Prepositions with verbs: core combinations

English verb and preposition combinations (often called prepositional verbs) are fixed collocations. This means that certain verbs require a specific preposition to connect to an object. Unlike phrasal verbs, where the preposition changes the core meaning of the verb entirely, prepositional verbs keep their original meaning. For example, you always depend on someone, listen to a song, wait for a train, look at a picture, and agree with a colleague.

Because these pairings are fixed, they simply have to be memorized. Common errors frequently come from L1 interference, where learners translate directly from their native language. For instance, French or Spanish speakers might incorrectly say "depends of" instead of the correct depends on. Other common mistakes include dropping the preposition completely (like saying "listen the music") or using the wrong one (such as "agree to you").

This challenge covers 12 key combinations: depend on, listen to, wait for, look at, look for, belong to, think about, agree with, apologize for, ask for, pay for, and worry about. You will practice these through varied question formats, including fill-in-the-blank and spot-and-correct exercises, all set within everyday micro-story contexts.

Try the quiz to check your knowledge!