What are preposition collocations? Learn the common preposition collocation patterns with a list of examples I made. After reading, challenge yourself to a three-part worksheet about the topic.
Preposition Collocations
Basically, collocations are two or more words that often go together. These compounds sound so natural or right that we can’t substitute one word for another.
Most collocations follow two patterns with prepositions.
Verb + Preposition
Verb + to
- Talk to
- Listen to
- Speak to
- Apologize to
- Belong to
- Happen to
- Turn to
- Adapt to
- Add to
- Agree to
- Devote to
- Consent to
- Lead to
- Object to
- React to
- Reply to
- Talk to
- Refer to
Verb + for
- Wait for
- Ask for
- Apply for
- Blame for
- Care for
- Long for
- Head for
- Admire for
- Pay for
- Search for
- Scold for
- Wish for
- Work for
- Apologize for
- Pray for
Verb + from
- Suffer from
- Recover from
- Borrow from
- Hide from
- Rescue from
- Resign from
- Infer from
- Stem from
Verb + at
- Smile at
- Stare at
- Aim at
- Look at
Adjective + Preposition
- Accustomed to
- Allergic to
- Amazed at/by
- Appreciated for
- Comfortable with/in
- Connected with/to
- Cruel to
- Confronted with
- Curious about
- Fascinated by
- Fed up with
- Furnished with
- Limited to
- Married to
- Polite to
- Sensitive to
- Similar to
- Slow at
- Suitable for
- Sure of
Preposition Collocations Exercise #1
Choose the correct answer.
Learn More About Prepositions
I hope these exercises on preposition collocations encourage you to master the different patterns and examples of preposition collocations.
There are more collocation patterns in English, such as adjective + noun and noun + noun. Keep studying these word combinations to widen your vocabulary and perfect your grammar.