Prepositions 15 min read

Appropriate Prepositions List: Verb, Adjective and Noun + Preposition with Examples

Learn the appropriate prepositions list with 80+ verb, adjective and noun pairs, examples, a 7-day plan and a 12-question quiz with answers for exams.

Core Governing Rule Formula:

Verb / adjective / noun + fixed preposition: learn the pair, not the word

Appropriate prepositions list with verb, adjective and noun pairs and examples

Ask a Class 12 student to complete "She is good ___ maths" and almost everyone writes at. Now ask for "She is jealous ___ her friend's success" and the room goes quiet. Same type of word, same type of sentence, but one pair feels familiar and the other doesn't.

That's the whole story of appropriate prepositions. There's no hidden logic. Some words simply belong together, the way tea belongs with a cup. Examiners know that, and they test it in error spotting, fill in the blanks and sentence improvement year after year.

The good news is that you don't need to learn 500 pairs in random order. In 22 years of teaching, I've found that students remember them best when they're grouped by word type (verbs, adjectives and nouns) and then by the preposition itself. That's exactly how this list is built. Each pair has an example sentence, because a pair on its own is easy to forget and a sentence is not.

Quick answer: An appropriate preposition is the fixed preposition that a particular verb, adjective or noun takes. Examples: depend on, fond of, reason for. They're learned as pairs, not worked out by rule. Start with the three lists below, learn five pairs a day, and test yourself with the 12-question quiz at the end.

In This Guide

What are appropriate prepositions?

An appropriate preposition (also called a dependent preposition) is the preposition that must follow a certain word to make the phrase correct. We say "depend on", never "depend from". We say "afraid of", never "afraid from". The word before the preposition decides which one is right.

The three most common patterns are:

Verb + preposition: listen to, believe in, wait for
Adjective + preposition: proud of, interested in, responsible for
Noun + preposition: reason for, solution to, increase in

If you're still unsure about the small time and place words, my guides on in, on and at and on preposition error spotting are good companions to this one.

Verb + preposition list with examples

Verbs cause the most trouble, so let's start here. The table is sorted by preposition so you can revise one family at a time.

Pair	Example
of: accuse of	He was accused of cheating.
of: approve of	My parents approve of my plan.
of: consist of	The team consists of eleven players.
of: remind of	This song reminds me of my school days.
of: think of / dream of	She dreams of becoming an officer.
to: belong to	This bag belongs to Riya.
to: listen to	Please listen to the instructions.
to: refer to	The speaker referred to a recent survey.
to: adhere to / object to	Candidates must adhere to the rules.
to: look forward to	We look forward to meeting you.
to: contribute to / lead to	Hard work leads to success.
with: comply with / deal with / cope with	How do you deal with exam stress?
with: interfere with	Noise interferes with my concentration.
with: provide (someone) with	The school provides students with books.
with: charge (someone) with	The police charged him with theft.
from: suffer from	She suffers from back pain.
from: prevent / prohibit from	Rain prevented us from playing.
from: protect from / escape from	Wear a cap to protect yourself from the sun.
from: recover from / benefit from	He has recovered from his illness.
on: depend on / rely on	You can rely on me.
on: insist on	He insisted on paying the bill.
on: focus on / concentrate on	Focus on your weak areas.
on: congratulate on / comment on	We congratulated her on her promotion.
in: believe in	I believe in hard work.
in: succeed in / persist in	She succeeded in clearing the exam.
in: participate in / specialise in	Many students participated in the debate.
for: wait for / look for	We are waiting for the results.
for: apply for / ask for	He applied for a bank job.
for: blame for / thank for	Don't blame others for your mistakes.
at: laugh at / smile at	Don't laugh at anyone's mistakes.
at: aim at / glance at	He aimed at the target.

Want these lists with practice after every group? In my ebook Preposition in English Grammar: Your Confident Path to Exam Mastery for 12th Graders & Competitive Aspirants, fixed prepositions after verbs and adjectives, confusing pairs and error-spotting practice are laid out unit by unit. Keep going, because adjectives and nouns come next.

Adjective + preposition list with examples

Adjectives are a bit kinder. Many of them follow the same prepositions again and again, so patterns appear quickly.

