Preposition and verb word

Исходя из собственного преподавательского опыта, я могу с уверенностью сказать, что работа над предлогами это почти как ремонт в кварире: ее нельзя закончить, а можно только приостановить. Мы впервые сталкиваемся с предлогами на самых ранних этапах изучения языка, но не забываем о них и на более высоких уровнях. В этой статье я постарался наиболее полно рассмотрть использование различных глаголов Английского языка, которые обычно употребляются с соответствующими устойчивыми предлогами: on, in, by, for, at, out of, from, to, up.

Думаю, этот материал будет полезен всем учащимся от уровня Elementary до Advanсed.

a

Verb + Prep	Example
account for	He accounted for such problems.
accuse SO of ST	He accused her of stealing the money.
adapt to	They adapted to the new culture.
add SO/ST to SO/ST	She added milk to the grocery list.
add to	Translation problems added to the confusion.
adjust to	They adjusted to their new environment.
admit ST to SO	She admitted her real age to everybody.
admit to	She admitted to cheating on the test.
agree on	We agreed on the price.
agree to	He agreed to the new conditions.
agree with	I agree with you.
apologize to SO for ST	I apologized to her for being rude.
appeal to SO for ST	The nation appealed to the UN for assistance.
approve of	The parents approved of the marriage.
argue with SO about SO/ST	Timmy argued with his father about his curfew.
argue with SO over ST	The customer argued with the salesman over the store’s return policy.
arrange for SO (to do something)	They arranged for an interpreter to be present.
arrest SO for ST	The police arrested the man for stealing the car.
arrive at (a place)	They arrived at home.
ask for	She asked for help.

B

Verb + Prep	Example
base on	The company bases salary on experience.
be absent from (a place)	He was absent from class.
be accustomed to	I am not accustomed to such behavior.
be acquainted with	He is acquainted with many celebrities.
be addicted to ST	He is addicted to heroin.
be afraid of	I am afraid of spiders.
be angry at SO for ST	I am angry at him for what he said.
be angry with SO for ST	I am angry with him for what he said.
be annoyed at SO for ST	He is annoyed at her for spending so much money.
be annoyed with SO for ST	He is annoyed with her for spending so much money.
be anxious about ST	I am anxious about the presentation.
be associated with	He is associated with the company.
be aware of	You are not aware of all the problems.
be blessed with	He is blessed with great musical talent.
be bored by	They were bored to death by his long speech.
be bored with	The interviewers were bored with the repetitive comments.
be capable of ST	He is capable of much more.
be cluttered with ST	The room is clutter with boxes.
be committed to	I am committed to improving my language skills.
be composed of	The meteorite is composed mostly of iron.
be concerned about	I am concerned about his smoking.
be connected to	The DVD player is connected to the TV.
be connected with	They are connected with the project.
be content with	He is content with the results.
be convinced of ST	We are convinced of her innocence.
be coordinated with ST	Testing centers coordinated with the schools to set testing dates.
be crowded in (a building or room)	It is crowded in the auditorium.
be crowded with (people)	The auditorium is crowded with people.
be dedicated to	She is dedicated to improving her grammar skills.
be devoted to	He is devoted to his wife.
be disappointed in	She is disappointed in her son’s improvement.
be disappointed with	She is disappointed with her son for not improving.
be discouraged by	He was discouraged by the high costs.
be discouraged from (doing something)	They were discouraged from participating.
be discriminated against	He discriminates against people who are different.
be divorced from SO	Mary is divorced from John.
be done with ST	He is done with the work.
be dressed in	She was dressed in red.
be encouraged with	The staff was encouraged with a profit-sharing program.
be engaged in ST	He was engaged in that research for more than ten years.
be engaged to SO	John was engaged to Mary for six months.
be envious of	I am envious of you for having the opportunity to travel.
be equipped with ST	The expedition is equipped with the latest gear.
be excited about	I am excited about the opportunities.
be exposed to	The workers were exposed to dangerous chemicals.
be faced with	He was faced with many difficult decisions.
be faithful to	They are faithful to their company.
be familiar with	I am familiar with that program.
be famous for	He is famous for climbing Mt. Everest.
be filled with	The boxes are filled with clothes and books.
be finished with	I am finished with my studies.
be fond of	She is fond of her nieces and nephews.
be friendly to SO	He is friendly to new coworkers.
be friendly with SO	He is friendly with new coworkers.
be frightened by	She is frightened by the coyotes calling at night.
be frightened of	The kids are frightened of ghosts.
be furnished with ST	The house is furnished with designer furniture.
be grateful to SO for ST	I am grateful to you for your assistance.
be guilty of ST	He is guilty of the crime.
be happy about ST	I am not happy about the results.
be innocent of ST	He is innocent of the crimes.
be interested in	I am interested in astronomy.
be involved in ST	He is involved in the program.
be involved with	He is involved with many charities.
be jealous of	John is jealous of Mary’s close friendship with Tom.
be known for ST	He is know for his humor.
be limited to	The speeches are limited to fifteen minutes each.
be made from ST	The statue is made from old car parts.
be made of (material)	The statue is made of metal.
be married to	She is married to a famous politician.
be opposed to	I am opposed to increasing tuition prices.
be patient with SO	He is patient with his students.
be pleased with	I am pleased with the results.
be polite to SO	She is polite to the visitors.
be prepared for	He is prepared for such questions at the conference.
be protected from	The cave paintings are protected from vandalism.
be proud of	He is proud of his son.
be related to	She is related to the famous artist.
be relevant to	That is not relevant to this conversation.
be remembered for ST	He is remembered for his bravery.
be responsible for	She is responsible for the new policies.
be satisfied with	The teacher is satisfied with the test results.
be scared of	She is scared of snakes.
be terrified of	She is terrified of roaches.
be thankful for	We are thankful for their help.
be tired from (doing something)	He is so tired from jogging.
be tired of (doing something)	He is tired of answering the same questions over and over.
be worried about	I am worried about her.
beg for	They begged for the answer to the riddle.
begin with	Every sentence begins with a capital letter.
believe in	He believes in ghosts.
belong to	I don’t belong to that organization.
benefit from	He benefits from the government assistance programs.
blame SO for ST	He blamed his employees for his mistakes.
blame ST on SO	He blamed the company’s failure on his employees.
boast about	She boasted about her new Mercedes.
borrow ST from SO	He borrowed money from me.

c

Verb + Prep	Example
care about	He cares about what his children watch on TV.
care for	He doesn’t care for fish.
catch up with	He caught up with her before she got into the elevator.
cater to	The hotel doesn’t cater to tour groups.
charge SO for ST	The restaurant didn’t charge me for breaking the glass.
charge SO with ST	The police charged him with drunk driving.
choose between SO/ST and SO/ST	The winner got to choose between a vacation to Tahiti and a new car.
chose ST from ST	The magician chose a lady from the audience to help him with the trick.
collide with	The car collided with a truck.
come from	He comes from Florida.
comment on	She wouldn’t comment on the accusations.
communicate with SO	Many people use email to communicate with friends and family abroad.
compare SO/ST to SO/ST	The analyst compared the company’s current profits to last year’s.
compare SO/ST with SO/ST	He shouldn’t compare his younger son with his older son.
compete with	He loves to compete with others.
complain about	They complained about the quality of the hotel.
compliment SO on ST	He complimented her on her new dress.
concentrate on	He needs to concentrate on his work.
concern SO with ST	You shouldn’t concern her with our problems.
confess to	He confessed to the crimes.
confuse SO/ST with SO/ST	She confused him with Tom Cruise.
congratulate SO on ST	She congratulated him on his victory.
consent to ST	The parents consented to the request.
consist of	The test consists of 100 multiple choice questions.
contribute to ST	I contributed to the World Wildlife Fund.
convict SO of ST	They convicted him of murder.
cope with	Can he cope with the large amount of work.
correspond with SO	I correspond with them by email.
count on	He counts on their support.
cover with	She covered her sleeping son with the blanket.
crash into	He crashed into the tree.
cure SO of ST	The doctors cured her of the disease.

