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Some verbs are typically used with a particular preposition.

Following is a list of some verbs, and the preposition they are commonly
associated with. The list also includes a few ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION and

NOUN + PREPOSITION collocations. Each entry ends with an example of usage.

Able to

I’m afraid we won’t be able to come to the wedding.

Account for

They can’t account for the money missing from the till.

Acuse of

She’s been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Afraid of

He’s not afraid of trekking alone in the mountains.

Agree with (sb) about / on (st)

I agree with you about selling the old car before it becomes a liability.

Amount to

The bill amounts to thirty dollars sixty.

Angry about (st)

My sister’s angry about losing her purse.

Angry with (sb)

 He’s angry with his boss about not being promoted.

Apologize for

I want to apologize for being rude to your mother yesterday.

Approve of

We don’t approve of your coming back so late at night.

Argue with (sb) about / over (st)

My brother and I are always arguing about silly things.

Arrive at

We arrived at the stadium just after the concert had started.

Ask about

They asked us about the best way to get to Big Ben.

Attempt to

She attempted to persuade her co-workers about going on strike.

Attend to

We’ve had to attend to angry customers demanding their money back.

Bark at

The neighbour’s dog barks at us whenever we get home.

Believe in

Our five-year-old daughter no longer believes in ghosts.

Belong to

Percy belongs to some strange group that meets every Friday night.
Benefit by / from

Exporters are benefiting from the dollar’s drop in value.

Boast about

Ron loves boasting about his achievements in athletics.

Borrow from

It’s a great camera – I borrowed it from my sister.

Bother about

Don’t bother about my suitcase – I’ll pick it up later.

Congratulate on

Everyone congratulated Sheryl on her business success.

Care about

Bruce doesn’t care about his shocking exam results.

Care for

I have to care for my old father – he’s confined to a wheelchair.

Cater for

The hostel caters for travelers of all ages.

Chance to

I seized the chance to apply for the job and got it!

Charge for

We’ve been charged for more dishes than we ordered.

Charge with
 The rioters were charged with disorderly conduct.

Comment on

The journalists took notes as our CEO commented on the latest takeover.

Compete against / with (sb) / for / to (st)

We’re competing against six other schools for the sports trophy.

Complain about / of

My aunt always complains about the food when she eats out.

Comply with

Boys who don’t comply with the school rules will be punished.

Confess to

After some persuasion the thief eventually confessed to his crime.

Confide in

You can confide in Jessie when you have something on your mind.

Consist of

Pesto sauce consists mainly of basil and olive oil.

Contribute to

Everyone encouraged to contribute to the fund for the poor.

Crash into

I reversed too quickly and crashed into the garage wall.

Deal with

We have to deal with lots of orders just before the summer vacation.
Decide on

We looked at several models but we eventually decided on a Mercedes.

Depend on

We’d like to go to the beach, but it depends on the weather.

Different from

Skiing is very different from surfing.

Disappointed at / about / with (st)

Sheila was very disappointed about her college results.

Disappointed with (sb)

I’m disappointed with him – he really let me down.

Dream about

I often dream about living in a log cabin.

Encourage to

Kramer was encouraged to enter the county maths competition.

Excuse from

She was excused from the dinner because she had a nasty cough.

Focus on

The report focuses on the water shortage in the Third World.

Forget about

When I’m on vacation I completely forget about my problems.

Forget to
 I forgot to switch off the stove and the water boiled over.

Forgive for

I’ll forgive you for being nasty, but make sure you don’t do it again.

Good at

I like playing tennis but I’m not very good at it.

Head for

We usually head for the mountains on summer weekends.

Hope for

He’s hoping for a stroke of luck to win the sweepstakes.

Impressed by / with

I was impressed with his brilliant performance in the marathon.

Interested in

My sister has always been interested in stamp collecting.

Introduce to

He brought his girlfriend home and introduced her to his parents.

Invest in

They invest in real estate because they think it’s the safest bet.

Involve in

Her car was involved in a multiple collision on the freeway.

Judge by / for

Judging from his expression, he’s not pleased about the news.
Kind to

She’s always kind to me when I’m in trouble.

Laugh at

They laughed at the way the speaker fumbled over his papers.

Lend to

I’ll lend you the book, but I want it back by Monday.

Listen to

I often listen to the radio before going to sleep.

Look at

Look at the view down there – it’s really breathtaking!

Manage to

They managed to pull the boat up after it had capsized.

Name after

Jeremy is named after his grandfather.

Nice to

The mark of hospitality is being nice to strangers.

Object to

I strongly object to him being our project leader.

Pay for

When we saw the restaurant bill, nobody wanted to pay for it!

Pleased with (sb) / about / at / with (st)

 I’m pleased with Carry about her college success.

Polite to

The storekeeper is very polite to her customers.

Prepare for

They’re decorating the streets to prepare for tomorrow’s parade.

Prevent from

They opened the sluice gates to prevent the dam wall from bursting.

Reason for

There’s no reason for them to keep on destroying the earth’s forests.

Rely on

You can rely on Joss – he’s very trustworthy.

Remember to

I must remember to feed the cat before going to bed.

Remind of

He reminds me of someone I met on a summer camp.

Rude to

The neighbours have been rude to us ever since the leak in our drainage

pipe.

Shocked at / by

She was shocked at the news of the rail accident.

Shout at
 He has to shout at the kids to keep them quiet.

Smile at

There’s a boy in the front row who keeps turning around to smile at you.

Sorry for / about

I feel sorry for Nancy – she’s always getting into trouble with her boss.

Speak to / with (sb) / about (st)

You’d better speak to him about constantly being late for work.

Spend on

We spent a fortune on our new home, and it still needs refurbishing.

Stare at

There’s a man at the table behind you staring at me all the time.

Succeed in

Although the battery was flat, he succeeded in starting the car.

Suffer from

The economy is suffering from a lack of decent government.

Surprised at / by

I’m surprised by the speed you can get out of this old car.

Talk about / of (st)

He’s talking of resigning from his post as ambassador.

Talk to / with (sb)

You haven’t stopped talking to me all evening!

Think about / of

I’ve been thinking about you all day! Where’ve you been?

Tread on

Be careful not to tread on that banana peel.

Wave to

We waved to Fred as the ship drew away from the dockside.

Worry about

You’re always worrying about the kids – just sit back and relax!