Verbs followed by prepositions

Study the verbs followed by prepositions in the following tables. If you do not know the meaning of a verb, look it up in an English dictionary.

Verbs followed by inabsorbed in something (especially absorbed in her work/a book)confide in someonebe engrossed in something

involve someone in somethingresult in somethingspecialise in somethingsucceed in something

Verbs followed by foraccount for somethingallow for something (to take into consideration)apologise for something/someone (on their behalf: Let me apologise for Jack.)blame someone for somethingcare for something/someone

cater for something/someonecharge someone for something (make them pay for it)count for something (especially: / count for nothing in this company.)earmark something for a particular usepay for someone/something

Verbs followed by ofaccuse someone of somethingconvict someone of something

remind someone of somethingsuspect someone of something

Verbs followed by withacquaint someone with somethingassociate someone with somethingcharge someone with somethingclutter with something (especially passive: The room was cluttered with boxes.)coincide with somethingcollide with somethingcomply with somethingconcern with something (usually passive: be concerned with)confront someone with somethingconfuse someone/something with someone/somethingcram with something (especially passive: be crammed with)

deal with someone/somethingdiscuss something with someoneface with something (especially passive: be faced with)ingratiate oneself with someonemeet with something (especially: meet with an accident)pack with something (especially passive: be packed with)plead with someoneprovide someone with somethingtamper with somethingtrust someone with something

Verbs followed by frombar someone from a placebenefit from somethingderive something from somethingdeter someone from somethingdiffer from somethingdistinguish one thing from another thing (also distinguish between two things)distract someone from somethingexempt someone from something

expel someone from a placerefrain from somethingresign from somethingresult from somethingstem from somethingsuffer from somethingtranslate one language from/into another language

Verbs followed by onbase something on someoneblame something on someonecentre something on something (usually passive: be centred on)concentrate something on somethingdecide on something

depend on someone/somethingelaborate on somethingimpose on someoneinsist on something/someone doing somethingpride oneself on something

Verbs followed by aboutargue about somethingbe concerned about something (be worried about)boast about something

decide about somethingprotest about something

Verbs followed by atglance at something hint at something

guess at something marvel at something

Verbs followed by toanswer to something (especially: answer to a description)appeal to someone (beg)It appeals to me. (meaning: I like the idea.)apply oneself to something (This rule doesn't apply to you.)attend to something said/heardattribute something to someonecommit oneself to something (especially passive: be committed to)confess to somethingdevote oneself to somethingprefer one thing to another thing

react to somethingrefer to something (This number refers to the next page.)refer someone to someone (The doctor referred me to a specialist.)be resigned to somethingresort to somethingsee to something (meaning make sure it is done)subject someone to something (stressed: subject)succeed to the thronebe used to doing something

Exercises

Complete each sentence with ONE suitable preposition.a) I really prefer just about anything ……… watching television.

b) This year's conference coincided ……… two other major conventions.

c) Is it possible to insure my bike ……… theft?

d) The problem stems ……… the government's lack of action.

e) When I asked Jean, she hinted ……… the chance of a promotion for me.

f) Being rich doesn't count ……… much on a desert island.

g) I pleaded ……… John to change his mind, but he wouldn't listen.

h) I can't stand the way she is always boasting ……… her wealthy parents.

i) My grandfather is always confusing Madonna ……… Maradona.

j) Could you please refrain ……… smoking in the lecture hall.

2 Complete the text with ONE suitable verb in each space (the verbs are taken from the lists of verbs followed by preposition).

I had a difficult time last year with my health. For several months I was (1)……… from periodic

headaches and almost constant nausea. I made several visits to my GP, who (2) ……… my headaches

to migraine and (3) ……… me with medication. When this failed to work he (4) ……… on my nausea

as the root cause, (5) ……… my headaches on the nausea. I was (6) ……… to five blood tests, none

of which revealed anything significant. I (7) ……… my diet with the doctor at length, and we tried

eliminating certain foods from my meals. He (8) ……… , for example, I might (9) ……… from a

low-fibre diet. But still the symptoms persisted, and I was starting to (10) ……… myself to feeling ill

for the rest of my life. I was understandably concerned about the possibility of it being something

serious, even a brain tumour, but the doctor said that my anxiety in this respect (11) ……… from

nervous tension and stress. After six months I was (12) ……… to a consultant at the hospital, who

(13) ……… in stomach disorders. She said that, even (14) ……… for my age and stressful lifestyle, it

was still abnormal to experience symptoms like these for so long. She (15) ……… on all the

possible causes of nausea in detail, and suggested that in my case the nausea might be the result of a

liver disorder.

