Commonly used prepositions (Explained in Hindi & English)
अक्सर प्रयोग में आने वाले preposition (Explained in Hindi)
1. Adjectives के साथ प्रयोग में आने वाले preposition
कुछ adjective ऐसे होते हैं जो अपने साथ कोई विशेष preposition लेते हैं. उनमें से कुछ ये हैं:
| 1. Absorbed in | She is absorbed in her book. (Absorbed = Very interested in something and not paying attention to anything else) |
| 2. According to | According to Abhishek, the film starts at 7.30. [According to = as stated by. ‘According to’ is used only for 2nd and 3rd persons. For 1st person we use ‘in my opinion/in my view, etc. e.g.
Incorrect: According to me she is not very polite. |
| 3. Accustomed to | I am accustomed to sleeping late. (Accustomed = Being in the habit) |
| 4. Addicted to | A lot of people nowadays have become addicted to the internet. |
| 5. Afraid of | She is afraid of speaking in public. |
| 6 Anxious about | Meena is anxious about making the presentation. (Anxious about = worried) |
| 7. Anxious for | Many civil servants are anxious for promotion. (Anxious for = to want to have) |
| 8. Anxious to | We are very anxious to find out what really happened. (Anxious to do = to want very much to do) |
| 9. Aware of | Were you aware of the risks at the time? (Aware of = knowing that something exists) |
| 10. Bad at/for | For things we use ‘at’ for persons we use ‘for’; e.g.
A) She is bad at chess. |
| 11. Good at/for | For things we use ‘at’, for persons we use ‘for’; e.g.
a) He is good at football. |
| 12. Bored of | I am bored of doing the same old job. |
| 13. Capable of | He is capable of winning the race. |
| 14. Committed to | She is committed to improving her English. (Committed to = determined) |
| 15. Concerned about | He was concerned about being late. (Concerned = worried) |
| 16. Confident of | I’m confident of his skills as a manager. |
| 17. Content with | She is content with winning second place. (Content = satisfied) |
| 18. Dedicated to | The organization is dedicated to ending poverty. (Dedicated = To give a lot of time and energy to something) |
| 19. Devoted to | The money will be devoted to protecting the environment. (Devote = to set apart for a specific purpose or use) |
| 20. Disappointed with | He was disappointed with his exam result. |
| 21. Discouraged by | He was discouraged by not getting the job. |
| 22. Due to | He had to withdraw due to a knee injury. (Due to = because of) |
| 23. Due for | I’m due for a promotion soon. (Due for = If you are due for something, you expect to receive it, because you deserve it) |
| 24. Excited about | I was very excited about going to America. (Excited about = feeling very happy and enthusiastic) |
| 25. Exposed to | About 800,000 children are exposed to poisons each year. (Exposed to = to make it likely that someone will experience something harmful or unpleasant) |
| 26. Famous for | Marie Curie is famous for her contribution to science. |
| 27. Fond of | My brother is fond of pointing out my mistakes. (Fond of = to like someone or something very much; to like doing something) |
| 28. Frightened of | She is frightened of ghosts. |
| 29. Guilty of | The banker was guilty of stealing money. |
| 30. Happy about | He was happy about winning the prize. |
| 31. Interested in | I had always been interested in history. |
| 32. Keen on | He is very keen on golf. (Keen on = interested, eager) |
| 33. Known for | She is known for causing problems. |
| 34. Liable for | Drivers without wearing the helmets are liable for fine. (Liable for = having (legal) responsibility for something or someone) |
| 35. Liable to | The areas of town near the river are liable to flooding. (Liable to = very likely to do something |
| 36. Opposed to | They are opposed to building a new road in the park. |
| 37. Owing to | The train has been cancelled owing to heavy rains. (Owing to = because of) |
| 38. Prepared for | They were prepared for the worst. (Prepared for = ready to deal with a situation |
| 39. Proud of | He was proud of having completed the marathon. |
| 40. Remembered for | She is remembered for protecting stray dogs. |
| 41. Responsible for | The city council is responsible for keeping the streets clean. (Responsible for = having an obligation to do something, or having control over or care for someone, as part of one’s job or role.) |
| 42. Responsible to | In Australia, the prime minister and the Cabinet are responsible to the House of Representatives. (Responsible to = to be controlled by someone or something) |
| 43. Scared of | I’m scared of being alone at night. (Scared = fearful) |
| 44. Sorry for sth | I’m sorry for your father. (Sorry for something = feel pity) |
| 45. Sorry for doing sth | I’m sorry for forgetting the tickets. (Sorry for doing something= to regret) |
| 46. Sorry about | We are very sorry about the damage to your car. (Sorry about = feeling sad and ashamed) |
| 47. Suspicious of | Mahesh was suspicious of her motives. (Suspicious of = feeling doubt or no trust in someone or something) |
| 48. Terrified of | The passerby is terrified of being attacked by monkeys. |
| 49. Tired from | She is tired from working all day. (Tired from = exhausted of energy) |
| 50. Tired of | Mahima is tired of making dinner every night. (Tired of = bored) |
| 51. Worried about | The walkers were worried about not having enough water. |
2.Verbs के साथ प्रयोग में आने वाले preposition
कुछ verb ऐसी होती हैं जो अपने साथ कोई विशेष preposition लेती हैं. उनमें से कुछ ये हैं:
| 1. Account for | You must account for all the information in your report. (Account for = to give an explanation of something) |
| 2. Accuse sb of | The teacher accused Deepak of cheating on the test. |
| 3. Adapt to | I have adapted to living in Japan. (Adapted = familiar) |
| 4. Add to sth | The arrival of five more guests only added to the confusion. (Add to = to make something such as a feeling or a quality greater or more extreme) |
| 5. Agree on | We agreed on an answer for the problem. (We use ‘agree on’ if people reach a decision together about something, they agree on it; e.g.