Pair	Example
of: afraid of / fond of	She is afraid of heights but fond of travelling.
of: proud of / ashamed of	We are proud of our team.
of: aware of / conscious of	Are you aware of the deadline?
of: capable of / guilty of	He is capable of solving it.
of: jealous of / tired of	I'm tired of waiting.
of: full of	The hall was full of students.
to: married to	She is married to an engineer.
to: senior to / junior to	He is junior to me in service.
to: superior to / inferior to	This brand is superior to that one.
to: similar to / loyal to	Your idea is similar to mine.
with: satisfied with / pleased with	The manager was pleased with our work.
with: familiar with	Are you familiar with this topic?
with: angry with (person)	She was angry with her brother.
at: good at / bad at	He is good at mental maths.
at: surprised at / shocked at	We were shocked at the news.
in: interested in / weak in	I'm interested in journalism.
in: rich in / deficient in	Spinach is rich in iron.
from: free from / safe from	The area is free from pollution.
from: different from / absent from	Two students were absent from class.
on: keen on / dependent on	She is keen on learning French.
for: famous for	Pune is famous for its educational institutions.
for: responsible for	He is responsible for the final report.
for: ready for / late for	Are you ready for the interview?
for: suitable for / necessary for	This book is suitable for beginners.

Noun + preposition list with examples

Nouns are the most ignored group, and that's why they surprise students in sentence improvement questions. Spend extra time here.

Pair	Example
reason for	What is the reason for the delay?
cause of	Carelessness is the main cause of errors.
need for / demand for	There is a growing demand for skilled workers.
respect for / love for	He has great respect for his teachers.
solution to	We need a solution to this problem.
answer to / reply to	She knew the answer to every question.
key to	Practice is the key to success.
invitation to / reaction to	What was your reaction to the news?
increase in / decrease in	There was a sharp increase in prices.
interest in	He shows a keen interest in sports.
belief in / faith in	Have faith in your preparation.
confidence in	I have full confidence in her ability.
difficulty in	She had difficulty in finding the address.
advantage of	Take advantage of every chance to practise.
difference between	What is the difference between these two words?
possibility of / chance of	There's a chance of rain tonight.

Words that change meaning with the preposition

This is where examiners get creative. The same word takes different prepositions, and the meaning shifts.

Word	What changes
look at / look for / look after / look into	look at = see; look for = search; look after = take care of; look into = investigate
agree with / agree to / agree on	agree with a person or opinion; agree to a plan or request; agree on a matter that people decide together
angry with / angry at	angry with a person; angry at a thing or situation
arrive at / arrive in	arrive at a station, airport or small place; arrive in a city or country
result in / result from	The rain resulted in a delay (effect). The delay resulted from the rain (cause).
compare with / compare to	compare with = examine differences in detail; compare to = point out a likeness

Don't try to memorise every row at once. Pick two rows a day, write one sentence for each version, and say them aloud.

Using these pairs in your own writing

Fixed prepositions don't only help in objective questions. They show up in letters, essays and emails, where a wrong pair quietly lowers the impression your writing makes. A formal letter that says "I am interested to this post" or "I am looking forward for your reply" looks careless, even if everything else is neat.

Here's a simple habit. After you finish writing, scan only for prepositions. Circle each one, look at the word before it, and ask: is this a pair I know? It takes less than a minute, and it catches the errors your eyes skip while reading for meaning. Correct versions of the two examples above are "I am interested in this post" and "I am looking forward to your reply".

5 ways to memorise appropriate prepositions

Learn by family. One day for the "of" family, one day for "to", one for "with" and "from", and so on. Your brain remembers patterns better than loose items.
Group by meaning. Communication verbs often take "to" (reply to, listen to, refer to). Verbs of blame and thanks take "for". Verbs of belief and success take "in".
Always learn the pair with a sentence. "Fond of" is forgettable. "She is fond of classical music" sticks.
Five pairs a day, not fifty. Revise yesterday's five before you add today's. In three weeks you'll have covered the whole list in this article.
Read and mark. Take one newspaper editorial and underline every verb, adjective or noun followed by a preposition. You'll be surprised how often you've already met these pairs.