d

Verb + Prep	Example
deal with	He has to deal with many problems.
decide against	He decided against taking the job in New York.
decide between SO/ST and SO/ST	I couldn’t decide between the chicken dinner and the sushi.
decide on	He decide on taking the job in Los Angeles.
dedicate ST to SO	He dedicated the song to his girlfriend.
demand ST from SO	He demanded help from his coworkers.
depend on	The cost of the carpet depends on the quality of the weaving.
derive ST from ST	He derives a great deal of pleasure from his work.
deter SO from ST	Nothing could deter her from becoming a policewoman.
devote ST to SO	He devoted the song to his wife.
differ from	Your results differ little from mine.
disagree with	He disagrees with me.
disapprove of	Her parents disapprove of her job choice.
discourage SO from ST	He discouraged his son from quitting school.
discuss ST with SO	I discussed the situation with them.
distinguish between SO/ST and SO/ST	The expert couldn’t distinguish between the real painting and the forgery.
distinguish SO/ST from SO/ST	The expert couldn’t distinguish the real painting from the forgery.
distract SO from ST	The loud music distracted her from her work.
dream about	I dream about traveling around the world.
dream of	I dream of a day when poverty no longer exists.
dress SO in ST	She dresses her twins in the same clothes.
drink to	They drank to his new job.

e

Verb + Prep	Example
elaborate on ST	He elaborated on his earlier comments.
emerge from ST	The dragon emerged from its lair.
escape from (a place)	They escaped from jail.
exchange SO/ST for SO/ST	They exchanged dollars for yen.
exclude SO from ST	He excluded them from the meeting.
excuse SO for ST	She excused them for being late.
expel SO from (a place)	The leader was expelled from the country.
experiment on	They experimented on various ways of preventing the disease.
explain ST to SO	The teacher explained the project to the students.

f

Verb + Prep	Example
feel about	He felt bad about what he said.
feel like	I feel like seeing a movie.
fight about	They fought about who had to do the dishes.
fight against	Martin Luther King fought against racism and oppression.
fight for	He fought for improved working conditions.
fight with	He fought with his parents throughout his teen years.
forget about	She forgot about the meeting.
forgive SO for ST	She forgave him for the terrible things he said.

g

Verb + Prep	Example
gamble on	I wouldn’t gamble on that happening.
gawk at	They just gawked at me as though they didn’t understand a thing.
gaze at	She gazed at the sight in wonder.
get back from (a place)	He got back from work at 6 o’clock.
get married to SO	John got married to Mary.
get rid of	He got rid of his old clothes.
get through with	I’m never going to get through with this work.
get tired of	He got tired of the complaining.
get used to	He needs to get used to the new working conditions.
give ST to SO	He gave the book to me.
glare at	She glared at him in disbelief.
gloat at	He gloated at their failure.
grieve for	The nation is grieving for those who died in the accident.
gripe at SO	She always gripes at her husband.
grumble at SO about ST	The old man always grumbles at his wife about their children never visiting.

h

Verb + Prep	Example
happen to	What happened to him?
harp on	She is constantly harping on her husband’s bad eating habits.
hear about	I have never heard about that policy before.
hear from SO	Have you heard from your son recently?
hear of	Have you ever heard of the Anasazi people?
help SO with ST	He helped me with my homework.
hide ST from SO	He hid his bad report card from his parents.
hinder SO/ST from ST	Rebels are hindering aid workers from accessing the area.
hinge on	Success hinges on his participation in the project.
hope for	The company hopes for better sales in the coming quarter.

I

Verb + Prep	Example
insist on	He insists on driving even though he is having vision problems.
insure against	The investment does not insure against loss of income.
interfere in ST	The couple’s parents should not interfere in their relationship.
interfere with ST	Don’t interfere with the natural balance of nature.
introduce SO/ST to SO/ST	I introduced him to his girlfriend.
invest in	We invested in that company.
invite SO to	I invited her to the party.
involve SO/ST in ST	We involved them in the decision making.

J

Verb + Prep	Example
jabber about	He was jabbering about problems at work.
joke about	We love to sit around and joke about old times.
joke with SO about SO/ST	He was joking with me about the mistake I made.
jot down ST	She jotted down notes as he spoke.

K

Verb + Prep	Example
keep on (doing something)	She kept on talking
keep SO/ST from (doing something)	I kept her from making the same mistake.
keep ST for SO	He wants to keep the toy for his daughter.
know about	He knows a lot about that subject.

L

Verb + Prep	Example
laugh about	She laughed about what the children had done.
laugh at	We always laugh at his jokes.
learn about	I need to learn more about that topic.
lend ST to SO	I lent my dictionary to her.
listen for	The mechanic said I should listen for any squeaking sounds.
listen to	He loves to listen to his MP3 player on the subway.
long for	I long for a week on the beach in Hawaii.
look at	Look at this old picture of my grandmother.
look forward to	I look forward to meeting her parents.

M

Verb + Prep	Example
meet with SO	We will meet with the organizers next week.
mistake SO/ST for SO/ST	I mistook him for his twin brother.

N
 

Verb + Prep	Example
nod at	He nodded at the others.
nod to	He nodded to them.

O

Verb + Prep	Example
object to	Do you object to my smoking?
operate on	The surgeon operated on the conjoined twins.

P

Verb + Prep	Example
participate in ST	We participated in the survey.
pay for	He paid for our meal last night.
persist in	The disease persists in rural farms throughout the region.
plan on	We plan on attending the wedding.
praise SO for ST	He praises his son for his good grades.
pray for	The villagers prayed for rain.
prefer SO/ST to SO/ST	We prefer salmon to other kinds of fish.
prepare for	We are preparing for a long winter.
present SO with ST	He will present her with the award for best journalist.
prevent SO/ST from (doing something)	The campaign is designed to prevent young people from drinking.
prohibit SO from (doing something)	The school prohibits students from smoking.
provide for	It is difficult for them to provide for their families.
provide SO with ST	The school provides students with textbooks.
provide SO/ST for SO	The company will provide food and drinks for all.
punish SO for ST	He was punished for his crimes.

Q

Verb + Prep	Example
quarrel with SO about ST	They quarreled with the waiter about the mistakes on the bill.
quarrel with SO over ST	He quarreled with her over her political beliefs.

R

Verb + Prep	Example
react to	He reacted to the news negatively.
recover from ST	He is recovering from his illness.
refer to ST	He was referring to the chart on page 24.
relate to	She is not related to their family.
rely on	We rely on the latest information to make such decisions.
remind SO of SO/ST	He reminds me of my grandfather.
reply to	We replied immediately to the letter.
rescue SO from SO/ST	He rescued the puppy from the icy lake.
resign from ST	He resigned from the company.
respond to	We responded to the request for help.
result in ST	His outburst result in his being fired.
retire from ST	He retired from the company after 40 years of faithful service.