We agreed on a date for the wedding. |
| 6. Agree to | She agreed to the solution for the problem. (If you agree to a suggestion or proposal, you say that you will allow it; e.g.
a) He had agreed to the use of force. |
| 7. Agree with | I agree with his answer for the problem. (You can also say that you agree with someone or agree with what they say; e.g.
a) She agreed with Prateek. |
| 8. Apologize for sth | She apologized profusely for having to leave at 3.30 p.m. (Apologize for = express regret for something that one has done wrong.) |
| 9. Apologize to sb | He apologized to his friends for his rude behavior. (Apologize to = express regret for something that one has done wrong.) |
| 10. Apply for/to | We use ‘for’ for a purpose; we use ‘to’ when applying to a person/thing; e.g.
a) She is applying for University of Delhi. |
| 11. Approve of | The teacher approved of his plan for his research paper. |
| 12. Argue with/about | We use ‘with’ for persons; we use ‘about’ for things; e.g.
Geeta argued with his teacher about her grade. |
| 13. Arrive at | He arrived at the exam center on time. We arrived at the same solution for the problem. |
| 14. Become of | What became of Rohan? Have you seen him lately? (Become of = to be the fate of; e.g.
What has become of the old garden?) |
| 15. Believe in | Do you believe in ghosts? |
| 16. Beware of | The sign on the gate said, “Beware of the Dog”. (Beware of = used on signs to warn people of something dangerous) |
| 17. Blame on | He blamed his grade on his Hindi. The police blamed the explosion on a separatist group. |
| 18. Borrow from | She borrowed some paper from her friend. |
| 19. Care about | He really cares about the pollution. (If you care about something, you feel that it’s very important or interesting, and you are concerned about it; e.g.
All he cares about is birds.) |
| 20. Care for | She is caring for her elders. (If you care for people or animals, you look after them; e.g.
You must learn how to care for children. We also use care for if we love or like something or somebody; e.g. I do not care for his attitude.) |
| 21. Charge with | Richa was charged with purchasing stolen goods. |
| 22. Compare with | She compared the food in the restaurant with her mother’s cooking. |
| 23. Complain about | My mother complained about the food in the restaurant. |
| 24. Compliment on | The teacher complimented Mona on the good work she did on the examination. |
| 25. Consent to | My teacher consented to my strategy. |
| 26. Consist of | This bread consists of flour, water, sugar, oil, and yeast. The English test consisted of four essays. |
| 27. Convince of/to | Pradeep convinced his teacher of his answer to the question. (If you convince someone of something you make them believe it is true; e.g.
The experiences convinced me of the drug’s harmful effects.). We use ‘to’ before an infinitive; e.g. I convinced my teacher to change my grade. |
| 28. Comment on/about | I don’t want any comments on/about my new haircut, thank you! (Comment on/about = something that you say or write that expresses your opinion) |
| 29. Comply with | She hasn’t complied with the rules. |
| 30. Conform to | The kitchen does not conform to hygiene regulations. (Conform to = comply with rules, standards, or laws. |
| 31. Decide between | I have to decide between coffee and tea to go with my lunch. |
| 32. Decide on | Rohit decided on Chemistry as his subject in the graduation. |
| 33. Dream about | I dreamed about her last night. (Dream about = experience dreams during sleep; e.g.
When she was awake, she thought about it and when she was sleeping, she dreamed about it.) |
| 34. Dream of | She dreams of Rahul. (Dream of = indulge in daydreams or fantasies about something greatly desired; e.g.
She had a dream of a trip to Mumbai.) |
| 35. Depend on/upon | You can’t always depend on flights arriving on time. |
| 36. Disapprove of | Raju strongly disapproved of drinking and driving. (DISAPPROVE OF = have or express an unfavourable opinion) |
| 37. Have patience with | Our teacher has patience with us. |
| 38. Have a lot of | My mother has a lot of influence on my studies. |
| 39. Hear of | I’ve never heard of the place. (Hear of = to know about somebody/something because you have been told about them; e.g.
a) I was so sorry to hear of your father’s death. |
| 40. Hear from | We haven’t heard from her for ages. [(If you hear from someone, you get a letter, email, or phone call from that person, or that person tells you something, e.g.