A small classroom tip: Write each pair on one side of a card and a gap sentence on the other: "She is jealous ___ her friend." Flip, answer, check. My ebook Preposition in English Grammar is built on the same learn-practise-check rhythm.

Three exam traps to watch for

"Than" instead of "to". Senior, junior, superior, inferior and prefer all take "to". Example: "I prefer tea to coffee."
An extra preposition. Discuss, comprise, mention and reach take no preposition at all. "We discussed the plan" is right, and "discussed about" is wrong.
The look-alike pair. Thank for, congratulate on. Blame for, accuse of. Suffer from, die of. Slow down and check the pair before you decide.

For a full set of these mistakes, with corrections and a test, read my guide on 15 common preposition mistakes in SSC CGL and bank exams.

A 7-day plan to learn the whole list

Lists are only useful if you finish them. Here's a plan I give my batches, with about fifteen minutes a day.

Day	What to learn	What to do
1	Verbs with "of" and "to"	Write one new sentence for each pair
2	Verbs with "with" and "from"	Revise Day 1, then repeat the same routine
3	Verbs with "on" and "in"	Cover the right column and test yourself
4	Verbs with "for" and "at"	Say five sentences aloud without looking
5	Adjective pairs	Make cards with a gap sentence on the back
6	Noun pairs and the meaning-change table	Write a short paragraph using eight pairs
7	Revision day	Take the 12-question quiz and fix your weak families

If you slip on a day, don't restart. Just carry on from where you stopped. Consistency matters more than perfect streaks.

Quick quiz: 12 fill-in-the-blanks

Fill in each blank with the correct preposition. Don't peek at the answers until you've tried all twelve.

She is proud ____ her daughter.
He has been suffering ____ fever for two days.
The teacher congratulated him ____ his success.
This house belongs ____ my uncle.
We are looking forward ____ the holidays.
She is fond ____ classical music.
The doctor prevented him ____ going out.
Are you satisfied ____ your results?
He is responsible ____ the whole project.
The government is trying to find a solution ____ this problem.
He apologised ____ his mistake to the teacher.
The new rule resulted ____ a lot of confusion.

Answers: 1) of 2) from 3) on 4) to 5) to 6) of 7) from 8) with 9) for 10) to 11) for 12) in

Your score: 11 or 12 means you're in great shape. 8 to 10 means revise the families where you slipped. Below 8, go back to the verb table and try again after two days.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a rule to find the right preposition?

Not a single rule. Most pairs come from usage, so you learn them as pairs. But patterns help: communication verbs lean towards "to", and verbs of blame and thanks take "for".

Is it "depend on" or "depend upon"?

Both are correct. "Upon" is a little more formal. In an exam, if both appear in different options, check the rest of the sentence for the real error.

How many appropriate prepositions should I learn each day?

Five is a good number. Revise the previous day's five first, then add the new ones. This keeps your revision light and your memory strong.

Do appropriate prepositions change between British and American English?

A few do, like "different from" and "different than", but the standard pairs in exam syllabi follow the traditional forms. When in doubt, choose the classic pair.

Which list should I learn first?

Start with verbs, because they appear most often in error-spotting and fill-in-the-blank questions. Then move to adjectives, and finally nouns.

Make these pairs yours

You've now got more than 80 pairs, each with an example. That's a serious toolkit, but only if you use it. Choose one family today, write a sentence for each pair, and say them aloud. Tomorrow, move to the next family. Three weeks from now, these pairs will feel as natural as your own phone number.

For the complete system, with more pairs, confusing combinations and exam-style practice, my ebook Preposition in English Grammar: Your Confident Path to Exam Mastery for 12th Graders & Competitive Aspirants keeps everything in one place.

About the author: Balu Kandekar is an English grammar educator based in Pune with 22 years of teaching experience and more than 15 years of coaching students for SSC, banking, railway, UPSC, NDA/CDS, MPSC and Class 12 English. He is the author of the Fasttrack English Grammar / Zero Errors series on Amazon KDP.

Recommended Companion eBook

Preposition in English Grammar: Your Confident Path to Exam Mastery for 12th Graders & Competitive Aspirants

Replace memorized guesswork with a reliable, pattern-based approach to choosing the correct preposition every time.

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