Prepositions used after verbs and adjectives are the secret key to fluent English speaking and writing.
Prepositions are not just “small grammar words.”
They are the hidden reason why many students speak English with hesitation—even after learning thousands of vocabulary words.
Because in real English, we don’t use words alone. We use word partnerships.
For example:
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You don’t just say depend — you say depend on
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You don’t just say good — you say good at
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You don’t just say interested — you say interested in
And here’s the truth:
Most learners fail at prepositions because they try to memorize them randomly.
But the correct method is simple:
✅ Learn prepositions in chunks:
Verb + Preposition
Adjective + Preposition
This post is a complete guide to prepositions used after verbs and adjectives for advanced learners.
Each one includes meaning + use + example sentences—so you can teach it easily, revise it quickly, and apply it instantly in writing and speaking.
If you’re a teacher, this becomes your ready-made class notes.
If you’re a student, this becomes your fluency shortcut.
Also Read: Power Guide to Prepositions: 100 Advanced Rules with Meaning, Use & Examples
Now, let’s begin with the most powerful combinations in English.
Power List: Prepositions Used After Verbs
Format: Verb + Preposition | Meaning/Use | Example Sentence
| # | Verb + Prep | Meaning / Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | agree with | same opinion | I agree with you. |
| 2 | agree to | accept a plan/offer | She agreed to the proposal. |
| 3 | apologize for | say sorry | He apologized for being late. |
| 4 | apply for | request | I applied for the job. |
| 5 | apply to | relate/submit | This rule applies to everyone. |
| 6 | approve of | like/accept | Do you approve of this plan? |
| 7 | argue with | quarrel | Don’t argue with your parents. |
| 8 | argue about | topic of argument | They argued about money. |
| 9 | arrive at | reach small place | We arrived at the station. |
| 10 | arrive in | reach city/country | We arrived in Delhi. |
| 11 | ask for | request | She asked for help. |
| 12 | ask about | inquire | Ask about the fees. |
| 13 | believe in | faith/trust | I believe in hard work. |
| 14 | belong to | ownership | This bag belongs to me. |
| 15 | blame for | accuse | Don’t blame me for it. |
| 16 | borrow from | take temporarily | I borrowed a pen from him. |
| 17 | care about | emotional concern | I care about my family. |
| 18 | care for | look after/like | She cares for her grandmother. |
| 19 | complain about | criticize | They complained about the service. |
| 20 | concentrate on | focus | Concentrate on your work. |
| 21 | consist of | be made of | Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen. |
| 22 | contribute to | add/support | He contributed to the charity. |
| 23 | cope with | manage | She coped with stress well. |
| 24 | count on | depend | You can count on me. |
| 25 | deal with | handle | I will deal with it. |
| 26 | depend on | rely | Success depends on discipline. |
| 27 | die of | illness | He died of cancer. |
| 28 | die from | external cause | Many die from accidents. |
| 29 | differ from | be different | My opinion differs from yours. |
| 30 | dream of | imagine | She dreams of becoming a doctor. |
| 31 | escape from | get free | The prisoner escaped from jail. |
| 32 | excuse for | reason | What’s your excuse for this? |
| 33 | fight against | oppose | We must fight against injustice. |
| 34 | fight for | support | They fought for freedom. |
| 35 | forgive for | pardon | Please forgive me for my mistake. |
| 36 | hear about | get news | I heard about your success. |
| 37 | hear from | receive message | I heard from him yesterday. |
| 38 | insist on | demand | She insisted on paying. |
| 39 | invest in | put money | He invested in property. |
| 40 | invite to | call someone | She invited me to her party. |
| 41 | laugh at | mock | Don’t laugh at others. |
| 42 | listen to | pay attention | Listen to your teacher. |
| 43 | look at | see | Look at the board. |
| 44 | look for | search | I’m looking for my keys. |
| 45 | look after | take care | She looks after her baby. |
| 46 | look into | investigate | Police looked into the matter. |
| 47 | look up to | admire | Kids look up to teachers. |
| 48 | participate in | take part | He participated in the competition. |
| 49 | pay for | give money | I paid for the dress. |
| 50 | point at | indicate | Don’t point at people. |
| 51 | prevent from | stop | Stop him from falling. |
| 52 | protect from | save | Protect your skin from sun. |
| 53 | recover from | heal | She recovered from fever. |
| 54 | refer to | mention | He referred to the rules. |
| 55 | rely on | depend | I rely on my team. |
| 56 | remind of | cause memory | This song reminds me of childhood. |
| 57 | result in | cause | Smoking results in cancer. |