You’ll be hearing from my solicitors. (= they will write to you about my complaint)]. |
| 41. Hear about | Have you heard about the company takeover? (Hear about = get to know some information) |
| 42. Hope for/to | Before nouns we use ‘for’; before an infinitive we use ‘to; e.g.
a) I’m hoping for an interview next week. |
| 43. Insist on | I don’t know why you insist on talking about it. (Insist on= to keep doing something, even if it annoys other people, or people think it is not good for you) |
| 44. Keep away | Keep away from the edge of the cliff. |
| 45. Look at | He looked at the food on his plate. (when you look at something, you direct your eyes towards it; e.g.
People looked at her in astonishment.) |
| 46. Look for | I looked for information on the internet. (Look for = search) |
| 47. Live on | I’m living on bananas and milk these days. (Live on = depend on as a source of income or support) |
| 48. Laugh at | I can’t go into work looking like this – everyone will laugh at me. (Laugh at = to show that you think someone or something is stupid) |
| 49. Learn about/of | We only learned about the accident later (Learn about/of = to hear facts or information that you did not know) |
| 50. Listen for | Listen for the doorbell, the pizza should be here soon. (Listen for = To listen attentively to hear some sound; wait expectantly to hear something or someone) |
| 51. Listen to | What kind of music do you listen to? (Listen to = to give attention to someone or something in order to hear him, her, or it) |
| 52. Occur to | It never occurred to him to insure the factory. |
| 53. Object to | He objected to the fact that the documents weren’t available before the meeting. |
| 54. Persist in | They persisted in defying the law. |
| 55. Provide sb with | They provided him with money to buy new clothes. (You say provide someone with something when someone needs or wants something or you give it to them or make it available to them; e.g.
We can provide you with information that may help you to find a job.) |
| 56. Provide sth for | The animals provide food for their young. (You say provide something for someone when someone needs or wants something or you give it to them or make it available to them; e.g.
The hospital provides care for thousands of sick children.) |
| 57. Provide for | Parents are expected to provide for their children. (If you provide for someone, you regularly give them the things they need, such as money, food, or clothing; e.g.
If he dies, will the family be provided for?) |
| 58. Prevent from | A block in the pipe was preventing the water from coming through. |
| 59. Prepare for/to | We use ‘for’ for nouns; we use ‘to’ for infinitives; e.g.
a) Have you prepared for your interview? |
| 60. Prefer to | I prefer red wine to white. (Prefer to = to like, choose, or want one thing rather than another |
| 61. Plan on | We were planning on just having a snack and catching the early train. (Plan on = to intend to do something |
| 62. Participate in | She never participates in any of our discussions, does she? |
| 63. Pay for sth | We all pay for our mistakes in some way at some time. (Pay for something = to be punished for doing something bad to someone else, or to suffer because of a mistake that you made) |
| 64. Restore to | When arguments failed she retorted to threats. |
| 65. Refer to | She referred to the internet in her report. |
| 66. Remind sb of sth | That song always reminds me of our holiday in Shimla. (Remind somebody of something = to make someone remember something that happened in the past) |
| 67. Resort to | I had to resort to violence to get my money. (Resort to = to do something that you do not want to do because you cannot find any other way of achieving something |
| 68. Search for | I searched for information about air pollution. |
| 69. Send for | If you don’t go I shall send for the police. (Send for = order or instruct (someone) to come to one) |
| 70. Succeed in | I succeeded in getting the job.(If you succeed in doing something that involves difficulty or effort, you do it, e.g.
She had succeeded in deceiving Amar.) |
| 71. Succeed in + noun | She succeeded in her ambition to be a teacher. (Succeed in + noun = to do well in school, in your career, or in some other activity.) |
| 72. Succeed as | He succeeded his father as editor of the paper. (Succeed as = to take an official job or position after someone else) |
| 73. Subtract from | Four subtracted from ten equals six. (Subtract from = to remove a number from another number) |
| 74. Suspect sb of | The police suspect him of carrying out two bomb attacks. (Suspect somebody of = to think that someone has committed a crime or done something wrong) |
| 75. See about | You should see about getting your hair cut. (See about = to prepare for or deal with an action or event, or to arrange for something to be done) |
| 76. Substitute for | You can substitute oil for butter in this recipe. (Substitute for = to use something or someone instead of another thing or person) |
| 77. Throw away | They cleaned their room and threw away three sacks of old newspaper. |
| 78. Think about | I was just thinking about you when you called. (Think about = to remember someone or something) |
| 79. Think of | I’m thinking of moving to Kolkata. (Think of = to consider doing something) |
| 80. Talk about sth | Talk about money – all these people were earning seven figure salaries. (Talk about something = here is an extreme or surprising example) |
| 81. Talk over sth | I don’t mind talking over the telephone. (Talk over something = to use something, such as a microphone, intercom, or telephone, to talk) |
| 82. Talk to/with | She talks to her mother on the phone every week. (Talk to = to speak to someone) |
| 83. Wish for | I’m wishing for a new bike. |
| 84. Work for | Mohan works for a television company. |
| 85. Warn sb of/about | His father had warned him of what might happen. (Warn somebody of/about = inform someone in advance of a possible danger, problem, or other unpleasant situation) |
| 86. Worry about | It’s silly worrying about things which are outside your control. (Worry about = to think about problems or unpleasant things that might happen in a way that makes you feel unhappy and frightened) |
3. शब्दों के ऐसे समूह जो एक preposition के रूप में होते हैं.
