Some verbs in English are often followed by specific prepositions, and using the wrong one can change or distort the meaning of a sentence. This article provides clear sentence examples showing which prepositions commonly follow certain verbs, helping you use them naturally and correctly.
gladden by: Harry was gladdened by the birth of his first child.
glance at: John glanced at his watch and realized it had stopped.
glance through: He glanced through the paper at breakfast.
gloat over: The miser gloated over his money.
gloss over: Mike glossed over the loss of his job and started talking about something else.
glow with: He entered the interview room glowing with confidence.
gossip about: Mrs. Goss loves to gossip about other people, especially her neighbors.
graduate from: He graduated from university with a degree in palmistry.
grieve about: She still grieves about the loss of her father.
ground on/upon: You should ground on facts your analysis. Better: You should ground your analysis on facts.
ground in: The new students were grounded in the basic principles of mathematics.
grumble about/at: My mother-in-law is always grumbling about the weather.
haggle over/about: I haggled over the price with the car salesman for an hour.
hear about: Did you hear about the latest mass killing?
help with: I helped with the application form.
hide from: John would hide from his drunk father under the bed.
hinder from: He is hindered from getting a good night’s sleep by the constant noise from the expressway.
hint at: The spokesman hinted at a possible change of leadership.
hunt for: The police are hunting for the serial killer nationwide.
identify by: He was identified by a witness at an identity parade as the culprit.
impart to: The barman imparted to me his knowledge of wine.
impose on/upon: A ban has been imposed on the sale of cigarettes to those under 18.
impress by: We were impressed by the beauty of the rural landscape.
impress with: We were really impressed with the craftsmanship.
improve by: His musical skill can be improved by engaging a professional coach.
improve in: It is advantageous to improve in whatever we do.
include in: Labour charges are included in the repair bill.
incorporate in: Not all proposals and up-to-date information are incorporated in the report.
increase from: The welfare budget has been increased from $500,000 to $800,000.
increase in: The sharp increase in crime is attributed to the economy.
inculcate in: Parents should inculcate in their children a sense of discipline.
indict for: The suspect was indicted for arson.
indulge in: We shouldn’t indulge in too much lunchtime drinking.
infect with: Some insects infect humans with deadly diseases.
infer from: One can infer from the evidence that insanity is hereditary.
infest with: The whole wasteland was infested with rats.
inflate with: Their egos were inflated with self-importance.
inflict on/upon: He was found guilty of having inflicted on his son grievous bodily harm.
inform of: The doctor will inform you of any change in her condition.
infuse with: The good news infused her with happiness.
inherit from: He inherited from his grandfather a loud, powerful voice.
inhibit from: The fear of ridicule inhibited students from asking questions.
initiate into: He was initiated into a religious cult last evening.
insert in/into: Nick inserted into the vending machine a coin for some cigarettes.
insist on: She insisted on keeping a baby armadillo as a pet.
inspire by: The movie was inspired by an actual event.
inspire to: Her perseverance inspires others to do likewise.
instigate against: Foreigners were blamed for instigating a revolt against the government.
instill in/into: The parents instilled into their children ethical values early on.
instruct in: Ms. Olive instructed in Latin.
intend for: The author’s second book was intended for golfing enthusiasts.
intercede with: The organization interceded with the authorities on my behalf.
interpolate in: Mary interpolated in our conversation a casual remark.
interrupt in: The leader was rudely interrupted in his speech by loud jeers.
intervene in: The police don’t usually intervene in what is essentially a private dispute.
introduce into: New subjects will be introduced into the syllabus next year.
intrude on/upon: We resented her intruding on our conversation.
invite to: We have always been invited to her birthday.
involve in: I don’t see why I should involve in their affairs myself. Better: I don’t see why I should involve myself in their affairs.
irritate by: He was irritated by the frequent loud arguments next door.
isolate from: The exceptionally violent child is isolated from other children.
jam with: The entrance was jammed with crowds trying to get in.
jeer at: The spectators jeered at their own team for the poor performance.
jockey for: The riders jockeyed for the best position.
joke with: We joked with each other and grew closer.
judge by: We do not judge a book by its cover, do we?
judge from: Judging from the look on his face, we suspected he was the one who took it.
jumble up: Someone jumbled up the things I had arranged neatly.
justify to: He justified to us his decision by saying he had no alternative.
jut out: Huge rocks were jutting out from the steep side of the cliff.
know about: Nobody here knows about the accident.
learn about: Did you learn about the birds and the bees as a child?
leave for: We’re leaving for London tonight.
lecture about/on: He lectures on the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome.
lend to: I lent to my neighbour the lawn mower. Better: I lent the lawn mower to my neighbour.
levy … on: The state levied a new tax on gasoline.
lie on: Joe likes to lie on a bench in the park.
limit to: Each customer is limited to two packets.
listen to: We listened to his boring stories in silence.
live at: He still lives at the same address.
long for: Bob longed for an exciting experience at sea.
long to: He longed to be with her.
look like: It looks like she is going to demand an explanation from him.
lure away: The company tried to lure away the salesman from their competitor.
lurk around: They called the police when they saw a man lurking around outside their house.
make a fool of: Whenever he is drunk, he is sure to make a fool of himself.
make a fuss about/over: She made a fuss about not being offered a drink.
make love to: He tried to make love to every girl he met.
marvel at: I marvel at his ability to stay composed in any situation.
matter to: I’ll buy it; the color doesn’t matter to me.
meditate on/upon: He meditated on different solutions to the problem.
mention to: She didn’t mention to me what had happened last night.
migrate between: Some whales migrate between one part of the ocean and another.
migrate from: Some bird species migrate from Europe to Africa.
mingle with: Participants from various nations mingled with each other after the events.
mix with: He doesn’t mix with other people well.
model on: This system is modeled on the one that originated in the United States.
multiply by: Two multiplied by two is four.
muse on/over: He mused over his girlfriend’s sudden change of attitude.
muster up: He failed to muster up the minimum support required to stand for election.