| 58 | result from | happen because | The problem resulted from carelessness. |
| 59 | search for | look | They searched for the missing child. |
| 60 | shout at | angry shouting | He shouted at me. |
| 61 | smile at | friendly expression | She smiled at the baby. |
| 62 | speak to | talk to | Speak to your father. |
| 63 | speak about | discuss | We spoke about business. |
| 64 | spend on | use money | Don’t spend too much on clothes. |
| 65 | succeed in | achieve | She succeeded in her mission. |
| 66 | suffer from | be ill | He suffers from asthma. |
| 67 | talk to | speak | Talk to me. |
| 68 | talk about | topic | Let’s talk about exams. |
| 69 | think about | consider | Think about your future. |
| 70 | think of | imagine/opinion | What do you think of this? |
| 71 | throw at | target | Don’t throw stones at animals. |
| 72 | translate into | convert language | Translate this into Hindi. |
| 73 | trust in | faith | Trust in God. |
| 74 | wait for | stay until | Wait for me. |
| 75 | worry about | anxiety | Don’t worry about it. |
| 76 | write to | send letter | Write to the principal. |
| 77 | accuse of | blame formally | He was accused of theft. |
| 78 | adapt to | adjust | Adapt to changes quickly. |
| 79 | add to | increase | Add sugar to the tea. |
| 80 | admit to | confess | He admitted to lying. |
| 81 | aim at | target | Aim at success. |
| 82 | associate with | connect | Don’t associate with toxic people. |
| 83 | benefit from | gain | Students benefit from practice. |
| 84 | belong with | match | That lid belongs with this jar. |
| 85 | charge with | accuse legally | He was charged with fraud. |
| 86 | compare with | similarity | Compare this with that. |
| 87 | compare to | metaphor | She was compared to a rose. |
| 88 | complain to | report to authority | Complain to the manager. |
| 89 | congratulate on | praise | Congrats on your success! |
| 90 | connect to/with | link | Connect the cable to the TV. |
| 91 | devote to | give time | Devote yourself to learning. |
| 92 | discourage from | stop | Don’t discourage kids from trying. |
| 93 | engage in | be involved | He engaged in business. |
| 94 | escape from | avoid | Escape from negativity. |
| 95 | focus on | concentrate | Focus on your goal. |
| 96 | interfere with | disturb | Don’t interfere with my work. |
| 97 | object to | oppose | I object to this decision. |
| 98 | recover from | get well | He recovered from surgery. |
| 99 | resign from | leave job | She resigned from the company. |
| 100 | succeed in | achieve | He succeeded in clearing the exam. |
Power List: Prepositions Used After Adjectives (Highly Important)
Format: Adjective + Preposition | Meaning/Use | Example Sentence
| # | Adjective + Prep | Meaning / Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | afraid of | fear | She is afraid of dogs. |
| 2 | angry with | angry at person | He is angry with me. |
| 3 | angry about | angry at issue | She is angry about the delay. |
| 4 | anxious about | worried | I’m anxious about the result. |
| 5 | aware of | knowing | Are you aware of the rules? |
| 6 | bad at | weak skill | I’m bad at maths. |
| 7 | based on | foundation | The movie is based on a true story. |
| 8 | bored with | tired of | I’m bored with this topic. |
| 9 | capable of | ability | She is capable of winning. |
| 10 | careful about | cautious | Be careful about your words. |
| 11 | careful with | cautious handling | Be careful with the glass. |
| 12 | certain about | sure | I’m certain about my decision. |
| 13 | certain of | sure | He is certain of success. |
| 14 | clever at | skilled | She is clever at solving puzzles. |
| 15 | close to | near | My house is close to school. |
| 16 | committed to | dedicated | He is committed to fitness. |
| 17 | concerned about | worried | I’m concerned about your health. |
| 18 | confident of | sure | She is confident of victory. |
| 19 | confident about | sure | I’m confident about the plan. |
| 20 | conscious of | aware | Be conscious of your tone. |
| 21 | crazy about | love | She is crazy about chocolate. |
| 22 | curious about | eager to know | Kids are curious about space. |
| 23 | dependent on | relying | Babies are dependent on parents. |
| 24 | different from | not same | This is different from that. |
| 25 | disappointed with | unhappy about result | I’m disappointed with the service. |
| 26 | disappointed in | unhappy in person | She is disappointed in him. |
| 27 | doubtful about | uncertain | I’m doubtful about this deal. |
| 28 | eager for | excited to get | I’m eager for the holidays. |
| 29 | eager to | ready | She is eager to learn. |
| 30 | embarrassed about | ashamed | He felt embarrassed about the mistake. |
| 31 | excited about | happy | I’m excited about the trip. |
| 32 | excited by | stimulated | She was excited by the idea. |
| 33 | famous for | known because | Jaipur is famous for forts. |
| 34 | familiar with | known | I’m familiar with this chapter. |
| 35 | fond of | like | She is fond of music. |