ऐसे prepositions को Phrase Prepositions भी कहा जाता है.
| 1. Agreeably to | Agreeably to the terms you must pay by check. (Agreeably to = according to) |
| 2. Along with | Now we’ve got hospital bills along with our usual expenses. (Along with = in addition to someone or something else) |
| 3. At/in the back of one’s mind | You should put this problem in the back of your mind and concentrate on other things. (At/in back of your mind = remembered by someone, but not very important OR understood or known but not actively considered). I’d like to believe we can still be friends, but in the back of my mind, I know that’s not true. |
| 4. By means of | They succeeded by means of patience and sacrifice. (By means of = with the use of) |
| 5. By virtue of | They are members of the club by virtue of their great wealth. (By virtue of = because of something) |
| 6. By dint of | They got the building finished on time by dint of hard work and good organization. (By dint of = because of something) |
| 7. By way of | He sent me some flowers by way of an apology. (By way of = as a type of) |
| 8. By reason of | He’s always asked to these occasions by reason of his position. (By reason of = because of) |
| 9. For the sake of | Release this man, for the sake of justice! (For the sake of = for the purpose of; in the interest of) |
| 10. In accordance with | In accordance with your instructions, we have paid the amount to your bankers. (In accordance with = in agreement with something) |
| 11. In case of | In case of need meet me. (In case of = if and when something happens) |
| 12. In compliance with | In compliance with a court order, the company has ceased operations. (In compliance with = in the way that is required by a rule, law, etc.) |
| 13. In consequence of | In consequence of her illness she could not do her homework in time. (In consequence of = because of) |
| 14. In course of | He was a friend to many people in course of his life. (In course of = during the specified period or activity) |
| 15. In line with | The hospital building was constructed in line with the latest trends in society. (In line with = similar to) |
| 16. In lieu of | He accepted the car in lieu of his claim for Rs 5,00,000. (In lieu of = in place of, or instead) |
| 17. In order to | We all need stress in order to achieve and do our best work. (In order to = for the purpose of) |
| 18. In reference to/With reference to | In reference to your letter, we regret we cannot allow any more discount. = With reference to your letter, we regret we cannot allow any more discount.(In/with reference to = in connection with someone or something) |
| 19. In regard to | I am calling in regard to your recent inquiry. (In regard to = about) |
| 20. In relation to | This letter from the bank is in relation to your loan. (In relation to = about) |
| 21. In spite of | In spite of his poor health, he worked hard. |
| 22. In the event of | In the event of his late arrival, please call me. (In the event of = if something happens) |
| 23. In favour of | I received a lot of co-operation in life in favour of my mother. (In favour of = to the benefit of) |
| 24. In memory of | We must live with noble ideas in memory of great people. |
| 25. In addition to | Members of the board were paid a small allowance in addition to their normal salary. (In addition to = as an extra person or thing) |
| 26. In comparison to/with | In comparison to/with other candidates, she was very good. |
| 27. In agreement with | The council is in agreement with government policy. (In agreement with = to agree with a policy or decision) |
| 28. Instead of | You can go instead of me, if you want. Instead of complaining, why don’t we try to change things? (Instead of = in place of someone or something) |
| 29. In behalf of | We raised money in behalf of the flood victims. (In behalf of = for the benefit of someone; in order to help someone) |
| 30. On behalf of | He died fighting on behalf of his country. (On behalf of = in the name of someone; representing someone). Don’t worry on my behalf. (means Instead of me). On behalf of the staff he read the address. |
| 31. On the back of | Your company got the contract on the back of its previous successful campaigns. (On the back of = soon after an earlier success, and as a result of it. |
| 32. On account of | He was forced to resign his job on account of his poor health. (On account of = because of) |
| 33. With a view to | With a view to the settlement, we offer you Rs 1,000 in full. (With a view to = with an intension of) |
| 34. With an eye to | This new factory is designed with an eye to providing a better work environment. (With an eye to = for the purpose of) |
| 35. With/In/Having a regard to | What shall we do in regard to planning dinner? With regard to Rahul, I think he is working too hard. (With regard to = concerning someone or something. ) |
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CLICK HERE TO BUYCOMMONLY USED PREPOSITIONS (Explained in English)
1. Prepositions used with adjectives
Certain adjectives require particular prepositions; most commonly used of them are given below:
| 1. Absorbed in | She is absorbed in her book. (Absorbed = Very interested in something and not paying attention to anything else) |
| 2. According to | According to Abhishek, the film starts at 7.30. [According to = as stated by. ‘According to’ is used only for 2nd and 3rd persons. For 1st person we use ‘in my opinion/in my view, etc. e.g.
