state of mind )
• The little girl is frightened by a mouse that ran into the room. ( an action )

be full ~

• The salad is full ~ oil
• The salad is full of oil

be glad ~

• I am glad ~ the news
• I am glad of ( about ) the news

be good ~

• Einstein was good ~ maths
• Einstein was good at maths
• but he was not good in class
• NOTE Also bad at - clever at - quick at -slow at
• But weak in ( He was weak in grammar)

to guard ~

• A good diet helps to guard ~ disease.
• A good diet helps to guard against disease.

guilty ~

• Jackal was found guilty ~ murder
• Jackal was found guilty of murder

• be i ll ~

• The boss has been ill ~ flu this week.
• The boss has been ill with flu this week.

be impressed ~

• I’m very impressed ~ your good work.
• I’m very impressed with/by your good work.

to increase ~ an activity

• I would like to see a big increase ~ productivity
• I would like to see a big increase in productivity

be independent ~

• Adults are independent ~ their parents
• Adults are independent of their parents

be indifferent ~

• We are indifferent ~ politics
• We are indifferent to politics

to insist ~

• The Prime Minister insisted ~ his opinion
• The Prime Minister insisted on his opinion

be interested ~

• I am interested ~ playing chess
• I am interested in playing chess

be jealous ~

• She is very jealous ~ her sister
• She is very jealous of her sister

be kind ~

• People have always been very kind ~ me.
• People have always been very kind to me.

be known ~

• His whereabouts are known ~ the police.
• His whereabouts are known to the police.

lack ~

• Lack ~ time prevented me from writing.
• Lack of time prevented me from writing.

to lack

• Your mother lacks tact.
• Your mother lacks tact.

to be lack ~

• She is lacking ~ tact.
• She is lacking in tact.

to laugh ~

• I hate being laughed ~.
• I hate being laughed at .

to leave ~ a place

• They are leaving ~ England
• They are leaving for England

to listen ~

• If you don`t listen ~ people, they won`t listen ~ you.
• If you don`t listen to people, they won`t listen to you.

to look ~ (point ones eyes at)

• Stop looking ~ me like that.
• Stop looking at me like that.

to look ~ (take care of)

• Thanks for looking ~ me when I was ill.
• Thanks for looking after me when I was ill.

to look ~ (try to find)

• Can you help me look ~ my keys.
• Can you help me look for my keys.

be made ~

• Most things seem to be made ~ plastic these days.
• Most things seem to be made of plastic these days .(We usually say made of when we are identifying the material used to make something)
• Paper is made from wood. My mother makes wine from berries( When a material is changed into a completely different from to make something,we use make from.)

marriage ~

• Her marriage ~ Alex didn`t last very long.
• Her marriage to Alex didn`t last very long.

get / be married ~

• How long have you been married ~ Jane?
• How long have you been married to Jane?

to marry ~ somebody

• I married ~ Mary in Mary city.
• I married Mary in Mary city.(No preposition)

near ( ~ )

• We live near the station .(No preposition is used when we are talking about physical closeness)
• I came very near to hitting him .(When we are not talking about physical closeness, near to is often preferred.)
• Come and sit nearer (to) me.Who`s the girl sitting nearest (to) the door. (Nearer and nearest are generally used with to )

be nice ~

• They weren`t very nice ~ us lat night.
• They weren`t very nice to us lat night.

to operate ~

• Doctors operated ~ him yesterday.
• Doctors operated on him yesterday.

to pay ~ something that is bought

• Excuse me, sir. You haven’t paid ~ your drink.
• Excuse me, sir. You haven’t paid for your drink.

be pleased ~ somebody

• The boss is very pleased ~ you.
• The boss is very pleased with you.

be pleased ~ something

• My father wasn’t very pleased ~ my exam results.
• My father wasn’t very pleased with/about/ at my exam results.

be polite ~

• Try to be polite ~ your uncle for once.
• Try to be polite to your uncle for once.

to prevent somebody ~ verb+ing

• The noise from upstairs prevented me ~ sleeping last night.
• The noise from upstairs prevented me from sleeping last night.

proof ~

• I want proof ~ your love. Lend me some money.
• I want proof of your love. Lend me some money.

reason ~

• Nobody knows the reason ~ the accident.
• Nobody knows the reason for the accident.

to remind somebody ~ something

• He reminds me ~ a boy I was at school with.
• He reminds me of a boy I was at school with.

responsible ~ responsibility ~

• Who`s responsible ~ the cooking this week.
• Who`s responsible for the cooking this week.

be rude ~

• Alan was quite rude ~ my family.
• Alan was quite rude to my family.

to search (look through)

• They searched ~ the man in front of me at the airport.
• They searched the man in front of me at the airport. ( NO PREPOSITION )

to search ~ (look for)

• The customs were searching ~ drugs at the airport.
• The customs were searching for drugs at the airport.

be shocked ~

• People were terribly shocked ~ the news of earthquake.
• People were terribly shocked at / by the news of earthquake.

to shout ~ (aggressive)

• If you don`t stop shouting ~ me I`ll come and hit you.
• If you don`t stop shouting at me I`ll come and hit you.

to shout ~ (call to)

• Linda shouted ~ us to come in and eat.
• Linda shouted to us to come in and eat.

to smile ~

• If you smile ~ me like that I`ll give you anything you want.
• If you smile at me like that I`ll give you anything you want.

be sorry ~ something that has happened

• I`m sorry ~ your exam results.
• I`m sorry about your exam results.

sorry ~ something that one has done

• I`m sorry ~ breaking your window.
• I`m sorry for / about breaking your window.

sorry ~ a person

• I feel really sorry ~ his children.
• I feel really sorry for his children.

to speak ~

• Could I speak ~ your father for a moment .
• Could I speak to your father for a moment . (British Eng.)
• Could I speak with your father for a moment .( American Eng.)

to suffer ~

• My friend is suffering ~ hepatitis.
• My friend is suffering from hepatitis.

be surprised ~

• People were surprised ~ the bad weather.
• People were surprised at / by the bad weather.

to take part ~

• I don`t want to take part ~ any more conferences.
• I don`t want to take part in any more conferences.

to think ~

• I`m thinking ~ studying medicine.
• I`m thinking of / about studying medicine.

to throw something ~ (aggressive)

• Stop throwing stones ~ the windows.
• Stop throwing stones at the windows.

to throw something ~ (in a game,etc)

• If you get the ball, throw it ~ me
• If you get the ball, throw it to me..

to translate something ~

• Could you translate this ~ French for me.
• Could you translate this into French for me.

be wrong ~

• What`s wrong ~ Yusuf today ?
• What`s wrong with Yusuf today ?
• What`s wrong with you?

Good Bye !