Problems with verbs and the prepositions which follow them:-

for Urszula of Poland

Some frequent verbs must be followed by objects. For example, you can't say "I like", you have to say "I like it".

Some frequent verbs must have prepositions when they are followed by objects e.g. I looked at the picture for a long time.

Certain frequent verbs are usually followed by certain prepositions - you have to learn them! If you change the prepositions you change the meaning!  Use your dictionary to find them!

e.g. arrive at (not 'to'), listen to, hear from, look at (not 'look to'), depend on (not 'of'), interested in, think about, send off, talk about (not 'speak about'), say something to some-one  (see Entry about 'say', 'tell', 'explain' and 'speak'), ask for.

One more point: a Phrasal Verb is a verb + an adverbial particle.  It is different - it will appear on this website as soon as I have time to write it!!!

A useful way to spot prepositional verbs:
Ask the question!
Who are you looking for?
What are you listening to?
What are you looking at?
What does it depend on?
Who are you talking about?
Who did you speak to?

Practice Exercise: verbs which have to have prepositions after them like the examples above.

1. I am an 'au pair', which means I am a student who takes care ... children while I am studying English at college. I live .... a family and I am paid a small amount to look........(look to, look for, look at, look after) my employer's son while she is at work.

2. My employer works....a bank. She gets.... really early and arrives....work at 7. She does a twelve hour day so she doesn't see much of her son. He has everything money can buy. He likes looking...his photographs (he's got a digital camera), listening ... CDs and playing ....his electronic toys. He talks.... friends on his mobile phone or sings.... to cassettes or pop videos.

3. He doesn't see much of his father either. His father spends a lot of time abroad. Sometimes we go to the airport to send him .... if he's going .... for a long time, possibly three months. We hear...him by e-mail or mobile phone.

4. I feel sorry ... his son though, because he hardly sees his parents. They have explained .... their jobs... him and he tells ...his friends that his parents are important business people. The only problem is that he has no role models, only people he hears ...on t.v. He depends....me.

5. He doesn't think....the future at all. I wait....his parents to come home but he never does. I deal... his teachers and his problems and go....his homework ....him. I pay ....his clothes and his games and his books. I suppose he sees me as his big sister. The only time he smiles...me is when I makes mistakes in English. He thinks my accent is funny!

Answer:
1. I am an 'au pair', which means I am a student who takes care of children while I am studying English at college. I live with a family and I am paid a small amount to look after my employer's son while she is at work.
2. My employer works in a bank. She gets up really early and arrives at work at 7. She does a twelve hour day so she doesn't see much of her son. He has everything money can buy. He likes looking at his photographs, listening to CDs and playing with his electronic toys. He talks to his friends on his mobile phone or sings along to cassettes or pop videos.
3. He doesn't see much of his father either. His father spends a lot of time abroad. Sometimes we go to the airport to send him off if he's going away for a long time, possibly three months. We hear from him by e-mail or mobile phone.
4. I feel sorry for his son though, because he hardly see his parents. They have explained about their jobs to him and he tells his friends that his parents are important business people. The only problem is that he has no role models, only people he hears about on t.v. He depends on me.
5. He doesn't think about the future at all. I wait for his parents to come home but he never does. I deal with his teachers and his problems and go over his homework with him. I pay for his clothes and his games and books. I suppose he sees me as his big sister. The only time he smiles at me is when I make mistakes in English. He thinks my accent is funny!

See The A - Z of English Grammar & Usage for the rules.

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