Incorrect: According to me she is not very polite. |
| 3. Accustomed to | I am accustomed to sleeping late. (Accustomed = Being in the habit) |
| 4. Addicted to | A lot of people nowadays have become addicted to the internet. |
| 5. Afraid of | She is afraid of speaking in public. |
| 6 Anxious about | Meena is anxious about making the presentation. (Anxious about = worried) |
| 7. Anxious for | Many civil servants are anxious for promotion. (Anxious for = to want to have) |
| 8. Anxious to | We are very anxious to find out what really happened. (Anxious to do = to want very much to do) |
| 9. Aware of | Were you aware of the risks at the time? (Aware of = knowing that something exists) |
| 10. Bad at/for | For things we use ‘at’ for persons we use ‘for’; e.g.
A) She is bad at chess. |
| 11. Good at/for | For things we use ‘at’, for persons we use ‘for’; e.g.
a) He is good at football. |
| 12. Bored of | I am bored of doing the same old job. |
| 13. Capable of | He is capable of winning the race. |
| 14. Committed to | She is committed to improving her English. (Committed to = determined) |
| 15. Concerned about | He was concerned about being late. (Concerned = worried) |
| 16. Confident of | I’m confident of his skills as a manager. |
| 17. Content with | She is content with winning second place. (Content = satisfied) |
| 18. Dedicated to | The organization is dedicated to ending poverty. (Dedicated = To give a lot of time and energy to something) |
| 19. Devoted to | The money will be devoted to protecting the environment. (Devote = to set apart for a specific purpose or use) |
| 20. Disappointed with | He was disappointed with his exam result. |
| 21. Discouraged by | He was discouraged by not getting the job. |
| 22. Due to | He had to withdraw due to a knee injury. (Due to = because of) |
| 23. Due for | I’m due for a promotion soon. (Due for = If you are due for something, you expect to receive it, because you deserve it) |
| 24. Excited about | I was very excited about going to America. (Excited about = feeling very happy and enthusiastic) |
| 25. Exposed to | About 800,000 children are exposed to poisons each year. (Exposed to = to make it likely that someone will experience something harmful or unpleasant) |
| 26. Famous for | Marie Curie is famous for her contribution to science. |
| 27. Fond of | My brother is fond of pointing out my mistakes. (Fond of = to like someone or something very much; to like doing something) |
| 28. Frightened of | She is frightened of ghosts. |
| 29. Guilty of | The banker was guilty of stealing money. |
| 30. Happy about | He was happy about winning the prize. |
| 31. Interested in | I had always been interested in history. |
| 32. Keen on | He is very keen on golf. (Keen on = interested, eager) |
| 33. Known for | She is known for causing problems. |
| 34. Liable for | Drivers without wearing the helmets are liable for fine. (Liable for = having (legal) responsibility for something or someone) |
| 35. Liable to | The areas of town near the river are liable to flooding. (Liable to = very likely to do something |
| 36. Opposed to | They are opposed to building a new road in the park. |
| 37. Owing to | The train has been cancelled owing to heavy rains. (Owing to = because of) |
| 38. Prepared for | They were prepared for the worst. (Prepared for = ready to deal with a situation |
| 39. Proud of | He was proud of having completed the marathon. |
| 40. Remembered for | She is remembered for protecting stray dogs. |
| 41. Responsible for | The city council is responsible for keeping the streets clean. (Responsible for = having an obligation to do something, or having control over or care for someone, as part of one’s job or role.) |
| 42. Responsible to | In Australia, the prime minister and the Cabinet are responsible to the House of Representatives. (Responsible to = to be controlled by someone or something) |
| 43. Scared of | I’m scared of being alone at night. (Scared = fearful) |
| 44. Sorry for sth | I’m sorry for your father. (Sorry for something = feel pity) |
| 45. Sorry for doing sth | I’m sorry for forgetting the tickets. (Sorry for doing something= to regret) |
| 46. Sorry about | We are very sorry about the damage to your car. (Sorry about = feeling sad and ashamed) |
| 47. Suspicious of | Mahesh was suspicious of her motives. (Suspicious of = feeling doubt or no trust in someone or something) |
| 48. Terrified of | The passerby is terrified of being attacked by monkeys. |
| 49. Tired from | She is tired from working all day. (Tired from = exhausted of energy) |
| 50. Tired of | Mahima is tired of making dinner every night. (Tired of = bored) |
| 51. Worried about | The walkers were worried about not having enough water. |
2. Prepositions used with verbs
Certain verbs require particular prepositions; most commonly used of them are given below:
| 1. Account for | You must account for all the information in your report. (Account for = to give an explanation of something) |
| 2. Accuse sb of | The teacher accused Deepak of cheating on the test. |
| 3. Adapt to | I have adapted to living in Japan. (Adapted = familiar) |
| 4. Add to sth | The arrival of five more guests only added to the confusion. (Add to = to make something such as a feeling or a quality greater or more extreme) |
| 5. Agree on | We agreed on an answer for the problem. (We use ‘agree on’ if people reach a decision together about something, they agree on it; e.g.
