This lesson is about which propositions collocate correctly with which words belonging to different word classes.
When learning new vocabulary, whether verbs, nouns or adjectives, it is important to also learn the preposition the word collocates with. This is key to using the word correctly, rather than simply knowing the definition.
Activity
In pairs or groups, review the words and prepositions below. Discuss, and try to identify any patterns in the words that collocate with a particular preposition. Do any groups of words have similar meanings?
You will find that some groups have very similar meanings, yet others have no particular pattern. How could this help you to remember the words?
Verb + preposition
| Verb | Prepositionh |
|---|---|
| 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 |
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 |
Noun + preposition
| Noun | Preposition |
|---|---|
| anything, information, nothing, something | about |
| excuse, explanation, ideas, in return, need, reasons, reputation, responsibility | for |
| change, decrease, drop, experience, fall, increase, size | in |
| experience, knowledge, understanding | of |
| effect, impact, influence | on |
| in association, experience | with |