S

Verb + Prep	Example
save SO from ST	They are working to save mountain gorillas from extinction.
search for	The are searching for signs of life on Mars.
sentence SO to ST	The court sentenced him to 20 years in jail.
separate SO/ST from SO/ST	He separated Billy from the others children.
share ST with SO	She shared her secret with the others.
shout at	The old man shouted at the kids
show ST to SO	He showed the pictures to his friends.
smile at SO	I smiled at the newcomers.
speak to SO about SO/ST	The director spoke to the employees about the changes.
specialize in ST	He specializes in technical translation.
spend (money/time) on	They spent too much money on their new car.
stand for	NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
stare at	Why are they staring at me?
stem from	The corruption charges stem from allegations of bribery.
stop SO from (doing something)	The environmental group stopped them from building the new hotel.
subject SO to ST	They subject the students to unrealistic standards.
subscribe to	He subscribed to that magazine.
substitute SO/ST for SO/ST	You can substitute beef for pork if you don’t eat pork.
subtract ST from ST	He subtracted the expenses from the profits.
succeed at ST	He will succeed at anything he does.
succeed in (doing something)	He succeeded in finishing the marathon.
suffer from	She suffers from a rare genetic disorder.
suspect SO of ST	The police suspect them of smuggling drugs over the border.

t

Verb + Prep	Example
take advantage of	He took advantage of his connections at the company.
take care of	He takes care of his pets.
talk about	They talked about the recent problems.
talk to	I need to talk to you for a few minutes.
tell SO about ST	He told them about what happened.
thank SO for ST	We thanked them for their hospitality.
think about	He thought about what she had said.
think of	They need to think of ways to reduce costs.
toast to	Let’s toast to a long marriage.
translate ST into (a language)	He translated the instructions into Japanese.
trust SO with ST	He trusted the new employee with the combination to the safe.
turn to	They turned to page 123.

U

Verb + Prep	Example
use ST for ST	They use wood for fuel.

V

Verb + Prep	Example
vote against	She voted against the new proposal.
vote for	He voted for the most popular candidate.

W

Verb + Prep	Example
wait for	I waited for them at the restaurant.
warn about	They warned me about pickpockets in the train station.
waste (money/time) on	They wasted money on another new car.
wish for	The child wished for a new bicycle before he blew out the candles on his cake.
work for	I have worked for them for 20 years.
work on	They worked on the proposal for two weeks.
worry about	She worries about her children.
write about	He wrote a book about his life.
write to SO	You need to write to your parents more often.

X

Verb + Prep	Example
The Verb + Preposition Dictionary contains no verbs beginning with «X.»

Y

Verb + Prep	Example
yap about	He always yaps about the good old days.
yearn for	He yearns for more adventure in his life.

Z

Verb + Prep	Example
The Verb + Preposition Dictionary contains no verbs beginning with «Z.»

• Правильно: Who are you talking to?
• Неправильно: To who are you talking?

Ниже мы рассмотрим употребительные глаголы и прилагательные с предлогами.

Глаголы с предлогом AT

• aim at — целиться в

Never aim at people. — Никогда не целься в людей.

• arrive at — прибывать в (место, помещение)

I arrived at the station in Tokyo. — Я прибыл на станцию в Токио.

Примечание: мы используем arrive in, говоря о прибытии в страну, город: I arrived in Tokyo. — Я прибыл в Токио. 

• hint at — намекать на

What are you hinting at? — На что ты намекаешь?

• laugh at — смеяться над

Don’t laugh at me! — Не смейся надо мной!

• look at — смотреть на

Look at me. — Посмотри на меня.

• shout at — кричать на

Don’t shout at the kids. — Не кричи на детей.

• throw at — бросать в

He threw a snowball at me. — Он бросил в меня снежок.

• value (estimate) at — оценивать в

The expert valued the painting at $45.000. — Эксперт оценил картину в 45.000 долларов.

Глаголы с предлогом ABOUT

• ask about — спросить о чем-то, ком-то

I asked my friend about his hobby. — Я спросил своего друга о его увлечении.

• argue about — спорить о чем-то

The critics still argue about that old movie. — Критики до сих пор спорят об этом старом фильме.

• care about — быть небезразличным к кому-то, чему-то, хорошо относиться, любить, интересоваться

John really cares about you. — Ты действительно не безразлична Джону.

• feel about — иметь мнение о чем-то

How do you feel about the plan? — Как тебе план?

• forget about — забывать о чем-то, ком-то

You forgot about your promise! — Ты забыл о своем обещании!

• talk about — говорить, разговаривать о чем-то

We were talking about your new car. — Мы говорили о твоей новой машине.

• hear about — слышать о чем-то

I heard about the strike. — Я слышал о забастовке.

• say about — сказать, высказаться о чем-то, ком-то

What can you say about our new employee? — Что вы можете сказать о нашем новом сотруднике?

• worry about — беспокоиться о чем-то, за кого-то

Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. — Не беспокойтесь за меня, я буду в порядке.

Глаголы с предлогом BY

• divide/multiply by — делить/умножать на

To divide by zero. — Делить на ноль.

• increase/decrease by — увеличить/уменьшить на

The pressure was decreased by 5%. — Давление было снижено на 5 процентов.

• judge by — судить по

Never judge by appearance. — Никогда не суди по внешности.

• mean by — подразумевать под

What did she mean by that? — Что она подразумевала под этим?

• take/hold/pull by — взять/держать/тянуть за

He held the bull by its horns. — Он держал быка за рога.

Глаголы с предлогом FOR

• ask for — просить что-либо, спросить кого-либо

Ask them for some water. — Попросите у них немного воды.

Did anybody ask for me? — Меня кто-нибудь спрашивал?

• exchange for — обменивать на

I’d like to exchange rubles for dollars. — Я бы хотел обменять рубли на доллары.

• hope for — надеяться на

We are hoping for a change in the weather. — Мы надеемся на перемену погоды.

• prepare for — готовиться к

Prepare for battle! — Готовься к битве!

• leave for — уезжать в

They left for Denver this morning. — Они уехали в Денвер этим утром.

• wait for — ждать кого-либо, чего-либо

I’ve been waiting for you. — Я ждал тебя.

Глаголы с предлогом FROM

• buy from — покупать у

I buy vegetables from local farmers. — Я покупаю овощи у местных фермеров.

• borrow from — брать в долг у

I don’t want to borrow money from my parents. — Я не хочу брать деньги в долг у родителей.

• differ from — отличаться от

The actual product differs from the sample. — Настоящий товар отличается от образца.

• prevent from — мешать, препятствовать

Protective equipment prevents us from injuries. — Защитная экипировка препятствует получению травм.

• recover from — поправляться (после болезни)

It takes a few days to recover from such illness. — Нужно несколько дней, чтобы оправиться от такой болезни.

• save from — спасать от

Save animals from people. — Спасите животных от людей.

• suffer from — страдать от

This summer we were suffering from the heat. — Этим летом мы страдали от жары.

Глаголы с предлогом IN

• include in — включать что-либо

I didn’t include this incident in my report. — Я не включил этот инцидент в свой отчет.

• result in — иметь результатом что-либо

The business meeting resuled in a good deal. — Деловая встреча привела к хорошей сделке.

• succeed in — удаваться, преуспевать в чем-либо

Have you succeeded in getting her address? — Тебе удалось получить ее адрес?

Глаголы с предлогом OF

• accuse of — обвинять в

What is he accused of? — В чем его обвиняют?

• consist of — состоять из

The novel consists of five chapters. — Роман состоит из пяти глав.

• deprive of — лишать чего-либо

You have deprived me of this pleasure. — Вы лишили меня этого удовольствия.

• inform of — быть проинформированным о

We have not been informed of this fact. — Мы не были проинформированы об этом факте

• remind of (about) — напоминать о

Can I remind you of your promise? — Могу я напомнить тебе о твоем обещании?

• remind of smb/smt— напоминать кого-то, что-то

You remind me of my sister. — Ты напоминаешь мне мою сестру.

• speak of (about) — говорить о

Are you speaking of me? — Вы говорите обо мне?

• think of (about) — думать о

What do you think of your new assistant? — Что вы думаете о вашем новом помощнике?

• get rid of — избавляться от

How to get rid of bad habits. — Как избавиться от вредных привычек.

• take advantage of — воспользоваться чем-либо, кем-либо

We must take advantage of this opportunity. — Мы должны воспользоваться этой возможность.