We agreed on a date for the wedding. |
| 6. Agree to | She agreed to the solution for the problem. (If you agree to a suggestion or proposal, you say that you will allow it; e.g.
a) He had agreed to the use of force. |
| 7. Agree with | I agree with his answer for the problem. (You can also say that you agree with someone or agree with what they say; e.g.
a) She agreed with Prateek. |
| 8. Apologize for sth | She apologized profusely for having to leave at 3.30 p.m. (Apologize for = express regret for something that one has done wrong.) |
| 9. Apologize to sb | He apologized to his friends for his rude behavior. (Apologize to = express regret for something that one has done wrong.) |
| 10. Apply for/to | We use ‘for’ for a purpose; we use ‘to’ when applying to a person/thing; e.g.
a) She is applying for University of Delhi. |
| 11. Approve of | The teacher approved of his plan for his research paper. |
| 12. Argue with/about | We use ‘with’ for persons; we use ‘about’ for things; e.g.
Geeta argued with his teacher about her grade. |
| 13. Arrive at | He arrived at the exam center on time. We arrived at the same solution for the problem. |
| 14. Become of | What became of Rohan? Have you seen him lately? (Become of = to be the fate of; e.g.
What has become of the old garden?) |
| 15. Believe in | Do you believe in ghosts? |
| 16. Beware of | The sign on the gate said, “Beware of the Dog”. (Beware of = used on signs to warn people of something dangerous) |
| 17. Blame on | He blamed his grade on his Hindi. The police blamed the explosion on a separatist group. |
| 18. Borrow from | She borrowed some paper from her friend. |
| 19. Care about | He really cares about the pollution. (If you care about something, you feel that it’s very important or interesting, and you are concerned about it; e.g.
All he cares about is birds.) |
| 20. Care for | She is caring for her elders. (If you care for people or animals, you look after them; e.g.
You must learn how to care for children. We also use care for if we love or like something or somebody; e.g. I do not care for his attitude.) |
| 21. Charge with | Richa was charged with purchasing stolen goods. |
| 22. Compare with | She compared the food in the restaurant with her mother’s cooking. |
| 23. Complain about | My mother complained about the food in the restaurant. |
| 24. Compliment on | The teacher complimented Mona on the good work she did on the examination. |
| 25. Consent to | My teacher consented to my strategy. |
| 26. Consist of | This bread consists of flour, water, sugar, oil, and yeast. The English test consisted of four essays. |
| 27. Convince of/to | Pradeep convinced his teacher of his answer to the question. (If you convince someone of something you make them believe it is true; e.g.
The experiences convinced me of the drug’s harmful effects.). We use ‘to’ before an infinitive; e.g. I convinced my teacher to change my grade. |
| 28. Comment on/about | I don’t want any comments on/about my new haircut, thank you! (Comment on/about = something that you say or write that expresses your opinion) |
| 29. Comply with | She hasn’t complied with the rules. |
| 30. Conform to | The kitchen does not conform to hygiene regulations. (Conform to = comply with rules, standards, or laws. |
| 31. Decide between | I have to decide between coffee and tea to go with my lunch. |
| 32. Decide on | Rohit decided on Chemistry as his subject in the graduation. |
| 33. Dream about | I dreamed about her last night. (Dream about = experience dreams during sleep; e.g.
When she was awake, she thought about it and when she was sleeping, she dreamed about it.) |
| 34. Dream of | She dreams of Rahul. (Dream of = indulge in daydreams or fantasies about something greatly desired; e.g.
She had a dream of a trip to Mumbai.) |
| 35. Depend on/upon | You can’t always depend on flights arriving on time. |
| 36. Disapprove of | Raju strongly disapproved of drinking and driving. (DISAPPROVE OF = have or express an unfavourable opinion) |
| 37. Have patience with | Our teacher has patience with us. |
| 38. Have a lot of | My mother has a lot of influence on my studies. |
| 39. Hear of | I’ve never heard of the place. (Hear of = to know about somebody/something because you have been told about them; e.g.
a) I was so sorry to hear of your father’s death. |
| 40. Hear from | We haven’t heard from her for ages. [(If you hear from someone, you get a letter, email, or phone call from that person, or that person tells you something, e.g.
