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English grammar

Verb + Preposition and Adjective + Preposition

Updated 27 Oct 2026 5 min read LingoLadder Editorial Team
Cover: Dependent prepositions — depend on, good at, afraid of, interested in
Short answer

Many English verbs and adjectives take a fixed preposition after them: you depend on someone, listen to music, are good at a skill and afraid of a thing. The pairing is set, so learn each verb or adjective together with its preposition.

On this page11 sections · tap to jump
  1. 01The rule
  2. 02Common patterns
  3. 03Example sentences
  4. 04Common mistakes
  5. 05A short conversation
  6. 06Usage notes
  7. 07Compared with phrasal verbs
  8. 08How to say it
  9. 09Practice
  10. 10Quiz
  11. 11Recap cheat-sheet

Level: B2. Some words simply demand a particular preposition after them. You do not choose it by logic — you learn the pair. This lesson gathers the most common verb + preposition and adjective + preposition combinations and the mistakes they cause.

The rule

A preposition is a small linking word like on, to, at, of, in, for, with, about. A dependent preposition is one that a particular verb or adjective always takes. It is fixed by usage, not by meaning, so depend is followed by on and interested is followed by in — and no reasoning will tell you why. You memorise the combination.

Think of the verb or adjective and its preposition as a single unit. When you learn a new verb, learn the preposition with it: not just rely, but rely on; not just good, but good at. The preposition is then followed by a noun, a pronoun, or an -ing form (never a bare infinitive): good at drawing, afraid of spiders, insist on paying.

Two warnings. First, the same verb can take different prepositions with different meanings: you agree with a person, agree on a plan, and agree to a proposal. Second, some verbs take no preposition even though a translation into another language might add one: you discuss a problem (not discuss about), enter a room (not enter into in the everyday sense), and marry someone (not marry with).

Common patterns

Pattern Preposition Examples
verb + on on depend on, rely on, insist on, concentrate on, spend (money) on
verb + to to listen to, belong to, refer to, apologise to, object to
verb + for for wait for, apply for, apologise for, blame for, search for
verb + of of consist of, approve of, accuse of, remind of, dream of
verb + about about worry about, complain about, think about, dream about, argue about
verb + with with agree with, deal with, cope with, provide with, compare with
verb + in in believe in, succeed in, specialise in, result in, invest in
verb + from from suffer from, differ from, recover from, benefit from, prevent from
adjective + at at good at, bad at, brilliant at, hopeless at, surprised at
adjective + of of afraid of, scared of, proud of, aware of, fond of, capable of, full of
adjective + in in interested in, experienced in, involved in
adjective + about about worried about, excited about, anxious about, enthusiastic about
adjective + with with satisfied with, pleased with, bored with, familiar with
adjective + to to married to, similar to, kind to, used to, accustomed to
adjective + for for responsible for, famous for, suitable for, ready for, sorry for
adjective + on on keen on, dependent on, based on

Example sentences

  1. It depends on the weather.
    'depend on', never 'depend of'.
  2. You can rely on her to be honest.
    'rely on' = trust / count on.
  3. I am not very good at maths.
    ability: 'good at' + noun or -ing.
  4. She is afraid of spiders.
    'afraid of' for fears.
  5. We are interested in old films.
    'interested in', never 'interested for'.
  6. He apologised to me for being late.
    'apologise to' a person, 'apologise for' a thing.
  7. The team is worried about the deadline.
    'worried about' a problem.
  8. This book belongs to the library.
    'belong to' = be owned by.
  9. They accused him of stealing.
    'accuse of' + -ing.
  10. I agree with you about the plan.
    'agree with' a person; 'agree about' a topic.
  11. The committee agreed on a new rule.
    'agree on' = reach a decision.
  12. She finally agreed to help us.
    'agree to' = consent to do.
  13. Our profits depend on summer sales.
    a second 'depend on'.
  14. He is proud of his daughter.
    'proud of' someone or something.
  15. Are you aware of the risks?
    'aware of' = knowing about.
  16. The town is famous for its cheese.
    'famous for' a quality.
  17. Who is responsible for this mess?
    'responsible for' a duty or fault.
  18. This phone is similar to mine.
    'similar to', never 'similar with'.
  19. She is married to a doctor.
    'married to', never 'married with'.
  20. I am used to the noise now.
    'used to' + noun/-ing = accustomed to.
  21. We must deal with the problem today.
    'deal with' = handle.
  22. The report consists of three parts.
    'consist of' = be made up of.
  23. They succeeded in raising the money.
    'succeed in' + -ing.
  24. He suffers from hay fever every spring.
    'suffer from' an illness.
  25. Let's discuss the budget tomorrow.
    'discuss' takes NO preposition: not 'discuss about'.

