Using English verbs with prepositions, as appropriate, can change the meaning of the entire sentence. Prepositions are needed either to add an object in cases where direct docking is not possible, or to redefine the meaning of the verb itself.
As an addition to a simple or verbal predicate
Some verbs, due to their peculiarities, are not characterized by the direct addition of an object. That is, they cannot directly transfer their action to the object without indicating the nature of the connection. The rules for using English verbs with examples and pictures are presented below. They explain when verbs need a particular preposition.
Regulated preposition
The rules for using English verbs come down a lot to grouping them according to valid prepositions. There are verbs that require a specific preposition, for example, belong to, consist of, hint at, hope for, insist on, lead to, listen to, pay for, qualify for, refer to, relate to, sympathize with.
- The land belongs to a rich family.
- She then referred to the Minister'sreport/ Then she turned to the ministerial report.
There are verbs with which the choice of different prepositions can affect the meaning of the whole sentence: agree on/with, appeal for/to, appologize for/to, conform to/with, result from/in, suffer from/with.
- They agreed on a plan of action.
- You agreed with me that we should buy a car/ You agreed with me that we should buy a car.
- His failure resulted from lack of attention to details.
- The match resulted in a draw/ The match ended in a goalless draw.
With some verbs used without an object, the choice of preposition can affect the meaning of the entire sentence.
The rules for using English verbs without a direct object require different prepositions to reveal different types of information.
The preposition ‘about’ after, for example, the verbs care, complain, dream, explain, hear, know, speak, talk, think, write indicates the subject of the action.
- We will always care about freedom/ We will always care about freedom.
- Tonight I'm going to talk about engines/ Tonight I'm going to talk about engines.
A phrase with ‘at’ after glance, glare, grin, laugh, look, shout, smile, stare contains the direction in which the action is performed, the endpoint.
- I don't know why he was laughing at that joke/ I don't know whyhe laughed at this joke.
- ‘Hey!’ she shouted at him/ “Hey!” she shouted at him.
‘For’ helps express purpose or reason after the verbs apologize, apply, ask, look, wait.
- He wanted to apologize for being late/ He wanted to apologize for being late.
- I'm going to wait for the next bus/ I'm going to wait for the next bus.
The preposition ‘into’ after actions such as bump, crash, drive, run indicates the object involved in the process.
- His car crashed into the wall.
- She drove into the back of a lorry/ She drove into the back of a truck.
‘Of’ promotes the transfer of facts and information when it comes after the verbs hear, know, speak, talk, think.
- I’ve heard of him but I don’t know who he is/
- Do you know of the new plans for the sport centre?
'On' indicates the trust or degree of confidentiality to the character or object, standing, for example, after count, depend, plan, rely.
- You can count on me/ You can count on me.
- You can rely on him to be polite.
The preposition ‘to’ follows the verbs complain, explain, listen, say, speak, talk, write to indicate the addressee – listener, reader or viewer.
- They complained to me about the noise/complained to me about the noise.
- Mary turned her head to speak to him/ Mary turned her head to speak to him.
The character named after ‘with’ is a supporter or opponent in the case of the verbs agree, argue, disagry, side.
- Do you agree with me about this?
- The daughters sided with their mothers.
Complement and prepositional phrase
Some verbs can attach a direct object to a prepositional phrase that begins with a specific preposition.
- The police accused him of murder.
- They borrowed some money from the bank.
Either an object or a prepositional phrase
Some verbs attach either a direct object or a prepositional phrase without changing the meaning.
- He had to fight them, even if it was wrong.
- He was fighting against history.
Prepositions in phrasal verbs
Very diverse use of verbs in English is possible due to the abundance of phrasal verbs. Phrasal ch. is a combination of a verb and an adverb or preposition, which in this case are simply called particles. For example, 'down', 'in', 'off', 'out', or 'up'.
- She turned off the radio.
- Knight offeredto put him up
The standard meaning of the verb, which it had in a single version, is usually changed, and a new semantic unit is created. For example, 'break' means breaking something, while 'break out of place' means hiding from the scene, disappearing.
- They broke out of prison on Thursday night/ They broke out of prison on Tuesday night.
- The pain wore gradually off.
Four main types of phrasal verbs
The rules for using English verbs with prepositions as an integral structural particle share four main patterns of alternating prepositions and objects. In the first, the verb is accompanied by a particle (adverb or preposition), there is no object. Examples: break out, catch on, check up, come in, get by, give in, go away, grow up, look in, ring off, start out, stay up, stop off, wait up, watch out, wear off.
- War broke out in September/ War broke out in September.
- You'll have to stay up late tonight/ You'll have to stay up late tonight.
In the second structure, the verb is accompanied by both. That is, the phrasal verbs fall for, feel for, grown on, look after, part with, pick on, set about, take after are also followed by an addition.
- She looked after her invalid mother/
- Peter takes after his father but John is more like melooks like me.
According to the third structure, in combinations such as answer back, ask in, call back, catch out, count in, invite out, order about, tell apart, the object is wedged between the verb and the particle.
- I answered him back and took my chances/ I answered him and took my chances.
- He loved to order people about/
The rules for using English verbs allow that some phrasal verbs can be used in both the second and third structures - that is, the sequence of the object and the particle can alternate, for example, with add on, bring up, call up, fold up, hand over, knock over, point out, pull down, put away, put up, rub out, sort out, take up, tear up, throw away, try out. However, if the object is expressed by a pronoun, it must come before the particle.
- It took ages to clean up the mess/ It took forever to clean up the mess.
- It took ages to clean the mess up/ It took forever to clean the mess up.
- There was such a mess. It took ages to clean it up It took a long time to put it away.
According to the principle of the fourth structure, the verb is first followed by a particle expressed by an adverb or preposition, followed by another preposition with an addition. The use of English verbs can be: break out of, catch up with, come down with, get on with, go down with,keep on at, look forward to, make off with, miss out on, play around with, put up with, run away with, stick up for, talk down to, walk out on.
- You go ahead. I'll catch up with you later I'll pick you up later.
- Children have to learn to stick up for themselves.
A small number of verbs such as do out of, put down to, put up to, take out on, talk out of are followed by an object, a particle and a prepositional phrase.
- Kroop tried to talk her out of it/ Kroop tried to talk her out of it.
- I'll take you up on that generous invitation/ I take you at your word and accept this generous invitation.