You’ll be hearing from my solicitors. (= they will write to you about my complaint)]. |
| 41. Hear about | Have you heard about the company takeover? (Hear about = get to know some information) |
| 42. Hope for/to | Before nouns we use ‘for’; before an infinitive we use ‘to; e.g.
a) I’m hoping for an interview next week. |
| 43. Insist on | I don’t know why you insist on talking about it. (Insist on= to keep doing something, even if it annoys other people, or people think it is not good for you) |
| 44. Keep away | Keep away from the edge of the cliff. |
| 45. Look at | He looked at the food on his plate. (when you look at something, you direct your eyes towards it; e.g.
People looked at her in astonishment.) |
| 46. Look for | I looked for information on the internet. (Look for = search) |
| 47. Live on | I’m living on bananas and milk these days. (Live on = depend on as a source of income or support) |
| 48. Laugh at | I can’t go into work looking like this – everyone will laugh at me. (Laugh at = to show that you think someone or something is stupid) |
| 49. Learn about/of | We only learned about the accident later (Learn about/of = to hear facts or information that you did not know) |
| 50. Listen for | Listen for the doorbell, the pizza should be here soon. (Listen for = To listen attentively to hear some sound; wait expectantly to hear something or someone) |
| 51. Listen to | What kind of music do you listen to? (Listen to = to give attention to someone or something in order to hear him, her, or it) |
| 52. Occur to | It never occurred to him to insure the factory. |
| 53. Object to | He objected to the fact that the documents weren’t available before the meeting. |
| 54. Persist in | They persisted in defying the law. |
| 55. Provide sb with | They provided him with money to buy new clothes. (You say provide someone with something when someone needs or wants something or you give it to them or make it available to them; e.g.
We can provide you with information that may help you to find a job.) |
| 56. Provide sth for | The animals provide food for their young. (You say provide something for someone when someone needs or wants something or you give it to them or make it available to them; e.g.
The hospital provides care for thousands of sick children.) |
| 57. Provide for | Parents are expected to provide for their children. (If you provide for someone, you regularly give them the things they need, such as money, food, or clothing; e.g.
If he dies, will the family be provided for?) |
| 58. Prevent from | A block in the pipe was preventing the water from coming through. |
| 59. Prepare for/to | We use ‘for’ for nouns; we use ‘to’ for infinitives; e.g.
a) Have you prepared for your interview? |
| 60. Prefer to | I prefer red wine to white. (Prefer to = to like, choose, or want one thing rather than another |
| 61. Plan on | We were planning on just having a snack and catching the early train. (Plan on = to intend to do something |
| 62. Participate in | She never participates in any of our discussions, does she? |
| 63. Pay for sth | We all pay for our mistakes in some way at some time. (Pay for something = to be punished for doing something bad to someone else, or to suffer because of a mistake that you made) |
| 64. Restore to | When arguments failed she retorted to threats. |
| 65. Refer to | She referred to the internet in her report. |
| 66. Remind sb of sth | That song always reminds me of our holiday in Shimla. (Remind somebody of something = to make someone remember something that happened in the past) |
| 67. Resort to | I had to resort to violence to get my money. (Resort to = to do something that you do not want to do because you cannot find any other way of achieving something |
| 68. Search for | I searched for information about air pollution. |
| 69. Send for | If you don’t go I shall send for the police. (Send for = order or instruct (someone) to come to one) |
| 70. Succeed in | I succeeded in getting the job.(If you succeed in doing something that involves difficulty or effort, you do it, e.g.