Common mistakes

  • ❌ It depends of the price. → ✅ It depends on the price. The verb depend always takes on.
  • ❌ I am interested for music. → ✅ I am interested in music. Interested takes in.
  • ❌ She is good in cooking. → ✅ She is good at cooking. Ability is good at, not good in.
  • ❌ He is married with a teacher. → ✅ He is married to a teacher. You are married to a person.
  • ❌ We discussed about the plan. → ✅ We discussed the plan. Discuss takes no preposition.
  • ❌ Listen the radio. → ✅ Listen to the radio. Listen needs to before its object.

A short conversation

A: I’m a bit worried about the exam. I’m hopeless at grammar. B: You can’t rely on luck, but you’re good at practising. Just concentrate on the prepositions. A: True. I keep writing ‘depend of’. B: Everyone does at first. It depends on repetition — learn the verb with its preposition.

Usage notes

  • A preposition is followed by a noun, pronoun or -ing form, never a bare infinitive: interested in learning (not interested in to learn), good at drawing, insist on paying.
  • Angry with / about / at. You are angry with a person but angry about a situation; angry at is also heard, more in American English.
  • The same verb, different prepositions. Think about = consider; think of = have an opinion or recall. Apply for a job but apply to a company. Learn each meaning as its own pair.
  • Preposition kept at the end. In questions and relative clauses the preposition often stays put: What are you waiting for?, the person I was talking to. It still belongs to the verb.

Compared with phrasal verbs

A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small particle (up, off, out, down, away) where the particle changes the meaning: give up (stop), take off (remove, or depart), look after (care for), run out (finish). A dependent preposition does not change the meaning of the verb — listen to still means listen; wait for still means wait. The preposition is simply required to connect the verb to its object.

A quick test: with many phrasal verbs you can move the object before a particle (turn the light off / turn off the light); with a dependent preposition you cannot (listen the radio to is impossible). See Phrasal Verbs: an Introduction.

How to say it

  • Prepositions are usually unstressed. In depend on the stress is on pend; on is reduced to a quick /ən/. Say “dePEND-ən”, not two equally heavy words.
  • of sounds like /əv/ — the f is a soft v sound: “afraid-əv”, “proud-əv”. It is never “off”.
  • to before a consonant reduces to /tə/: “listen-tə music”. Keep it short and light.
  • at reduces to /ət/: “good-ət maths”. Linking the words smoothly is what makes it sound natural.

Recap card for the English dependent prepositions lesson listing depend on, good at, afraid of and interested in

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Practice

Dependent prepositions practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Choose the correct preposition: 'It depends ___ the weather.'
Show answer

on — 'Depend' always takes 'on': depend on.

Hint: ability

Show answer

at — 'Good at' is used for skills and abilities.

Hint: not 'for'

Show answer

in — 'Interested in' is the fixed pair; 'interested for' is wrong.

4 Match each word with its preposition.

  • afraid
  • married
  • responsible
  • worried
Show answer
  • afraid → of
  • married → to
  • responsible → for
  • worried → about

afraid of, married to, responsible for, worried about are all fixed pairs.

5 Which sentence is correct?
Show answer

We discussed the plan. — 'Discuss' takes no preposition: discuss the plan.

6 Put the words in order.

Show answer

You should listen to her advice — 'Listen' needs 'to' before its object: listen to her advice.

Hint: apologise ___ a thing

Show answer

for — You apologise 'to' a person but apologise 'for' a thing you did.

Quiz

Check yourself

Dependent prepositions quiz

12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/12 0 answered
  1. 1Complete: 'You can rely ___ her.'
    Show answer

    on — 'Rely on' = trust or depend on.

  2. 2Which is correct?
    Show answer

    I'm afraid of dogs. — 'Afraid of' is the fixed pair for fears.

  3. 3Complete: 'This car is similar ___ mine.'
    Show answer

    to — 'Similar to', never 'similar with'.