3 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word in bold. Do not change the word given.

a) I thought it was marvellous that Jane could jump so high. atI ……………………………………………………………….to jump so high.

b) A lot of people were packed on to the bus. withThe bus ……………………………………………………………….people.

c) Danny was asked to leave the school for bad behaviour. fromDanny was………………………………………………………………. for bad behavior.

d) This house makes me think of my own home! ofThis house ………………………………………………………………. my own home.

e) Christmas and roast turkey go together in my mind. withChristmas ………………………………………………………………. roast turkey in my mind.

4 Prefixes. Rewrite each sentence beginning as shown, so that it contains a form of the word underlined beginning un-.

a) I don't envy his position.His position ........................................................b) Philip flew to New York without the company of his parents.Philip flew to New York........................................................c) Margaret has no inhibitions at all.Margaret is completely........................................................d) There is no foundation to the rumour that I have been dismissed.The rumour that I have been dismissed........................................................e) I just can't bear this heat!For me, this heat........................................................f) There's no doubt that Schwartz is the best skier around at the moment.Schwartz is........................................................g) The sound of Jenny's voice cannot be mistaken.The sound of Jenny's voice........................................................h) There is no justification for your behaviour.Your behaviour is quite........................................................i) There is no precedent for such action.Such action........................................................j) Ian teaches but has no teaching qualifications.Ian is an........................................................

5 Complete each sentence with a colour, in an appropriate form of the word.

a) When Bill saw my new car he was ... ....................... with envy.

b) Tina never comes here now. We only see her once in a ....................... moon.

c) When the visitors from Japan arrived, the company gave them the ....................... carpet treatment.

d) I'm fed-up with this job. I feel completely ....................... off.

e) Julie's letter was unexpected. It arrived completely out of the ........................

f) The ....................... -collar workers received a rise, but the workers on the shop floor were told they had to wait.

g) We decided to celebrate by going out and painting the town ........................

h) Tony can't be trusted yet with too much responsibility, he's still ........................

i) You can talk until you're ........................in the face, but he still won't listen.

j) They fell deeper and deeper into the ........................and then went bankrupt.

6 Gender of animals. Provide the feminine and masculine, as required, of the following animals.

Bull _ _ _ Dog _ _ _ c _ Duck _ _ _ _ e Fox _ _ _ _ n

Goose _ _ _ d _ _ Hen _ _ c _ ; _ _ o _ _ _ _ Lion _ _ _ _ _ _ s

Ram _ _ e Stag _ _ _ _ Stallion _ _ _ e

7 Group the words below under the following heads. Check the meaning of any unknown words in the dictionary.

Cereals Dairy products

Fish Fruit Herbs Meat Vegetables

AubergineBarleyDillHerringMustardPearRiceSausageVeal

BaconBasilFlourLambMuttonPeasRyeSoleWheat

BlackberryChickenGooseberryMaizeOnionsPlaiceSageThymeYoghurt

BeansCreamGrapeMintParsleyRabbitSalmonTrout

8 Study the following pairs of verbs and then choose the correct word for each space:1. fall, fell, fallen fell, felled, felled

a) Prices have ___________ steeply since last August.b) Three old trees will have to be __________ because they are dangerous.c) He lost his balance and __________ heavily.

2. grind, ground, ground ground, grounded, groundeda) The ship went too near the coast and was _____________ on rocks.b) The beans are __________ in this machine before they are put in the coffee pot.c) The airline has decided to ___________ all its planes.

3. find, found, found found, founded, foundeda) My grandfather _____________ this firm in 1924.b) While clearing out the bedroom, I __________ these old letters.c) The United Nations was ___________ in 1945.

4. wind, wound, wound wound, wounded, woundeda) The train ____________ its way up the hillside and stopped just below the top.b) The police opened the fire and _________ six of the rioters.c) Keep still and I’ll _________ a bandage round your arm.

5. bind, bound, bound bound, bounded, boundeda) Switzerland is __________ by France, Germany, Austria and Italy.b) The lion __________ forward and sprang at her.c) He was ____________ hand and foot by the robbers.