| 36 | free from | without | This product is free from chemicals. |
| 37 | friendly with | close relation | He is friendly with everyone. |
| 38 | full of | filled | The box is full of toys. |
| 39 | generous with | giving | He is generous with money. |
| 40 | generous to | kind to person | She is generous to the poor. |
| 41 | good at | skilled | He is good at cricket. |
| 42 | grateful for | thankful | I’m grateful for your help. |
| 43 | guilty of | responsible | He is guilty of cheating. |
| 44 | happy about | pleased | I’m happy about the news. |
| 45 | happy with | satisfied | She is happy with her job. |
| 46 | harmful to | damaging | Smoking is harmful to health. |
| 47 | honest about | truthful | Be honest about your mistakes. |
| 48 | impressed by | admiration | I’m impressed by your work. |
| 49 | impressed with | satisfied | I’m impressed with the quality. |
| 50 | independent of | not relying | She is independent of others. |
| 51 | interested in | curiosity | I’m interested in art. |
| 52 | jealous of | envy | Don’t be jealous of others. |
| 53 | keen on | interested | He is keen on football. |
| 54 | kind to | polite | Be kind to animals. |
| 55 | late for | delayed | I’m late for class. |
| 56 | lazy about | careless | He is lazy about homework. |
| 57 | lucky to | fortunate | You’re lucky to have her. |
| 58 | made of | material | This ring is made of gold. |
| 59 | married to | relationship | She is married to a doctor. |
| 60 | nervous about | worried | I’m nervous about the exam. |
| 61 | nice to | polite | Be nice to your sister. |
| 62 | open to | willing | I’m open to suggestions. |
| 63 | opposed to | against | I’m opposed to violence. |
| 64 | pleased with | satisfied | She is pleased with her marks. |
| 65 | polite to | respectful | Be polite to elders. |
| 66 | popular with | liked by group | She is popular with students. |
| 67 | prepared for | ready | Are you prepared for the test? |
| 68 | proud of | pleased | I’m proud of you. |
| 69 | ready for | prepared | I’m ready for the challenge. |
| 70 | related to | connected | This is related to your topic. |
| 71 | responsible for | duty | He is responsible for the class. |
| 72 | satisfied with | content | I’m satisfied with my progress. |
| 73 | scared of | fear | She is scared of insects. |
| 74 | serious about | not casual | He is serious about studies. |
| 75 | shocked at | surprised | I was shocked at the news. |
| 76 | similar to | alike | Your bag is similar to mine. |
| 77 | sorry about | regret | I’m sorry about yesterday. |
| 78 | sorry for | pity | I feel sorry for him. |
| 79 | strict with | discipline | She is strict with students. |
| 80 | suitable for | right | This book is suitable for Grade 6. |
| 81 | surprised at | amazed | I’m surprised at your result. |
| 82 | sure of | confident | I’m sure of the answer. |
| 83 | suspicious of | distrust | I’m suspicious of his story. |
| 84 | terrified of | extreme fear | She is terrified of snakes. |
| 85 | thankful for | gratitude | I’m thankful for your support. |
| 86 | tired of | fed up | I’m tired of excuses. |
| 87 | true to | loyal | Stay true to yourself. |
| 88 | upset about | unhappy | I’m upset about the fight. |
| 89 | worried about | anxious | Don’t be worried about money. |
| 90 | wrong about | mistaken | You’re wrong about this. |
| 91 | addicted to | habit | He is addicted to gaming. |
| 92 | amazed at | surprised | I’m amazed at your talent. |
| 93 | annoyed with | irritated by person | I’m annoyed with him. |
| 94 | annoyed about | irritated by issue | I’m annoyed about the noise. |
| 95 | ashamed of | guilty feeling | She is ashamed of her lie. |
| 96 | brilliant at | very good | He is brilliant at maths. |
| 97 | crowded with | full of people | The market was crowded with shoppers. |
| 98 | delighted with | very happy | I’m delighted with the results. |
| 99 | familiar to | known to people | His voice is familiar to me. |
| 100 | known for | famous | The place is known for its food. |
Teacher Trick (Use This to Make Students Remember)
Teach 3 powerful patterns:
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Emotion adjectives → about / with / of
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angry with (person)
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angry about (issue)
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afraid of (fear)
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Skill adjectives → at
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good at
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bad at
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brilliant at
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Relationship adjectives → to/with
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kind to
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strict with
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married to
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