  4. 4Which sentence is WRONG?
    Show answer

    She is married with a pilot. — You are 'married to' a person; 'married with' is wrong.

  5. 5Complete: 'The book consists ___ five chapters.'
    Show answer

    of — 'Consist of' = be made up of.

  6. 6Choose the correct one: 'They succeeded ___ finishing on time.'
    Show answer

    in — 'Succeed in' + -ing form.

  7. 7Which is correct?
    Show answer

    I must deal with this problem. — 'Deal with' = handle a problem.

  8. 8Complete: 'He suffers ___ migraines.'
    Show answer

    from — 'Suffer from' an illness or condition.

  9. 9Which sentence takes NO preposition?
    Show answer

    He discussed ___ the plan. — 'Discuss' takes no preposition: discuss the plan. The others need to/for/for.

  10. Show answer

    about — 'Worried about' a problem or event.

  11. 11Complete: 'Who is responsible ___ this?'
    Show answer

    for — 'Responsible for' a task or a fault.

  12. 12Which best shows a phrasal verb (particle changes meaning), not a dependent preposition?
    Show answer

    give up — 'Give up' = stop; the particle changes the meaning, so it is a phrasal verb.

Recap cheat-sheet

Word Preposition Example
depend, rely, insist on It depends on you.
listen, belong to Listen to me.
interested, believe in interested in art
afraid, proud, aware of afraid of the dark
good, bad at good at chess
worried, excited about worried about work
responsible, famous for famous for its food