• take care of — заботиться о ком-то

She took care of my garden. — Она присматривала за моим садом.

Глаголы с предлогом ON

• agree on — условливаться о

We can agree on the terms of the contract. — Мы можем договориться об условиях контракта.

• comment on — комментировать что-либо

They didn’t comment on my statement. — Они не прокомментировали мое заявление.

• depend on — зависеть от чего-либо

That depends on you. — Это зависит от вас.

• insist on — настаивать на

I insist on your presence. — Я настаиваю на вашем присутствии.

• rely on — полагаться на

You can rely on me. — Вы можете на меня положиться.

• spend on — тратить на

I spent a lot of money on my education. — Я потратил много денег на образование.

Глаголы с предлогом TO

• agree to — соглашаться на

Don’t agree to his offer. — Не соглашайся на его условия.

• apologize to — извиняться перед

I apologized to my colleagues. — Я извинился перед коллегами.

• belong to — принадлежать

That hotel belongs to her parents. — Этот отель принадлежит ее родителям.

• happen to — случаться с

What happened to you? — Что с тобой случилось?

• listen to — слушать

You are not listening to me! — Ты меня не слушаешь!

• object to — возражать

He objected to my suggestion. — Он возразил против моего предложения.

• pay attention to — обращать внимание на

Pay attention to small details. — Обращай внимание на мелкие подробности.

• prefer to — предпочитать

I prefer coffee to tea. — Я предпочитаю кофе чаю.

• reply to — отвечать на

I replied to your email. — Я ответил на ваш email.

• refer to — ссылаться на

Please refer to the study. — Пожалуйста, дайте ссылку на исследование.

• seem to — казаться кому-либо

He seems strange to me. — Мне он кажется странным.

• speak to, talk to — говорить с кем-либо

Can I speak to Mr. Brown please? — Могу я поговорить с мистером Брауном?

Глаголы с предлогом WITH

• agree with — соглашаться с

I agree with you but… — -Я согласен с вами, но…

• compare with/to — сравнивать с

Don’t compare movies with books. — Не сравнивайте фильмы с книгами.

• deal with — иметь дело с

I had to deal with some bad people. — Мне приходилось иметь дело с плохими людьми.

• fill with — наполнять чем-то

Her eyes filled with tears. — Ее глаза наполнились слезами.

• supply/provide with — обеспечивать чем-то, снабжать

Our company supplies them with food. — Наша компания снабжает их продуктами.

Прилагательные с предлогом в английском языке

В отдельную небольшую группу стоит выделить сочетание «глагол to be + прилагательное + предлог». Рассмотрим основные прилагательные с предлогом.

• be concerned about — беспокоиться о чем-то

I am concerned about your behavior. — Меня беспокоит твое поведение.

• be worried about — волноваться о чем-то, переживать за кого-то

I am worried about our children. — Я переживаю за наших детей.

• be sure about — быть уверенным в чем-то

Are you sure about your theory? — Вы уверены в своей теории?

• be upset about — быть расстроенным из-за чего-то

He is upset about budget cuts. — Он расстроен из-за сокращения бюджета.

• be nervous about — нервничать, переживать из-за чего-то

They are nervous about their wedding. — Они нервничают из-за свадьбы.

• be good at — уметь что-то, быть хорошим в чем-то

That guy is really good at shooting. — Этот парень действительно хорошо умеет стрелять.

• be bad at — плохо что-то уметь

Sorry, I’m really bad at singing. — Извините, я очень плохо пою.

• be surprised by — удивиться чему-то

I was surprised by my uncle’s visit. — Я удивился визиту моего дяди.

• be responsible for — отвечать за что-то

Human is responsible for what is happening to the world. — Человек ответственен за то, что происходит с миром.

• be suitable for — подходить для чего-то

Your gear is not suitable for the mountains. — Твоя экипировка не подходит для гор.

• be good for — быть полезным для

Running is good for your health. — Бег полезен для здоровья.

• be bad for — быть вредным для

Actually, bread is bad for pigeons. — На самом деле хлеб вреден для голубей.

• be late for — опоздать на, к

I was late for dinner. — Я опоздал к обеду.

• be familiar with — быть знакомым с чем-то

I am familiar with the rules but I can’t play. — Я знаком с правилами, но не умею играть.

• be fond of — обожать что-то

My wife is fond of art. — Моя жена обожает живопись.

• be in charge of — быть ответственным за что-то, быть главным

Who is in charge of this city? — Кто главный в этом городе?

• be short of — испытывать недостаток в чем-то

We are really short of time. — Нам сильно недостает времени.

• be afraid of — бояться кого-либо, чего-либо

I am not afraid of mosquitoes. — Я не боюсь комаров.

• be ashamed of — стыдиться кого-либо, чего-либо

I am ashamed of what I said. — Я стыжусь того, что я сказал.

• be proud of — гордиться кем-либо, чем-либо

The company is proud of its employees. — Компания гордится своими сотрудниками.

• be experienced in — быть опытным в чем-то

He is experienced in tracking wild animals. — Он опытен в выслеживании диких животных.

• be interested in — интересоваться чем-либо

I am interested in mathematics and physics. — Меня интересует математика и физика.

• be busy with — быть занятым чем-то

I’m busy with work. — Я занят работой.

•  be satisfied with — быть удовлетворенным чем-то

Are you satisfied with the result? — Вы удовлетворены результатом?

Особые случаи

Отдельно нужно выделить выражения be happy, be disappointed с предлогом. В зависимости от предлога они меняют смысл.

Be disappointed with, in, by

Сочетание be disappointed с предлогами with, in, by выражает разочарование, но с разными предлогами речь идет о разных видах разочарования.

• be disappointed with — наиболее общий способ выразить разочарование

С предлогом with мы получаем разочарование в общем смысле: что-то или кто-то не оправдывает ожиданий.

I’m disappointed with my new phone, it’s too heavy. — Я разочарован в своем новом телефоне, он слишком тяжелый.

I am disappointed with our new driver. He was late for his first shift. — Я разочарован в нашем новом водителе. Он опоздал на первую же смену.

• be disappointed in — разочароваться в человеке, потерять веру в человека

Мы говорим be disappointed in, когда нужно выразить серьезное разочарование в человеке. Практически потерю веры в человека.

The mason was disappointed in his apprentice. The boy couldn’t even learn the basics. — Каменщик был разочарован в подмастерье. Мальчик не смог научиться даже основам.

• be disappointed by —  быть разочарованным чем-то определенным

Предлог by подразумевает, что разочарование было причинено чем-то или кем-то. Можно сказать, что подразумевается разочарование каким-то конкретным фактом.

Investors were disappointed by the news. — Инвесторы были разочарованы новостями. 

I’m so disappointed by your performance. — Я так разочарован вашим выступлением. 

Be happy with, for, about

• be happy with — быть довольным, удовлетворенным чем-то

На русский язык be happy with мы переведем, скорее, не как «быть счастливым», а как «быть довольным». Используем этот оборот, когда нас все устраивает.

Are you happy with your new working schedule? — Тебя устраивает твой новый график работы?

I am happy with the result. — Я очень доволен результатом.

Be happy with может значить буквально «быть счастливым с кем-то»:

I am happy with my family. — Я счастлив со своей семьей.

• be happy for — быть счастливым за кого-то

We are so happy for our children! — Мы так счастливы за наших детей!

I am happy for you. — Я за вас счастлив.

• be happy about — радоваться чему-то, быть счастливым чему-то

Definition

Certain verbs require prepositions in order to connect to their sentences’ objects. These combinations, known as prepositional verbs, allow the prepositions to act as necessary links between verbs and nouns or gerunds. The prepositions used in these combinations are sometimes called dependent prepositions.

