Choosing the right preposition after a verb can be surprisingly tricky, even for confident English learners. We “agree on” a plan, “dream of” success, “apologise for” mistakes, and “wait for” a reply—change the preposition and the meaning often changes too. This article gathers common verb + preposition combinations in one place, with clear example sentences to show how they work in real life. Use it as a quick reference when speaking, writing, or preparing for exams. With regular practice, these patterns will start to feel natural and automatic.
- name after: The new stadium was named after a beloved local coach.
- narrow down: The panel has narrowed the candidates down to just three.
- object to: I strongly object to the way you spoke to me.
- obtain from: Most of the data was obtained from official government records.
- operate on: The surgeons had to operate on her immediately to save her life.
- oppress by: For years, the villagers were oppressed by the occupying army.
- originate in: That rumour must have originated in the rival office.
- outrage at: People were outraged at the sudden rise in fuel prices.
- overcome by: Her fear of flying was eventually overcome by regular therapy.
- overrun by: The abandoned warehouse was overrun by rats.
- overwhelm by: He was overwhelmed by the warmth of the welcome.
- part from: I had to part from my family at the station.
- partake of: The guests gladly partook of the delicious buffet.
- participate in: All employees are encouraged to participate in the survey.
- pass in: He passes in his security pass at the gate every evening.
- pattern on: She patterned her teaching style on her favourite professor’s methods.
- perpetrate about: They perpetrated cruel lies about him on social media.
- persevere in: She persevered in her research despite many setbacks.
- persist in: Why do you persist in ignoring my advice?
- petition for: Residents have petitioned for a new playground in the area.
- plead with: He pleaded with her not to end the relationship.
- point at: It’s impolite to point at strangers.
- pray to: Every morning they pray to their gods for protection.
- predicate on: Our schedule is predicated on the train arriving on time.
- prefer to: I prefer quiet cafés to noisy restaurants.
- prepare for: We need to prepare for possible flight delays.
- present to: The mayor presented the trophy to the winning captain.
- present with: They presented her with a bouquet of flowers.
- preserve for: These rare artefacts are preserved for future generations.
- preserve from: The thick glass preserves the painting from damage.
- prevent from: The heavy rain prevented us from going out.
- price out: The store has priced itself out of the market with such high costs.
- proceed with: Despite the objections, they decided to proceed with the plan.
- produce from: They produce olive oil from locally grown olives.
- prohibit from: Passengers are prohibited from smoking on the train.
- propose to: He proposed a compromise to solve the dispute.
- protect from: This jacket will protect you from the cold wind.
- protest against: Workers gathered to protest against the pay cuts.
- prove to: You still need to prove to us that you can manage the project.
- provide with: The volunteers provided the victims with food and clothing.
- provoke to: His constant teasing will only provoke her to anger.
- pry into: He keeps prying into other people’s personal business.
- punish for: The student was punished for breaking the rules.
- purchase from: We purchased these souvenirs from a street vendor.
- purge from: All outdated files were purged from the database.
- qualify for: She finally qualified for the scholarship.
- quarrel about: The neighbours often quarrel about the parking spaces.
- query about: The client queried the staff about the extra fees.
- question about: Detectives questioned him about his movements that night.
- rage about/against: He raged against the decision for the rest of the day.
- rail against/at: She constantly rails against the unfair tax system.
- range from: Hotel prices range from budget to very expensive.
- rank as/with: This novel ranks as one of the best of the decade.
- rate as: He is widely rated as a reliable leader.
- reach for: She reached for the light switch in the dark.
- react to: How did the audience react to the joke?
- read about/of: I read about the incident in yesterday’s newspaper.
- read in: I read in a journal that the drug has serious side effects.
- read to: He loves to read to his grandchildren at night.
- rebel against: Many teenagers rebel against strict curfews.
- recommend to: I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in programming.
- recover from: It took him a long time to recover from the flu.
- recuperate from: She stayed with her parents to recuperate from surgery.
- refrain from: Please refrain from using flash photography.
- regard as: The painting is regarded as a national treasure.
- reign over: The monarch reigned over the country for forty years.
- release from: He was released from custody after questioning.
- remove from: She was removed from her post after the inquiry.
- reply to: I need to reply to his email today.
- report on: The journalist was sent to report on the conflict.
- reprimand for: The officer was reprimanded for careless driving.
- reproach for: She reproached him for forgetting her birthday.
- request for: She phoned the station to request for her favourite song.
- rescue from: Several animals were rescued from the flooded farm.
- reserve for: We reserved the best seats for our parents.
- respond to: His condition did not respond to the treatment.
- restrain from: He had to restrain himself from shouting back.
- retire from: She retired from banking at the age of sixty.
- return to: He never returned to the village where he was born.
- reveal to: She revealed the truth to her closest friend.
- revenge on: He swore to revenge himself on those who betrayed him.
- revolt against: The soldiers decided to revolt against their commanders.
- reward for: She received a reward for reporting the crime.
- reward with: They rewarded the staff with an extra day off.
- rise from: A thin column of smoke rose from the campsite.
- rival in: No one can rival her in musical talent.
- rob of: The mugger robbed him of his watch and wallet.
- root in: The old tree was deeply rooted in the dry soil.
- rule on: The judge will rule on the matter tomorrow.
- rule over: The king ruled over several small kingdoms.
- run for: He plans to run for mayor next year.
- rush through: They rushed through the paperwork just before closing time.
