Why Are Prepositions After Verbs Important for C1 English?

At C1 level, your English needs to be precise and natural. Prepositions are small words, but they are very powerful.

• They often complete the meaning of a verb. For example, depend needs on to make sense in a sentence like It depends on the weather.
• Sometimes, changing the preposition completely changes the verb’s meaning. Think about look at (observe) versus look for (search).
• Using the correct verb + preposition combination shows advanced grammatical control, which is vital for exams like the C1 Advanced.

How Do We Learn Verb + Preposition Combinations?

Unlike some grammar rules, there are no simple rules to predict which preposition follows which verb. The best strategy is to learn them as fixed phrases.

• Learn in Context: Always try to learn new verbs with their prepositions and an example sentence. Don’t just learn rely; learn rely on.
• Use a Good Dictionary: Dictionaries show you which prepositions go with which verbs and provide example sentences.
• Notice Patterns: While there are no strict rules, you might start to notice some verbs that express similar ideas often take the same preposition (e.g., verbs of ‘separation’ often use from).
• Practice Regularly: The more you read, listen, speak, and write, the more these combinations will become natural to you.

Common C1 Verbs and Their Prepositions

Here is a list of common C1 verbs and the prepositions they typically take. Remember to learn them as a single unit.

• accuse someone of something: They accused him of stealing the money.
• apologise (to someone) for something: She apologised to me for being late.
• approve of something: My parents don’t approve of my new hobby.
• blame someone/something for something: Don’t blame me for your mistakes.
• concentrate on something: I need to concentrate on my studies.
• consist of something: The team consists of five members.
• cope with something: It’s hard to cope with so much pressure.
• depend on something/someone: Our success depends on teamwork.
• discourage someone from something: They discouraged her from quitting her job.
• distinguish someone/something from someone/something: It’s hard to distinguish the twins from each other.
• object to something: Many people object to the new policy.
• participate in something: Are you participating in the conference?
• prevent someone/something from something: The rain prevented us from going out.
• provide someone with something: The company provides employees with health insurance.
• rely on someone/something: You can always rely on her support.
• remind someone of something: This song reminds me of my childhood.
• suffer from something: He suffers from a severe allergy.
• think about/of something: What are you thinking about? / I’m thinking of going on holiday.

Examples

• The manager accused the employee of negligence.
• She apologised to her friend for forgetting her birthday.
• Most people approve of the new environmental regulations.
• You shouldn’t blame others for your own mistakes.
• It’s difficult to concentrate on work with so much noise.
• The committee consists of experts from various fields.
• How do you cope with the stress of your job?
• Our future success depends on our ability to innovate.
• The bad weather prevented us from reaching the summit.
• I always rely on my colleagues for help and advice.

Practice

Common mistakes for Spanish speakers

Spanish speakers often make mistakes with prepositions because they try to translate directly from Spanish. English and Spanish prepositions do not always match.

• Incorrect: I depend of you.
  Correct: I depend on you. (Spanish: depender de)
• Incorrect: I agree with the idea. (This is sometimes correct, but agree with a person, agree on a topic, agree to an action are more specific)
  Correct: I agree with you about the idea. oppure We agreed on the plan.
• Incorrect: She thinks in her future.
  Correct: She thinks about her future. oppure She thinks of her future. (Spanish: pensar en)
• Incorrect: I am interested on this topic.
  Correct: I am interested in this topic. (Though ‘interested’ is an adjective, this is a common error with fixed expressions.)

Domande frequenti

What are prepositions that follow verbs?

These are specific prepositions that combine with certain verbs to complete or change their meaning. For example, the verb rely almost always needs the preposition on, as in You can rely on me.

Are there rules for which preposition to use after a verb?

Unfortunately, there are very few clear rules. Most verb + preposition combinations are fixed expressions that you need to learn through exposure and memorization. Always try to learn them as a single unit.

How can I remember these combinations for the C1 Advanced exam?

For the C1 Advanced exam, especially in parts like Use of English Part 1 (Multiple-choice cloze) or Part 2 (Open cloze), you need to know these combinations. Practice by making flashcards, keeping a vocabulary notebook with example sentences, and actively noticing them when you read or listen to English. Regularly review the lists and try to use them in your speaking and writing.

Do prepositions always follow immediately after the verb?

No, sometimes there is an object between the verb and the preposition. For example, in remind someone of something, the ‘someone’ is the object. So, She reminded me of my sister.