Here are some of the prepositions most commonly used with verbs:

• for
• to
• about
• with
• of
• in
• at
• on
• from

Usage

Prepositional verbs always take a direct object (either a noun or gerund) after the preposition and cannot be separated by it. For example:

• “He listens to classical music every night.” (Correct — the prepositional verb is not separated, and the object comes directly after the preposition.)
• “He listens classical music every night.” (Incorrect — the verb listens requires a preposition to connect to its object, classical music.)
• “He listens classical music to every night.” (Incorrect — listens and its preposition to cannot be separated by the object, classical music.)

Prepositional verbs vs. phrasal verbs

Sometimes, a phrasal verb may be mistaken for a prepositional verb. Although both combinations employ verbs and prepositions, you can differentiate the two grammar structures by looking at the literal meaning of the verb and the word order.

Literal meaning of the verb

Prepositional verbs use the literal meanings of verbs, whereas phrasal verbs tend to be idiomatic. For example, the meaning of the verb ask doesn’t change when combined with the preposition for; however, it changes dramatically when combined with the preposition out:

• “Kelly asked for a raise.” (The literal meaning of to ask is to inquire. Kelly inquired about a raise, making it a prepositional verb.)
• “Kelly asked out Chad.” (Ask out means to invite someone on a date, making it an idiomatic phrasal verb.)

Word order

The order of a verb’s preposition and its object can also help determine whether a verb is prepositional or phrasal. As previously stated, the object of prepositional verbs always comes immediately after the preposition, which in turn comes immediately after the verb. Note that an exception to this rule is when an adverb is used to modify the prepositional verb, in which case it can appear between the verb and the preposition. However, the object must still follow the preposition. For example:

• “Kelly asked for a raise.” (correct)
• “Kelly asked politely for a raise.” (correct)
• “Kelly asked a raise for.” (incorrect)

For phrasal verbs, however, prepositions and objects can often be rearranged without issue:

• “Kelly asked out Chad.” (correct)
• “Kelly asked Chad out.” (also correct)

Examples of common pairings

Because there are no established rules or methods to determine which prepositions accompany which verbs, we have to settle on memorizing some of the most common verb + preposition combinations.

The following sections contain numerous examples of commonly used prepositional verbs.

Verb + for

The preposition for can be used with a number of verbs, often to emphasize purpose or reason. For example:

Verb + for	Example Sentences
apologize for	“Brittany never apologizes for her behavior.”
ask for	“The student asked for a pencil.”
beg for	“The man begged for a second chance.”
care for	“I don’t care for salads.”
fight for	“Many generations of people have fought for freedom.»
hope for	“The family is hoping for a miracle.”
long for	“The man longed for the days of his youth.”
pay for	“Who’s going to pay for these tickets?”
provide for	“Parents are expected to provide for their children.”
search for	“Did you search for the missing piece yet?”
wait for	“I’m waiting for the bus.”
wish for	“Some people wish for nothing but fame.”
work for	“She works for the government.”

Verb + to

To is commonly used with verbs and usually refers to direction (literal or metaphorical) or connections between people or things. For example:

Verb + to	Example Sentences
adjust to	“You’ll adjust to your new school in no time.”
admit to	“He admitted to reading her diary.”
belong to	“The wallet belongs to that woman over there.”
travel to	“I am traveling to England tomorrow.”
listen to	“Grace is listening to music in her room.”
go to	“Anthony, please go to the back of the classroom.”
relate to	“I can’t relate to this character at all.”
respond to	“Josh responded to his friend’s email.”
talk to	“He talked to the manager for more than an hour.”
turn to	“Turn to page 46 for a diagram of the procedure.”

Verb + about

Many verbs take the preposition about when referring to things, events, or gerunds. For example:

Verb + about	Example Sentences
ask about	“I asked about the company’s job opening.”
care about	“She doesn’t seem to care about going to college.”
complain about	“The boy complained about his early curfew.”
forget about	“I forgot about the wedding reception.”
hear about	“Did you hear about the renovation project?”
joke about	“Kim often jokes about her high-pitched voice.”
know about	“What do you know about physics?”
laugh about	“The friends laughed about their terrible luck.”
learn about	“Michelle is learning about film production.”
talk about	“What are you talking about?”
think about	“We’ll need to think about hiring some more staff.”
worry about	“So many adults worry about getting older.”
write about	“Dean wrote about his day in his journal.”

Verb + with

Verbs using the preposition with usually point to connections and relationships between people or things. For example:

Verb + with	Example Sentences
agree with	“I don’t agree with his opinions.”
argue with	“The two argued with each other for several minutes.”
begin with, start with	“Let’s begin with a short quiz.” “I shouldn’t have started with a salad.”
collide with	“It is possible, albeit unlikely, for an asteroid to collide with Earth.”
compare with	“How does the restaurant’s soup compare with Vera’s?”
compete with	“When I run races, I only compete with the clock.”
cope with	“It’s not easy to cope with failure.”
disagree with	“She disagrees with my suggestion.”
interfere with	“Be careful not to interfere with the conference upstairs.”
meet with	“When will you meet with her?”

Verb + of

The preposition of can be used with a variety of verbs. For example:

Verb + of	Example Sentences
approve of	“Ellen doesn’t approve of her sister’s friends.”
consist of	“Pizza consists of bread, cheese, and tomato sauce.”
dream of	“I dream of visiting Europe.”
hear of	“Have you heard of this new TV show?”
take care of	“Who will take care of your goldfish while you’re away?”
think of	“If you only think of failure, you’ll never take any risks.”

Verb + in

The preposition in accompanies several verbs and tends to point to involvement or connections between people or things. For example:

Verb + in	Example Sentences
believe in	“The majority of children believe in Santa Claus.”
engage in	“Maurice likes to engage in political debates.”
invest in	“Now is the time to invest in as many companies as possible.”
live in	“Haley lives in Seattle.”
participate in	“What sports did you participate in as a kid?”
result in	“The hotel’s failure to exterminate the bed bugs resulted in fewer customers.”
specialize in	“English majors can choose to specialize in creative writing or literature.”
succeed in	“Steven succeeded in earning a scholarship.”

Verb + at

At is commonly used with verbs to indicate places, skills, and reactions. For example:

Verb + at	Example Sentences
arrive at	“We arrived at the hotel in the morning.”
balk at	“Melissa balked at taking out the garbage.”
excel at	“My five-year-old niece already excels at math and science.”
laugh at	“The boy couldn’t stop laughing at Isabella’s joke.”
look at	“Look at the whiteboard, please.”
nod at	“She nodded at her coworkers.”
shout at	“He could hear someone shouting at the TV.”
smile at	“My son smiles at me every time I walk through the door.”
stare at	“It’s uncomfortable when people stare at you.”

Verb + on

The preposition on is used with a number of different verbs. For example:

Verb + on	Example Sentences
agree on	“The committee finally agreed on a solution.”
bet on	“I wouldn’t bet on that happening.”
comment on	“The lawyer briefly commented on the lawsuit.”
concentrate on, focus on	“He’s trying to concentrate on his work.” “I’m too tired to focus on this assignment.”
decide on	“He eventually decided on a career path.”
depend on, rely on	“You can’t depend on him forever.” “Too many students rely on the Internet to conduct research.”
elaborate on	“This paragraph elaborates on the previous one’s claims.”
experiment on	“The company offered assurances that it does not experiment on animals.”
insist on	“She insisted on joining us.”
operate on	“Aspiring surgeons learn how to operate on people.”
plan on	“Do you plan on attending the concert tomorrow?”

