Common Verbs Followed by Prepositions | English Grammar Guide for French Students

• 1 The preposition is always required after the verb
• 2 The preposition cannot be moved or separated
• 3 The combination creates a specific meaning
• 4 The pattern must be memorized for each verb

1 Know about: Have information concerning: "I know about the event"
2 Think about: Consider: "She thinks about her future"
3 Talk about: Discuss: "They talk about their vacation"
4 Worry about: Be concerned with: "Don't worry about the test"
5 Ask about: Inquire regarding: "He asked about the schedule"

1 Think of: Imagine/remember: "I think of my childhood"
2 Dream of: Hope for: "She dreams of becoming a doctor"
3 Think of as: Consider as: "I think of him as a friend"
4 Remind of: Cause to remember: "This song reminds me of summer"
5 Accuse of: Blame for: "They accused him of theft"

1 Listen to: Hear attentively: "I listen to music"
2 Respond to: Answer/react to: "She responded to the invitation"
3 Agree to: Consent to: "We agreed to the terms"
4 Refer to: Mention/point to: "He refers to his notes"
5 Contribute to: Add to: "Your work contributes to success"

Verb	Preposition	Meaning	Example
think	about	consider	I think about the problem
think	of	imagine/remember	I think of my friends
listen	to	hear attentively	She listens to music
depend	on	rely upon	It depends on the weather
belong	to	be owned by	The book belongs to me
agree	with	share opinion	I agree with you

1 Look forward to: Anticipate with pleasure: "I look forward to meeting you"
2 Put up with: Tolerate: "I can't put up with this noise"
3 Get on with: Continue/relate to: "Let's get on with the work"
4 Keep up with: Stay current: "She keeps up with trends"

1 Nouns: "He depends on his parents"
2 Gerunds: "She insists on doing it herself"
3 Phrases: "They concentrate on improving quality"
4 That-clauses: "He believes in that we can succeed"

• 1 Using wrong prepositions: "I depend in you" (incorrect)
• 2 Omitting required prepositions: "I listen music" (incorrect)
• 3 Adding unnecessary prepositions: "I listen to to music" (incorrect)
• 4 Confusing similar verbs with different prepositions

1 ✓ Correct: "I depend on my friends"
2 ✗ Incorrect: "I depend in my friends"
3 ✓ Correct: "She apologizes to him"
4 ✗ Incorrect: "She apologizes for him"

1. I'm worried _______ my exam results. (about/of/for)

2. She's interested _______ learning Spanish. (in/on/at)

3. We're looking forward _______ the weekend. (to/on/at)

4. He apologized _______ being late. (for/to/about)

5. They're proud _______ their achievements. (of/in/for)

6. depend _______ (on/in/for)

7. complain _______ (about/of/to)

8. concentrate _______ (on/in/at)

9. insist _______ (on/in/at)

10. believe _______ (in/on/at)

1. about

2. in

3. to

4. for

5. of

6. on

7. about

8. on

9. on

10. in

1 English: Fixed verb + preposition combinations
2 French: Uses "de", "à", or other prepositions with verbs
3 English: Preposition is always required
4 French: Preposition usage patterns differ significantly

• 1 English prepositional verbs often don't match French patterns
• 2 "Dépendre de" corresponds to "depend on" (not "depend de")
• 3 "Penser à" corresponds to "think about" (not "think to")
• 4 Each English verb + preposition combination must be memorized

1 Group by meaning: Verbs expressing similar concepts often use the same preposition
2 Create associations: "Think about" = consider (about implies consideration)
3 Practice with real examples: Use verbs in daily conversations
4 Use flashcards: Practice with verb + preposition combinations

• 1 Practice with real-life scenarios
• 2 Read English texts to see natural usage patterns
• 3 Focus on the most common verb + preposition combinations
• 4 Create sentences using each pattern

• Prepositional verbs require a specific preposition after the verb
• The preposition cannot be separated from the verb
• Each combination creates a specific meaning
• Patterns must be memorized for each verb
• Objects follow the preposition in these constructions

Remember: Prepositional verbs have fixed preposition requirements!

• Start with the most common combinations
• Focus on verbs that express similar concepts
• Practice with real-world examples