Some verbs need prepositions like for, to, about, of, and from to connect to the objects of sentences. These combinations are called prepositional verbs.
Check out this list of verbs with prepositions in the English language with sentence examples. Then answer the worksheet provided to check your understanding.
What Is a Prepositional Verb?
Prepositional verbs are exactly how they sound. These words are verbs with prepositions beside them to be connected to the object of the sentence. That means prepositional verbs are transitive verbs. For example:
- She doesn’t believe in luck.
In luck looks like a prepositional phrase in this sentence. However, believe in is the prepositional verb in the sentence, while luck is the object of the sentence.
Here are more sentence examples with the prepositional verbs in italic and their objects underlined.
- She is trying to cope with her sickness.
- I want to listen to my favorite song.
But some verbs use direct objects after the verb followed by a prepositional phrase. For example:
- He reminds me of a man I met.
Reminds of is a prepositional verb, while the me in between them is the direct object.
Here are more sentence examples.
- We should protect our kids from predators.
- I would like to thank you for supporting me in all my dreams.
Whereas idiomatic phrasal verbs have figurative meanings, prepositional verbs take on the literal meanings of verbs. Remember that prepositions can be divided into mobile and static prepositions. Mobile prepositions imply movement, while static prepositions are stationary.
List of Verbs With Preposition: FOR
Another word used for the verb and preposition combination is for.
- Admire for
- Apologize for
- Apply for
- Ask for
- Blame for
- Care for
- Pay for
- Pray for
- Prepare for
- Head for
- Long for
- Scold for
- Search for
- Excuse for
- Vote for
- Wait for
- Wish for
- Work for
List of Verbs With Preposition: FROM
Here’s a list of common verbs with the preposition from.
- Abstain from
- Borrow from
- Escape from
- Graduate from
- Hide from
- Infer from
- Recover from
- Rescue from
- Resign from
- Retire from
- Prevent from
- Protect from
- Prohibit from
List of Verbs With Preposition: ABOUT
The preposition about can be used with a variety of verbs.
- Be about
- Boast about
- Argue at
- Decide about
- Dream about
- Care about
- Concern about
- Ask about
- Forget about
- Think about
- Worry about
- Know about
- Laugh about
- Protest about
List of Verbs With Preposition: OF
Below is a list of verb and preposition combinations with of.
- Accuse of
- Approve of
- Aware of
- Bilk out of
- Get rid of
- Get tired of
- Hear of
- Hope of
- Conceive of
- Consist of
- Convict of
- Convince of
- Composed of
- Cure of
- Deprived of
- Despair of
- Devoid of
- Disapprove of
- Dream of
- Fond of
- Irrespective of
- Remind of
- Suspect of
- Think of
List of Verbs With Preposition: WITH
Here are the most frequently used verbs with the preposition with.
- Acquaint with
- Charge with
- Clutter with
- Coincide with
- Collide with
- Agree with
- Associate with
- Compare with
- Cover with
- Cram with
- Deal with
- Discuss with
- Help with
- Comply with
- Confront with
- Confuse with
- Tamper with
- Trust with
List of Verbs With Preposition: AT
The preposition at can be used with a variety of verbs.
- Aim at
- Laugh at
- Look at
- Marvel at
- Arrive at
- Hint at
- Glance at
- Guess at
- Peer at
- Point at
- Smile at
- Stare at
- Wink at
List of Verbs With Preposition: ON
Here are the most common verb preposition combinations with the preposition on.
- Agree on
- Be on
- Base on
- Blame on
- Comment on
- Concentrate on
- Congratulate on
- Count on
- Depend on
- Elaborate on
- Impose on
- Insist on
- Play on
- Pride on
- Rely on
- Work on
List of Verbs With Prepositions: TO
- Adapt to
- Agree to
- Apologize to
- Belong to
- Add to
- Devote to
- Consent to
- Happen to
- Object to
- React to
- Refer to
- Reply to
- Lead to
- Listen to
- Speak to
- Talk to
- Turn to
List of Verbs With Preposition: IN
Here are some useful verbs with the preposition in.
- Absorb in
- Arrive in
- Implicate in
- Involve in
- Participate in
- Be engrossed in
- Believe in
- Confide in
- Result in
- Specialize in
- Succeed in
- Trust in
Prepositions With Verbs in Sentences
Here are some examples of prepositional verbs in a sentence.
For
- I apologize for the delay in shipping caused by the storm.
- She forgave me for eating her leftover snacks.
- We are all hoping for a miracle.
- The whole class thanked the teacher for his dedication and support.
- We voted for Jeremy to be class president.
From
- I am abstaining from meat products and by-products this month for a detox.
- We should prevent students from roaming around the halls during class time.
- She is finally graduating from college this month.
- The organization rescues homeless and abandoned dogs from abusive homes.
- Patricia is planning to resign from the 9-5 work soon.
About
- Don’t forget about the friendship we made in college.
- I am thinking about establishing a new massage business this year.
- Leila always worries about her little sister in boarding school.
- I write about politics, business, social sciences, law, and literature.
- The customer is in the office complaining about a failed transaction.
Of
- The man told everyone he had been deprived of his freedom and other rights.
- We need to get rid of this trash before our parents come home.
- I am always thinking of my grandparents on the other side of the world.
- I will never get tired of watching the view every morning.
- I have always been enthusiastically fond of mountain hiking.
With
- I agree with Johnson. We should read more books in our free time.
- Rey likes to argue with everyone on the internet.
- She is currently discussing summer plans with her husband.
- My sister will help me with my project.
- We are faced with different challenges every day.
At
- We have arrived at our destination already.
- My daughter has been excelling at science and math since she was six.
- Look at the computer screen.
- Don’t make strangers uncomfortable by staring at them.
- She smiles at me every time we see each other at school.
On
- We both agree on this matter.
- Myla comments on Karen’s new hair color.
- Do not rely your self-worth on other people but yourself.
- Parents’ decisions depend on what everyone in the family would do.
- I’d like to congratulate you both on your new business.
- I haven’t talked to Paula and Mary since I last saw them at the party.
- Please respond to my email as soon as you read it.
- She dedicated her performance to her mother.
- I am traveling to South Africa this summer with my cousins.
- What can I contribute to the project?
In
- Many TED talk speakers believe in the power of influence when establishing a new business.
- The doctor specializes in orthopedic surgery.
- I hope we all succeed in life.
- Fill in the provided blanks with the correct word that will complete the sentence.
- We will participate in the year’s anniversary party.
What Are Phrasal-Prepositional Verbs?
Phrasal-prepositional verbs are verbs with three parts: a verb, a particle, and a preposition. We often use them in informal contexts. Here’s a list of phrasal-prepositional verbs.
- Catch up with
- Come up against
- Cut down on
- Do away with
- Face up to
- Get away with
- Get on with
- Listen out for
- Look down on
- Look forward to
- Look in on
- Look out for
- Look up to
- Put up with
- Watch out for
Here are some sentence examples.
- We need to cut down on the budget.
- Everyone came up with their own idea on how to build a boat.
- Many people look up to him.
- Do your best to put up with the new employee.
Prepositions With Verbs Summary
Some multi-word verbs consist of a verb and a preposition, and they are called prepositional verbs. Some examples include agree with, care for, depend on, and remind of.
Remember that all prepositional verbs are transitive because they always have direct objects. Answer the worksheet below to check your understanding of the topic!