Verb + from

The preposition from is commonly used with verbs to identify a point of origin or a connection or disconnection between people or things. For example:

Verb + from	Example Sentences
benefit from	“Aspiring musicians benefit from getting public exposure for their music.”
come from	“Saya comes from Japan.”
differ from	“How does milk chocolate differ from white chocolate?”
escape from	“The prisoners escaped from their captors.”
recover from	“The girl recovered from her illness.”
refrain from	“Could you please refrain from shouting?”
resign from	“The CEO resigned from her position after 25 years with the company.”
retire from	“He retired from his job last year.”
suffer from	“Many people suffer from social anxiety.”

Verb + other prepositions

Other prepositions can be used to create prepositional verbs. Some of these prepositions are against, into, and like. For example:

• “We decided against visiting my aunt.”
• “The car nearly crashed into a tree.”
• “I feel like going on an adventure.”

Verbs with multiple prepositions

Certain verbs can take multiple prepositions without changing the overall meaning of the sentence. For example, the verb talk can use the prepositions to and with interchangeably:

• “I need to talk to the principal.”
• “I need to talk with the principal.”

On the other hand, some verbs’ meanings do change when a different preposition is introduced. For example, the verb dream can mean to aspire when it is used with the preposition of; however, when it is used with the prepositions about, it means to see images during sleep. For example:

• “She dreams of becoming a pilot.” (aspiration)
• “She often dreams about flying.” (image during sleep)

Фразовые и предложные глаголы

4.5
Такие сочетания глаголов с особыми короткими наречиями и предлогами, которые имеют свой специальный смысл, можно считать едиными лексическими единицами (multiword verb).
Обычно выделяются три типа:

1) phrasal verbs: give in, get by
2) prepositional verbs: look after, look into
3) phrasal-prepositional verbs: look down on, put up with

Часто таким глаголам соответствуют «обычные» глаголы, которые обычно звучат несколько более формально:

phrasal verb
give in – surrender
get by – survive

prepositional verb
look after – tend
look into – investigate

phrasal-prepositional verb
look down on – denigrate
put up with – tolerate

4.6
Фразовые глаголы могут быть переходными (при этом наречие может стоять до дополнения или после него) и непереходными. Таким образом, возможны следующие варианты.

Type I VERB + PREPOSITION + NP

Ударение обычно не падает на односложные предлоги, но часто падает на двусложные (точных правил нет). Например:

DO WITH’OUT (= manage otherwise): If there’s no bread, we must do without it, that’s all.
GET ‘OVER (= recover from): You’ve only got a slight cold. You’ll get over it in a day or two.
GO FOR (= attack): Your dog suddenly went for me!
GO ‘INTO (= inverstigate) The auditors have gone into our accounts and have found a few serious mistakes. These must be gone into immediately.
JUMP AT (= accept immediately): It’s an offer that you won’t get again, so I should jump at it if I were you.
MAKE FOR (= go towards): The ship was making straight for the rocks.
SEE ТО (= put right): This lock wasn’t working this morning. Has anyone seen to it? Has it been seen to?
STAND BY (by stressed) = support: I’m your friend. I’ll always stand by you.
STAND FOR (= represent): The sign + stands for ‘plus’.

Type 2 VERB + ADVERB PARTICLE
Наречная частица всегда под ударением. Например:

ANSWER BACK (= argue after receiving an order or rebuke): Do what I tell you and don’t answer back.
BACK DOWN (= become less aggressive): Bullies often back down when you stand up to them.
CATCH ON (= understand): I didn’t understand anything at first, but now I’m beginning to catch on.
CATCH UP (= reduce the distance between oneself and those in front): George is running fourth in the race. but he’s beginning to catch up (with the leaders).
COME ТО (= regain consciousness): She fainted, and it was half an hour before she came to again.
FIND OUT (= discover the truth). If you’ve told a lie someone is bound to find out sooner or later.
KNOCK OFF (= stop work): I’m tired. Let’s knock off and have a rest.
SETTLE UP (= pay one’s bill): I owe you some money. I’d like to settle up before I forget.

Type 3 VERB + OBJECT + PARTICIPLE / VERB + PARTICLE + OBJECT

Наречие находится под ударением, если оно следует за дополнением. Обычно (но не всегда) возможны два варианта: put your coat on/ put on your coat. Если в роли дополнения выступает местоимение, то возможна только такая конструкция: back me up. Обычно возможен пассив. Например:

BACK UP (= support): Always back up your friends. They like being backed up.
BEAR OUT (= confirm): The results of the experiment bear out your theory. It has been borne out by statistics.

BREAK UP (= cause to end): I don’t want to break up the party, but I’m afraid I must go.
BRING UP (= educate): James was brought up by his two old aunts.
CALL OFF (= cancel): The meeting has been called off as neither side is prepared to negotiate.
HOLD UP (= stop, delay): Police held up the traffic while they searched for the escaped prisoners.
STEP UP( = increase): Production is slowing down. We must step it up.
TURN OUT (= empty): The Customs made us turn out every one of our suitcases.

Type 4 VERB + PARTICLE + PREPOSITION + NP

На наречие падает ударение. Например:

BACK OUT OF (= withdraw from): You’ve signed an agreement and you can’t back out of it now.
BE FED UP WITH (= have had enough of): I’m fed up with your nonsense. Please stop it.
DROP OUT OF (= withdraw from): John has hurt his leg and has had to drop out of the race.
FALL IN WITH (= agree to): You can rely on me. I’ll fall in with anything you suggest.
PUT UP WITH (= bear, tolerate): I don’t like this noise, but I suppose we must put up with it.
STAND UP FOR (= support): Will no one stand up for me, or will you all let me down?

Verbs and Prepositions! Below is the list of most commonly used Verbs and Prepositions TO, FOR, FROM, OF, ABOUT, WITH, IN, ON in English that you should learn to use them correctly with ESL printable infographic.

Verbs and Prepositions List

Verbs with Preposition: TO

Here is the list of verbs and preposition combination with “To”:

• Add to
• Allow to
• Attend to
• Belong to
• Consent to
• Connect to
• Convert to
• Dedicate to
• Listen to
• Refer to
• Talk to
• Yield to
• Apply to
• Complain to
• Contribute to
• Happen to
• Respond to
• Invite to
• Object to
• Subscribe to
• Travel to

List of Verbs with Preposition: FOR

Here is the list of verb and preposition combination with “For”:

• Apologize for
• Arrest for
• Ask for
• Call for
• Check for
• Fear for
• Fine for
• Forgive for
• Hope for
• Prepare for
• Thank for
• Wait for
• Admire for
• Excuse for
• Pay for
• Pray for
• Search for
• Scold for
• Vote for
• Wish for
• Work for

List of Verbs with Preposition: FROM

Here is the list of verb and preposition combination with “From”:

• Abstain from
• Borrow from
• Choose from
• Carve from
• Come from
• Derive from
• Emerge from
• Expect from
• Hinder from
• Forbid from
• Prevent from
• Suffer from
• Recover from
• Escape from
• Graduate from
• Hide from
• Prohibit from
• Protect from
• Retire from
• Rescue from
• Save from
• Separate from
• Resign from

List of Verbs with Preposition: ABOUT

Here is the list of verb and preposition combination with “about”:

• Argue about
• Ask about
• Boast about
• Care about
• Complain about
• Concern about
• Dream about
• Feel about
• Forget about
• Hear about
• Joke about
• Know about
• Laugh about
• Quarrel about
• Talk about
• Tell about
• Think about
• Warn about
• Worry about
• Write about

List of Verbs with Preposition: OF

Here is the list of verb and preposition combination with “Of”:

• Accuse of
• Approve of
• Aware of
• Bilk out of
• Composed of
• Conceive of
• Consist of
• Convict of
• Convince of
• Cure of
• Deprived of
• Despair of
• Devoid of
• Disapprove of
• Dream of
• Fond of
• Get rid of
• Get tired of
• Hear of
• Hope of
• Irrespective of
• Remind of
• Rob of
• Short of
• Suspect of
• Think of

