Preposition Collocations! In this lesson, we learn commonly used preposition collocations in English with useful examples.
Table of Contents
Preposition Collocations in English
“Verb + Preposition” Combinations
Verb + TO
- Listen to
Example: Little girls like to listen to lullabies at bedtime.
- Speak to
Example: You should speak to the boys about their behaviors.
- Apologize to
Example: Go and apologize to your sister for what you said!
- Belong to
Example: This book belongs to me.
- Happen to
Example: What happened to you at the party?
- Turn to
Example: A student who needs money turns to his parents.
- Talk to
Example: Are you talking to me?
- Used to
Example: She used to be lonely until she found Mr.Right.
- …
Verb + FOR
- Wait for
Example: hey, slow down & wait for her!
- Look for
Example: Are you looking for this book?
- Ask for
Example: If you don’t ask for it, you won’t get it.
- Apply for
Example: I am going to apply for a new job today.
- Blame for
Example: Why do you always blame me for everything?
- Care for
Example: the mother is caring for her sick child.
- Long for
Example: He longs for the days when he used to have a job.
- Head for
Example: When shopping, he heads straight for the beer shelf.
- …
Verb + AT
- Smile at
Example: When she smiles at me, I become dizzy.
- Stare at
Example: Don’t stare at me like that!
- Aim at
Example: Aim at the target if you want to hit it.
- Look at
Example: Look at me! I’m talking to you!
- Point at
It is rude to point at people
- Laugh at
Why do you laugh at me?
- …
Verb + FROM
- Recover from
He luckily recovers from a terrible accident.
- Borrow from
If you want to run your own business, you could borrow money from the bank.
- Escape from
Luckily, I escape from a thief.
- Graduate from
I’ve just graduated from university this year.
- …
“Adjective + Preposition” Combinations
- Accused of
He’s been accused of robbery/murder.
- Accustomed to
It’ll take time for me to accustom myself to the changes.
- Addicted to
A lot of people nowadays have become addicted to the internet.
- Afraid of
Are you afraid of the dark?
- Allergic to
My dad’s allergic to pop music.
- Amazed at/by
She was amazed at how calm she felt after the accident.
- Angry about
I’m really angry about our losses on the stock market!
- Angry with someone for something
I’m really angry with John for his total lack of responsibility.
- Annoyed about/with/at
He’s annoyed with Tim because he told his secret.
- Anxious about/to
The drought has made farmers anxious about the harvest..
- Appreciated for
We appreciate the need for immediate action.
- Ashamed of
I’m not ashamed of what I did.
- Associated with/at/by
I don’t want my children associating with drug addicts and alcoholics.
- Attached to
I don’t attach any importance/significance to these rumors.
- Aware of
Were you aware of the risks at the time?
- Awful at
I’m awful at names.
- Bad at/for
Jack is really bad at keeping his promises.
- Based on
The film is based on a short story by Thomas Mann.
- Beneficial to
A stay in the country will be beneficial to his health.
- Blessed with
You are blessed with many talents.
- Bored with
You get bored / fed up with doing the same thing every day.
- Brilliant at
He’s brilliant at football.
- Busy with
The kids are busy with their homework.
- Capable of
You are capable of better work than this.
- Careful with/to/about/of
Be careful with the glasses.
Be careful to look both ways when you cross the road.
He’s in a really foul temper so be careful (about/of) what you say to him.
- Careless with
Don’t be careless with your ATM card.
- Certain about/of
He was quite certain about/of his attacker’s identity.
- Clever at/about/of/for/with
Fiona is very clever at physics.
My mother is very clever with her hands.
How clever of you to buy chocolate chip cookies – they’re my favorites.
- Cluttered with
The floor was cluttered with my situation
- Comfortable with/in
I’m not comfortable with the idea of leaving her on her own.
I don’t feel comfortable in high heels.
Her job is something concerned with computers.
- Connected with/to
He was connected in some way with that fraud scandal a couple of years back.
First, connect the printer to the computer.
- Conscious of
She’s very conscious of the problems involved.
- Content with
Not content with stealing my boyfriend, she has turned all my friends against me.
- Coordinated with
Our program is coordinated with yours
- Concerned about/for/with/to
I’m a bit concerned about/for your health.
He was concerned to hear that two of his trusted workers were leaving…
Commonly Used Preposition Collocations in English
Preposition Collocations | Picture
Preposition Collocations in English
![Learning English with Music [Katy Perry – Roar]](https://www.fluentland.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/roar-katy-perry-learn-english.jpg)
