Word Classes
Prepositions in idiomatic use
Choose the preposition that a particular verb, adjective or noun always keeps beside it.
You first met prepositions telling you where or when: under the table, after lunch. This is a different job for the same little words. Here the preposition is not describing anything at all — it is simply the word that a particular verb or adjective has always kept beside it, and there is no rule behind the choice.
Learn the pair, not the preposition
Do not ask "when do we use on?" — ask "what follows depend?" The answer is on, always. Store depend on, listen to, consist of and afraid of as single items in your memory, the way you store a spelling.
Adjectives keep their own prepositions too
afraid of, good at, interested in, proud of, famous for, full of, similar to, capable of, married to. Each pairing is fixed, and the ones that sound almost the same are the ones worth checking.
Some verbs take different prepositions for different things
You apologise to a person but apologise for a mistake. You agree with a person but agree to a plan. When a verb has two, notice what kind of word comes after each one.
Watch "looking forward to"
The to here is not the to of "to go" or "to run". It is a preposition, so the verb after it takes -ing: I am looking forward to meeting you, never to meet you.
Worked example
Choose the preposition: "The whole class was proud ____ her."
Find the word that owns the gap. It is the adjective "proud", not "class" and not "her".
In these sentences the preposition belongs to the word just before it.
Try it together
Let us fit three prepositions.
Each answer is one small word. Look at the word just before the gap, and ask what that word always takes.
1.Adjectives bring their own preposition with them: She is afraid ____ spiders. Write the missing word.
Have a go
Which is correct?
Ready to practise?
Eight questions on what you have just read. Nothing is timed, and you can play as many times as you like.