List of Verbs with Preposition: With

Here is the list of verb and preposition combination with “With”:

• Agree with
• Argue with
• Begin with
• Collide with
• Complain with
• Concern with
• Confuse with
• Cope with
• Cover with
• Charge with
• Charge with
• Disagree with
• Discuss with
• Face with
• Fight with
• Help with
• Interfere with
• Meet with
• Present with
• Provide with
• Quarrel with
• Share with
• Trust with

List of Verbs with Preposition: ON

Here is the list of verb and preposition combination with “On”:

• Agree on
• Comment on
• Concentrate on
• Depend on
• Congratulate on
• Decide on
• Rely on

List of Verbs with Preposition: IN

Here is the list of verbs and prepositions combination with “In”:

• Believe in
• Participate in
• Succeed in
• Arrive in
• Specialize in
• Fill in

Prepositional Verbs List | Infographic

Phrasal Verbs present problems for many learners. One initial problem is that writers on the subject disagree as to exactly what a phrasal verb is: others use different names for different types.  For example, some differentiate between phrasal verbs and prepositional verbs and present both as sub-classes of multi-word verbs; some consider prepositional verbs to be a sub-class of phrasal verbs; and some use different terminology altogether. However, whatever the name, the concept of what we may neutrally call multi-word verbs is useful. It helps you see that there is a real difference in the meaning of the underlined words in:

1. He looked up the stairwell in the old house.

2. He looked up ‘stairwell’ in the dictionary

In #1, look is a verb with a meaning similar to turn one’s eyes in a particular direction, and up is a preposition conveying the idea of to or in a higher position somewhere.  Each word can be used naturally with these meanings in thousands of other sentences, as for example:

1a. If you look carefully, you can just see the old house.

2a. She pushed the pram up the hill.

In #2, however, the words look and up together make up a unit with a meaning similar to seek information about; this meaning cannot easily be inferred from the core meaning of the two parts. A further difference between the sentences is that it is possible to re-position up in #2 but not in #1:

2b. He looked the word up in the dictionary.

1b. *He looked the stairwell up in the old house.

It is useful, therefore, to consider the two parts of the ‘unit’ of look up (=seek information about) as a single multi-word verb (called by some writers a phrasal verb). The name is not important, though understanding how the verb groups are used is. It is also important for you not to worry if examples such as look for are given different names by different writers. For example, a phrasal verb, a prepositional verb or a verb followed by a preposition. Look for still means something like seek or try to find, whatever we call it, and #3 is always unacceptable:

3. *I have told Luke to look the missing file for.

In the following sections we examine the ways in which multi-word verbs are used. We shall see that the verbs fall into distinct types. For the sake of easy reference, each type has been given a name but, as noted above, the name is not important; what we are examining is how each type is used.

1. Types of Multi-word verbs

1.1. Verbs followed by a preposition

4. Emma went into the room. (from, past, through, etc)

5. The cat got over the hedge (under, through, etc)

In both these sentences the word in bold is a preposition, and can be replaced by other prepositions such as those in brackets, changing the meaning of the sentence as the meaning of the preposition changes. The meaning of the underlined word, an intransitive verb, does not change. We are not dealing with multi-word verbs here, any more than we are with:

6. The cat sat on the mat.                    

7. I am in Prague.

The fact that some of these verb + preposition groups can be replaced by a nearly synonymous verb without a preposition (e.g., enter = go into) is irrelevant.

For verbs followed by a preposition two pattern are normally possible:

a. verb+preposition+noun object:                               6. The cat sat on the mat.        

b. verb+preposition+single pronoun object:               6a. The cat sat on it.

A third pattern is possible, but not common:

c. verb+preposition+pronoun object

coordinated with a noun or another pronoun:         6b. The cat sat on it and the table.

Two patterns are not possible:

d. verb+noun object+preposition:                               6c. *The cat sat the mat on.           

e. verb+pronoun object+preposition   :                       6d. *The cat sat it on.     

1.2. Prepositional verbs

Now consider these:                                                    

8. The manager went into the matter thoroughly.

9. She can’t get over her shyness.

Here, the underlined word-pairs take on a meaning beyond the literal meanings of the original verb and preposition, (though it may be possible to see the meaning as metaphorical extensions of those literal meanings). It can be useful to consider such verb + preposition groups as multi-word verbs.  Some writers call this type of multi-word verbs (inseparable) phrasal verbs – inseparable because the two parts cannot be separated by their object; #8a and #9a are not possible:

8a. * The manager went the matter into thoroughly.

 9a. * She can’t get her shyness over.

However, as they differ in usage from other types of ‘phrasal verbs’, and because they are used in the same patterns as verbs followed by a preposition (1.1 above) it is more useful to call them prepositional verbs.

Other verbs are extremely restricted in respect to the number of possible prepositions that can follow them. Some writers consider such verb + preposition groups as look at, look for, approve of, cope with as prepositional verbs, but it is more useful to consider them to be simply verbs which collocate frequently with specific prepositions. This is not important; the grammar of cope + with is the same whether we think of it as a prepositional verb or a verb followed by a preposition. (It is important, of course, that you to learn the appropriate preposition.)

By grammar we understand here the way in which the words can be used. For prepositional verbs the possible word order patterns are the same as for verbs followed by a preposition. Two are normal:

a. verb+preposition+noun object:                        8. The manager went into the matter thoroughly.                                 

b. verb+preposition+single pronoun object:        8b. The manager went into it thoroughly.                                

A third pattern is possible, but not common:

b. verb+preposition+pronoun object

coordinated with a noun or another pronoun:   8a. The manager went into it and other matters thoroughly.

Two word-order patterns are not possible:

d. verb+noun object+preposition:                       8d. *The manager went the matter into thoroughly.              

e. verb+pronoun object+preposition:               8e. *The manager went it into thoroughly.                                                 

1.3. Phrasal verbs

Now consider this sentence:     

10. The terrorists blew up the police headquarters.

Once again, the underlined word-pair takes on a meaning (explode) beyond the original dictionary definitions of its parts However, the word up is not being used as a preposition here, but as an adverb or, as some writers refer to a word used in this way, a particle. In this paper we use the term phrasal verb for such combinations of verb+adverb/particle. Others call them (separable) phrasal verbs — separable because the two parts can be separated by their object; #10a is possible:

10a. The terrorists blew the police headquarters up.

Some writers regard such groups as those italicised in #11 and #12 as phrasal verbs:

11. He put down his book.                                 11a. He put his book down.

12. You can throw away that old radio.               12a. You can throw that radio away.

However, verb and adverb/particle are used here with their core meanings, and there is little point in considering them as phrasal verbs. Once again, this is not important. Whether we think of them as phrasal verbs or as verbs plus adverb/particle, the grammar is the same.

For both phrasal verbs and verbs followed by a particle used transitively, i.e., with a direct object. three patterns are possible:

a. verb+particle+ noun object:

10.  The terrorists blew up the police headquarters. 

11. He put down his book.

b. verb+noun object+particle:                         10a.   The terrorists blew the police headquarters up.

11a. He put his book down.

c. verb+ pronoun object+ particle                   10b.   The terrorist blewit up.   

11b. He put it and his glasses down.                                                           

A fourth pattern is possible, if not very common:

d. verb+particle+pronoun object coordinated

with a noun or another pronoun:                    10c The terrorists blew upit and the nearby mill.

11c. He put it and his glasses down.     

One pattern is not possible:

e. verb+particle+single pronoun object:         10d * The terrorists blew upit.

                                                                        11d * He put down it.    