She had succeeded in deceiving Amar.) |
| 71. Succeed in + noun | She succeeded in her ambition to be a teacher. (Succeed in + noun = to do well in school, in your career, or in some other activity.) |
| 72. Succeed as | He succeeded his father as editor of the paper. (Succeed as = to take an official job or position after someone else) |
| 73. Subtract from | Four subtracted from ten equals six. (Subtract from = to remove a number from another number) |
| 74. Suspect sb of | The police suspect him of carrying out two bomb attacks. (Suspect somebody of = to think that someone has committed a crime or done something wrong) |
| 75. See about | You should see about getting your hair cut. (See about = to prepare for or deal with an action or event, or to arrange for something to be done) |
| 76. Substitute for | You can substitute oil for butter in this recipe. (Substitute for = to use something or someone instead of another thing or person) |
| 77. Throw away | They cleaned their room and threw away three sacks of old newspaper. |
| 78. Think about | I was just thinking about you when you called. (Think about = to remember someone or something) |
| 79. Think of | I’m thinking of moving to Kolkata. (Think of = to consider doing something) |
| 80. Talk about sth | Talk about money – all these people were earning seven figure salaries. (Talk about something = here is an extreme or surprising example) |
| 81. Talk over sth | I don’t mind talking over the telephone. (Talk over something = to use something, such as a microphone, intercom, or telephone, to talk) |
| 82. Talk to/with | She talks to her mother on the phone every week. (Talk to = to speak to someone) |
| 83. Wish for | I’m wishing for a new bike. |
| 84. Work for | Mohan works for a television company. |
| 85. Warn sb of/about | His father had warned him of what might happen. (Warn somebody of/about = inform someone in advance of a possible danger, problem, or other unpleasant situation) |
| 86. Worry about | It’s silly worrying about things which are outside your control. (Worry about = to think about problems or unpleasant things that might happen in a way that makes you feel unhappy and frightened) |
3. Groups of words used with the force of a single preposition (Phrase Prepositions)
| 1. Agreeably to | Agreeably to the terms you must pay by check. (Agreeably to = according to) |
| 2. Along with | Now we’ve got hospital bills along with our usual expenses. (Along with = in addition to someone or something else) |
| 3. At/in the back of one’s mind | You should put this problem in the back of your mind and concentrate on other things. (At/in back of your mind = remembered by someone, but not very important OR understood or known but not actively considered). I’d like to believe we can still be friends, but in the back of my mind, I know that’s not true. |
| 4. By means of | They succeeded by means of patience and sacrifice. (By means of = with the use of) |
| 5. By virtue of | They are members of the club by virtue of their great wealth. (By virtue of = because of something) |
| 6. By dint of | They got the building finished on time by dint of hard work and good organization. (By dint of = because of something) |
| 7. By way of | He sent me some flowers by way of an apology. (By way of = as a type of) |
| 8. By reason of | He’s always asked to these occasions by reason of his position. (By reason of = because of) |
| 9. For the sake of | Release this man, for the sake of justice! (For the sake of = for the purpose of; in the interest of) |
| 10. In accordance with | In accordance with your instructions, we have paid the amount to your bankers. (In accordance with = in agreement with something) |
| 11. In case of | In case of need meet me. (In case of = if and when something happens) |
| 12. In compliance with | In compliance with a court order, the company has ceased operations. (In compliance with = in the way that is required by a rule, law, etc.) |
| 13. In consequence of | In consequence of her illness she could not do her homework in time. (In consequence of = because of) |
| 14. In course of | He was a friend to many people in course of his life. (In course of = during the specified period or activity) |
| 15. In line with | The hospital building was constructed in line with the latest trends in society. (In line with = similar to) |
| 16. In lieu of | He accepted the car in lieu of his claim for Rs 5,00,000. (In lieu of = in place of, or instead) |
| 17. In order to | We all need stress in order to achieve and do our best work. (In order to = for the purpose of) |
| 18. In reference to/With reference to | In reference to your letter, we regret we cannot allow any more discount. = With reference to your letter, we regret we cannot allow any more discount.(In/with reference to = in connection with someone or something) |
| 19. In regard to | I am calling in regard to your recent inquiry. (In regard to = about) |
| 20. In relation to | This letter from the bank is in relation to your loan. (In relation to = about) |
| 21. In spite of | In spite of his poor health, he worked hard. |
| 22. In the event of | In the event of his late arrival, please call me. (In the event of = if something happens) |
| 23. In favour of | I received a lot of co-operation in life in favour of my mother. (In favour of = to the benefit of) |
| 24. In memory of | We must live with noble ideas in memory of great people. |
| 25. In addition to | Members of the board were paid a small allowance in addition to their normal salary. (In addition to = as an extra person or thing) |
| 26. In comparison to/with | In comparison to/with other candidates, she was very good. |
| 27. In agreement with | The council is in agreement with government policy. (In agreement with = to agree with a policy or decision) |
| 28. Instead of | You can go instead of me, if you want. Instead of complaining, why don’t we try to change things? (Instead of = in place of someone or something) |
| 29. In behalf of | We raised money in behalf of the flood victims. (In behalf of = for the benefit of someone; in order to help someone) |
| 30. On behalf of | He died fighting on behalf of his country. (On behalf of = in the name of someone; representing someone). Don’t worry on my behalf. (means Instead of me). On behalf of the staff he read the address. |
| 31. On the back of | Your company got the contract on the back of its previous successful campaigns. (On the back of = soon after an earlier success, and as a result of it. |
| 32. On account of | He was forced to resign his job on account of his poor health. (On account of = because of) |
| 33. With a view to | With a view to the settlement, we offer you Rs 1,000 in full. (With a view to = with an intension of) |
| 34. With an eye to | This new factory is designed with an eye to providing a better work environment. (With an eye to = for the purpose of) |
| 35. With/In/Having a regard to | What shall we do in regard to planning dinner? With regard to Rahul, I think he is working too hard. (With regard to = concerning someone or something. ) |
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