Commonly Used Preposition Collocations in English with Useful Examples 1

Commonly Used Preposition Collocations in English with Useful Examples

Preposition Collocations! In this lesson, we learn commonly used preposition collocations in English with useful examples.

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.

Commonly Used Preposition Collocations in EnglishCommonly Used Preposition Collocations in English with Useful Examples 2

“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

Commonly Used Preposition Collocations in English with Useful Examples 3

Preposition Collocations | Picture

Preposition Collocations in English

Preposition Collocations