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125 topics 125 ready now
A1 30 topics · 30 ready
  1. 01 Verb 'To Be' in the Present (am, is, are)
  2. 02 Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
  3. 03 Present Simple: Affirmative and the -s Ending
  4. 04 Present Simple: Negatives and Questions (do/does)
  5. 05 Articles: a / an and When to Use Each
  6. 06 The Definite Article 'The': When to Use It
  7. 07 Zero Article: When to Use No Article
  8. 08 Plural Nouns: Regular and Irregular Forms
  9. 09 This, That, These, Those (Demonstratives)
  10. 10 Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her
  11. 11 Possessive 's and s' (Showing Belonging)
  12. 12 There Is / There Are (Saying What Exists)
  13. 13 Have Got: Talking About Possession
  14. 14 Can and Can't for Ability
  15. 15 Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing)
  16. 16 Imperatives: Giving Orders and Instructions
  17. 17 Adjectives: Position and Basic Use
  18. 18 Prepositions of Place: in, on, at
  19. 19 Prepositions of Time: in, on, at
  20. 20 Question Words: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
  21. 21 How Much vs How Many
  22. 22 Countable and Uncountable Nouns
  23. 23 Some and Any: Which One to Use
  24. 24 Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, them
  25. 25 Adverbs of Frequency and Their Position
  26. 26 Like, Love, Hate + -ing (Expressing Preferences)
  27. 27 Would Like: Polite Wants and Offers
  28. 28 Making Requests: Can, Could, May I
  29. 29 Past Simple of 'To Be' (was / were)
  30. 30 Let's and Shall We: Making Suggestions
A2 25 topics · 25 ready
  1. 31 Past Simple: Regular Verbs and -ed Spelling
  2. 32 Past Simple: Irregular Verbs (go, see, have)
  3. 33 Past Simple: Negatives and Questions (did)
  4. 34 Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive)
  5. 35 Superlative Adjectives (the biggest, the most)
  6. 36 Going To: Plans and Predictions
  7. 37 Will: Predictions, Decisions and Offers
  8. 38 Present Continuous for Future Arrangements
  9. 39 Present Perfect for Experience (ever / never)
  10. 40 Present Perfect with just, already, yet
  11. 41 Present Perfect vs Past Simple
  12. 42 Have To and Don't Have To (Obligation)
  13. 43 Should and Shouldn't for Advice
  14. 44 Could: Past Ability and Polite Use
  15. 45 Much, Many, A Lot Of
  16. 46 A Few, A Little, Few, Little
  17. 47 Adverbs of Manner (quickly, well, hard)
  18. 48 Verb + -ing or Verb + to (Introduction)
  19. 49 Zero Conditional (Facts and Rules)
  20. 50 First Conditional (Real Future Possibility)
  21. 51 Prepositions of Movement (to, into, through)
  22. 52 Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, hers
  23. 53 Past Continuous (was/were + -ing)
  24. 54 Too and Enough (Degree)
  25. 55 Order of Adjectives Before a Noun
B1 27 topics · 27 ready
  1. 56 Past Continuous vs Past Simple
  2. 57 Used To and Would for Past Habits
  3. 58 Present Perfect Continuous (have been -ing)
  4. 59 Present Perfect: Simple vs Continuous
  5. 60 Past Perfect (had + past participle)
  6. 61 Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future)
  7. 62 Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
  8. 63 Reported Speech: Statements (Backshift)
  9. 64 Reported Questions
  10. 65 Reported Commands and Requests
  11. 66 Passive Voice: Present and Past Simple
  12. 67 Must and Mustn't (Strong Obligation)
  13. 68 May, Might, Could for Possibility
  14. 69 Defining Relative Clauses (who, which, that)
  15. 70 Non-Defining Relative Clauses (with commas)
  16. 71 Gerunds and Infinitives: Full Verb Patterns
  17. 72 Verbs Where -ing vs to Changes Meaning
  18. 73 Future Continuous (will be -ing)
  19. 74 So and Such (Emphasis)
  20. 75 As...As Comparisons (equality)
  21. 76 Question Tags (isn't it? do you?)
  22. 77 Phrasal Verbs: Separable and Inseparable
  23. 78 Linking Words: because, so, although, but
  24. 79 Infinitive of Purpose (to / in order to)
  25. 80 Indirect Questions (Can you tell me...)
  26. 81 Make, Let, Allow, Help (Causatives Intro)
  27. 82 Be Used To and Get Used To (+ -ing)
B2 25 topics · 25 ready
  1. 83 Narrative Tenses for Storytelling
  2. 84 Past Perfect Continuous (had been -ing)
  3. 85 Mixed Conditionals
  4. 86 Wish and If Only (Regrets and Wishes)
  5. 87 Wish/If Only + would (Complaints)
  6. 88 Passive Voice: All Tenses and Modals
  7. 89 Reporting Passive (It is said that / is said to)
  8. 90 Causative: Have/Get Something Done
  9. 91 Reduced Relative Clauses (Participles)
  10. 92 Modals of Deduction: Present and Past
  11. 93 Needn't Have vs Didn't Need To
  12. 94 Future Perfect (will have done)
  13. 95 Participle Clauses (-ing / -ed / having done)
  14. 96 Advanced Comparatives (far/much + er, the more)
  15. 97 Conditional Alternatives: unless, as long as, provided
  16. 98 Advanced Determiners: each, every, either, neither
  17. 99 Intensifiers and Adverbs of Degree
  18. 100 Advanced Contrast: despite, in spite of, however
  19. 101 Advanced Linkers: therefore, moreover, consequently
  20. 102 Advanced Article Use (generalisations, names)
  21. 103 Verb + Preposition and Adjective + Preposition You are here
  22. 104 Relative Clauses: whose, where, when, quantifier + whom
  23. 105 Subject-Verb Agreement: Tricky Cases
  24. 106 Emphatic Do (I do like it)
  25. 107 Would for Past Habits (Formal Narrative)
C1 18 topics · 18 ready
  1. 108 Inversion with Negative Adverbials
  2. 109 Inversion in Conditionals (Had I known)
  3. 110 Cleft Sentences (It was... / What I need is...)
  4. 111 Fronting and Emphasis (Word Order)
  5. 112 Subjunctive and Mandative (I suggest he be)
  6. 113 Ellipsis and Substitution (so, do, one)
  7. 114 Hedging and Cautious Language
  8. 115 Nominalisation (Academic Noun Style)
  9. 116 Advanced Discourse Markers (Spoken & Written)
  10. 117 Advanced Passive (passive + infinitive, get-passive)
  11. 118 Advanced Comparative Structures (no sooner...than)
  12. 119 Future in the Past (was going to / would)
  13. 120 Advanced Modals (may well, might as well, would rather)
  14. 121 Advanced Reported Speech (Reporting Verbs + Patterns)
  15. 122 Advanced and Idiomatic Phrasal Verbs
  16. 123 Collocation and Colligation (Natural Combinations)
  17. 124 Advanced Concession (much as, whatever, however + adj)
  18. 125 Absolute and Non-Finite Clauses (Formal)