Grammar: Prepositions

Prepositions are one of the most diverse and challenging parts of English knowledge. To use prepositions proficiently, we must diligently review them regularly. Let’s look at the essential information about prepositions with Essay King!

The choice of preposition in a clause often depends on the adjective, verb or noun which comes before it.

1. Verb + preposition

Verb	Preposition
care, complain, hear, know, learn, say something, talk, think, warn, wonder, worry, write	about
aim, fire, laugh, look, point, shout, yell	at
choose, decide, differentiate, distinguish	between
aim, apologise, apply, forgive, hope, long, prepare, search, wait, watch, wish	for
learn, prevent, stop	from
assure, convince	of
concentrate, count, depend, insist, rely	on
apologise, explain, present, speak, talk, write	to
be, deal, go out, play, stay	with

⚠️We do not use a preposition with marry:
She married him last year. (not She married with him)

Verbs of saying or thinking (e.g. complain, know, learn, say something, talk, think, warn somebody, wonder, write) are often followed by about when we want to indicate the topic:
That way you can learn about teaching before being asked to do it.

⚠️Some other verbs of saying or thinking (e.g. discuss, debate, consider, mention) do not need a preposition:
We need to discuss the problem. ( not discuss about)

Some verbs of saying (e.g. apologise, explain, present, speak, talk, write) are often followed by to + person to show who the speech is directed at:
Have you talked to anyone who has done this course?

We use at + person/thing after some verbs (e.g. aim, fire, laugh, look, point, shout, yell) to show who or what is the focus of the verb:
If they shout at me in class, I’m not sure what I’ll do.

We often use for after verbs that show desire (e.g. aim, hope, long, wish) to introduce the thing we want:
I’m aiming for a good mark in my next assignment.

⚠️We use to after aim, hope and long if they are followed by a verb:
I’m hoping to get a better mark than last year.

2. Adjective + preposition

Adjective	Preposition
anxious, annoyed, concerned, depressed, excited, upset, worried	about
amazed, annoyed, astonished, awful, bad, clever, excited, good, skilled, surprised, terrible, useless	at
amazed, annoyed, astonished, concerned, disturbed, excited, impressed, inspired, shocked, surprised	by
bad, concerned, good, responsible	for
disappointed, interested	in
frightened, scared, terrified	of
aware, clever, cruel, generous, good, kind, mean, nasty, nice, polite, rude, selfish, true, typical, unkind	of
cruel, good, kind, mean, nasty, nice, polite, rude, unkind	to
annoyed, bored, concerned, disappointed, fed up, impressed, obsessed, pleased, satisfied, wrong	with

Adjectives talking about ability (e.g. awful, bad, clever, good, skilled, terrible, useless) are often followed by at:
I’m not very good at maths.

Some adjectives describing fear (e.g. frightened, scared, terrified) can be followed by of:
There are some aspects of the course that I am a bit scared of.
Most people are frightened of being in front of a class for the first time.

Adjectives describing behaviour (e.g. clever, generous, good, kind, nice, selfish) in a clause starting with it, that or this are often followed by of:
Would you like a cup of tea of coffee? That’s very kind of you.

Adjectives describing behavious directed towards others (e.g. cruel, good, kind, mean, nasty, nice, polite, rude, unkind) are often followed by to:
I’m worried about the pupils being rude to me.

3. Noun + preposition

Noun	Preposition
anything, information, nothing, something	about
excuse, explanation, ideas, in return, need, reasons, reputation, responsiblity	for
change, decrease, drop, experience, fall, increase, rise	in
experience, knowledge, understanding	of
effect, impact, influence	on
in association, experience	with

4. Prepositional phrases: by, in, at, on, of

We use by:

• to talk about who in a passive clause:
  But you will be taught how to deal with those things by the tutors on the course.
• to explain how something is done:
  You can remove any dirty marks by wiping it with a wet cloth.
• to talk about transport and communications e.g. by plane, by email:
  We’ll be in touch by email soon if thats okay.
• to talk about chance (e.g. by chance, by accident, by mistake):
  I saw the advertisement for the job by chance and decided to apply for it.

We use in for the following expressiongs: in love, in pain, in private, in touch, in debt, in danger, in a rush, in fashion, in luck, in the end.
Don’t forget to keep in touch while you’re away!

We use at for the following expressions:

• at first, at large, at peace:
  At first I was impressed by the reputation of the university but I also like the course you offer.
• at work, at home, at school, at the airport, at university:
  I’ve just finished my first degree at Stamford University.

We use on to say why you are somewhere (e.g. on holiday, on business, on duty).
We use of with expressions of quantity (e.g. all, any, both, either, neither).

Grammar extra: Prepositions

We can use nouns, pronouns, or -ing after a preposition:
I was really impressed with the description of the course in your prospectus.
If they shout at me in class, I’m not sure what I’ll do.
Well, I’ve always been interested in teaching.

In negatives not comes between the preposition and -ing:
I’m worried about not being able to control a class.