Thus we have a difference in word-order patterns between what we have called prepositional verbs and verbs followed by a preposition on the one hand, and phrasal verbs and verbs followed by a particle/adverb on the other, as we can see on the following table:

Verb + Preposition	Verb + particle
√ He went into the room. √ He went into it. √ He went into it and other things. * He went the room into.          * He went it into.	√ He put down the book. * He put down it. √ He put down it and his glasses √ He put the book down. √ He put it down.
Prepositional Verb	Phrasal Verb
√ She got over her illness. √ She got over it. √ She got over it and losing her job. * She got her illness over. * She got itover.	√ They blew up the house. * They blew up it. √ They blew up it and the nearby factory. √ They blew the house up. √ They blew it up.

With blow up in #10 we see the dangers of labeling combinations without taking context into consideration. In #10-10d it is used transitively (meaning explode), and it is used as a phrasal verb (so * he blew up it is not acceptable). However, we can use blow as a simple intransitive verb and follow it with the preposition up. Think of an organist testing for blockages in a pipe: he pursed his lips, he put them to the end of the pipe and

13. He blew up the pipe.

Here we have a simple verb blew (for which we could substitute other verbs such as called, shouted) and a preposition up (for which we could substitute other prepositions such as down, through). In this sense it is possible to say: he blew up it.

The phrasal verb blow up can itself be used intransitively (1.5, below).

1.4. Intransitive verbs followed by a particle/adverb.

14. as I opened the door, Mike walked past. (away, by, in. past, over, up, etc)

15. Margaret looked away, (down, round, up, etc)

In both these sentences the word in bold is a particle/adverb, and can be replaced by others such as those in brackets, changing the meaning of the sentence as the meaning of the particle/adverb changes. The meaning of the underlined word, the verb, does not change. We are not dealing with multi-word verbs here, though some writers class such verbs as the following as phrasal verbs;

bend over        come round                       fall over             get up/ away             go away

lie down          look up/down/round           sit down/up        stand up                   wake up

Three patterns are possible:

a. Verb + particle:                                14a. As I opened the door, Mike walked past.

b. Verb + adverb of manner + particle:           14b. As I opened the door, Mike walked quickly past.

c. Verb + particle + adverb of manner:            14c. As I opened the door, Mike walked past quickly.

1.5. Intransitive phrasal verbs

Now consider this sentence:                               

16. We fell out over the incident.

Here, the italicised word-pair takes on a meaning (disagreed, argued) beyond the original dictionary definitions of the two parts. In this paper we use the term (intransitive) phrasal verb for such combinations of verb+adverb/particle.

Note that many phrasal verbs can be used both transitively and intransitively.

10. The terrorists blew up the police headquarters.

17. A passer-by was killed when the car blew up.

Two patterns are possible with intransitive phrasal verbs:

a. Verb + particle:                                           

18a. The plane took off.

b. Verb + particle + adverb of manner:          

18b. The plane took off slowly.

One pattern is not common:

c. Verb + adverb of manner+ particle:

18c. *The plane took slowly off.

Thus we have a difference in word-order patterns and intransitive phrasal verbs as we can see on the following table:

Intransitive verbs followed by a particle/adverb	Intransitive phrasal verbs
√ Mike walked past. √ Mike walked quickly past. √ Mike walked past quickly.	√ He The plane took off. *The plane took slowly off. √ The plane took off slowly.

1.6. Phrasal-prepositional verbs

These consist of a phrasal verb followed by a preposition.

19 He caught up with his brothers in Brno.        

Noun and pronoun objects must follow all three parts of phrasal-prepositional verbs, and the word order patterns are therefore:

Possible	Not Possible
√ He caught up with Jim (and us).     √ He caught up with him.	* He caught Jim (and us) up with.* He caught up Jim(and us) with.        * He caught up Jim and us with.  * He caught Jim and us up with.        * He caught him up with.            * He caught up him with.

Once learners have mastered the basic idea of phrasal verbs, phrasal-prepositional verbs present few additional difficulties.

One problem is that learners sometimes do not find it easy to accept to as a preposition in such phrasal-prepositional verbs as look forward to, be/get used to, be/get accustomed to. A common mistake is:

20. * I look forward to see you.

Here, learners need to be aware that we are not dealing with the to-infinitive form to see, but with the phrasal prepositional verb look forward to, which is followed by a noun phrase (eg  your visit) or by a verb-noun form, traditionally known as the gerund (= verb + ING).

A second problem is that not all sentences containing a verb and two prepositions/ particles necessarily involve phrasal-prepositional verbs. They may contain multi-word prepositions see 2.1 below).

2. Further Problems

The preceding section has examined most of what teachers and learners need to know about how multi-word verbs are used. In section 2 we examine a number of further problems that can be encountered, usually with more advanced learners. These are often best dealt with as they arise, but beginning teachers need to be aware of them in order not to fall into the trap of misleading learners by giving incorrect explanations.

2.1. Multi-word prepositions

21. John sat next to his sister.

There is no multi-word verb here. Sat is the verb, and next to is a preposition consisting of two words; near-synonyms might be: by, alongside, beside.

Some common multi-word prepositions are:

ahead of           all over             apart from         away from        close by           close to           

In back of         in between        In front of          inside of           near to              next to             

on top of           out of                outside of         prior to up against         up to

2.2. Particles and prepositions occurring together

22. I hung the picture up in my room.

23. Andrea looked up from her book.

There are no phrasal-prepositional verbs here. In #22 and #23 we have what in this paper are considered as verbs collocating with an adverb/particle, hang up (here used transitively). and look up (here used intransitively), followed by a preposition + noun.  Some authorities may call hang up and look up phrasal verbs, but that does not change how they are used

2.3. An uncommon pattern

24. I shut George up when he began moaning about the conditions.

A number of phrasal verbs are not normally used with the 1.3. a. pattern verb + particle + noun object, unless the object consists of several words. Thus, #24a would be possible, though #24b is very unlikely.

24a. I shut up the representatives from the union.

24b. ? I shut up George.

Many of these verbs normally take a human object. Some more common verbs of this type are:

answer back                 brush off              call back             catch out          hear out

Invite in/out/over           play along          push around        stand up           tell apart

2.4. Which pattern?

Some verbs can be used in different patterns, sometimes with different meanings. We have already noted blow up:

10. The terrorists blew up the police headquarters.

Here, meaning explode, the verb is used transitively, with four possible word-order patterns (see section 1.3). The verb, still with the meaning of explode, can also be used intransitively (section 1.5):

17. A passer-by was killed when the car blew up.

With the pattern of an intransitive verb followed by a preposition (section 1.3), the two words have a literal meaning in:

13. He blew up the pipe.

The two words can be used with other meanings. The entry for blow up in the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary reads:

blow up: 1 to explode, be destroyed by…  2 to start suddenly and with force.

blow sth…up: 1 to destroy sth by an explosion… 2. to fill sth with air or gas so that it becomes firm…

3 to make a photograph bigger… 4 to make sth more important, better, worse, etc than it really is…

blow up (at sb): get angry with sb

Phrasal verbs are no different from any other word or word-group in English in having different meanings and different possible word order patterns. The example of blow up has been given simply to illustrate the risks beginning teachers take if they introduce the expression with some such explanation as, “Blow up is a separable phrasal verb meaning explode.”

2.5. Differences in British and American usage

British teachers using American materials and Americans using British materials should be aware that phrasal verbs can have very different meanings in the two dialects.

A British friend of mine was staying with an American colleague.  The American looked a little taken aback when my friend, after saying goodnight, asked him to knock her up at seven next morning. The expression on his face caused my friend to explain that she had no alarm clock and wanted him to knock on her door to wake her; the American was relieved that she had not been asking him to make her pregnant.

When working with materials from the other side of the Atlantic, it is a good idea to use a dictionary to check the meanings of what appear to be phrasal verbs.