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Essential Prepositions Guide

The document lists various English phrases that require specific prepositions, along with their meanings and example sentences. It covers a wide range of idiomatic expressions, emphasizing the importance of using the correct preposition in different contexts. This serves as a reference for understanding and using prepositions appropriately in English.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
38 views3 pages

Essential Prepositions Guide

The document lists various English phrases that require specific prepositions, along with their meanings and example sentences. It covers a wide range of idiomatic expressions, emphasizing the importance of using the correct preposition in different contexts. This serves as a reference for understanding and using prepositions appropriately in English.

Uploaded by

nabiluddin116
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Appropriate Prepositions

[Note: Certain words take particular prepositions after them. This is a matter of Idiom]

1. Abide by (obey): Students should abide by the rules of the school.


2. Abide in (live): His uncle abides in London.
3. Abstain from (refrain): We should abstain from smoking.
4. Accused of (convicted): The man was accused of theft.
5. Abound with (full of): Our rivers abound with fishes.
6. Abound in (exist plentifully): Fishes abound in our river.
7. Admit to (take in / enroll): He was admitted to Motijheel Govt. Boys' High school.
8. Agree with, on (consent): I agree with you on this point.
9. Agree to (consent): He did not agree to this proposal.
10. Aim at (shoot at): He aimed at the bird.
11. Appear before (present publicly): The man appeared before the court.
12. Appear in (set for an exam): We shall appear in the S. S. C Exam.
13. Apply to, for (ask for): I applied to the Headmaster for leave.
14. Appear to (seem): It appears to me that he is innocent.
15. Attend to (give care and attention): You should attend to your lesson.
16. Attend on/upon (look after): The nurse is attending on/upon the patient.
17. Absent from (not present): He was absent from school.
18. Addicted to ( habituated to evil things): Don't be addicted to smoking.
19. Accompanied by (with): He went to Dhaka accompanied by his father.
20. Afraid of (frightened): Everybody is afraid of snakes.
21. Attentive to (mindful): You should be attentive to studies.
22. Affectionate to (fond of): Teachers are affectionate to students.
23. Access to (entrance): We have access to the office.
24. Adjacent to (near): My office is adjacent to my residence.
25. Appetite for (hunger): Physical exercise increases appetite for food.
26. Ambition for (strong desire): Almost everybody has ambition for fame.
27. Aware of (conscious): We should be aware of our duties.
28. Angry with/at: He is angry with you.
29. Anxious about (worried): Father is anxious about my result.
30. Ashamed of (feeling shame): I am ashamed of your conduct.
31. Adequate to (sufficient): Water supply is not adequate to our needs.
32. According to (in harmony with): He worked according to my advice.
33. Beware of (having caution): Beware of pickpockets.
34. Bask in (enjoy warmth and light): They were basking in the sun.
35. Believe in (to have faith): We believe in Allah.
36. Blind of (having no power to see): He is blind of one eye.
37. Blind to (indifferent): The man is blind to his son's fault.
38. Boast of (feel proud): He boasts of his riches.
39. Born of (come of): He is born of a middle class family.
40. Bound for (ready to start): The train is bound for Sylhet.
41. Burst into (suddenly begin to cry): Hearing the news, she burst into tears.
42. Burst out (suddenly begin to laugh): The whole class burst out laughing.
43. Beneficial to (good for): Walking is beneficial to health.
44. Care for: I do not care for anybody.
45. Close to (near): My house is very close to our school.
46. Compare with (to make comparison with a similar thing): Rabindranath is compared with Shelly.
47. Compare to (to make comparison with a dissimilar thing): Anger is often compared to fire.
48. Commit to memory (memorize): Can you commit this long poem to memory?
49. Charge against (complaint): What is the charge against him?
50. Complain against (bring charge): They complained against the teacher.
51. Complain to (bring charge to somebody): They complained to the Headmaster.
52. Comply with (keep): Please comply with my request.
53. Competent for (fit for): You are competent for the post.
54. Consist of (contain): Our family consists of five members.
55. Consist in (lie in): Happiness consists in contentment.
56. Compensate for (make up the loss): Who will compensate for the loss?
57. Congratulate on (express pleasure for one's success): I congratulate you on your brilliant success.
58. Condemn to (sentence to): The murderer was condemned to death.
59. Conducive to (good for): Early rising is conducive to health.
60. Congenial to (conducive): Polluted air is not congenial to health.
61. Convict of (declare guilty): He was convicted of theft.
62. Cure of (get rid of a disease): He was cured of malaria.
63. Cure for (remedy): There is no cure for AIDS.
64. Credit to (deposit): Credit the amount to my account.
65. Deal in (do business): His uncle deals in rice.
66. Deal with (behave): He deals well with all.
67. Deficient in (weak): He is deficient in English.
68. Deliver to (hand over): The postman delivered the letter to me.
69. Deprived of (not allowed to enjoy rights): The poor are deprived of their rights.
70. Die of (die of a disease): The man died of malaria.
71. Die from (die because of harmful effect): The boy died from over-eating.
72. Die for (sacrifice): Soldiers die for their country.
73. Die by (die by Own hand): The man died by suicide/hanging.
74. Devoid of (empty of): He is devoid of commonsense.
75. Cause of (reason): What is the cause of your failure?
76. Cause for (reason for a future event): There is no cause for anxiety.
77. Depend on (rely): We should not depend on foreign aids.
78. Different from (not the same): This book is different from yours.
79. Differ with (disagree): I differ with you on this point.
80. Dull at (not bright): He is dull at Mathematics.
81. Difference between (the state of being not the same) Do you know the difference between a poet and a scientist?
82. Disqualified for (not qualified): Only a B.A. is disqualified for the post of Headmaster.
83. Fond of (favorite): The cat is fond of milk.
84. Faith in (belief): We have faith in Allah.
85. Faithful to (loyal): The dog is faithful to its master.
86. Famous for (reputed): Rajshahi is famous for mangoes.
87. Feed on (live on): The cow feeds on grass.
88. Expert in (skilled) He is an expert in English.
89. Expect from (hope): We expect a good result from you.
90. Fit for (suitable): He is fit for this post.
91. Fine for (penalise): He was fined for misconduct.
92. Fire at (shoot at): The hunter fired at the bird.
93. Free from (exempt! without): We are not free from diseases.
94. Free of (without cost): We had the books free of cost.
95. Full of (filled with): Every fruit is not full of juice.
96. Fondness for (love): He has fondness for games.
97. Good at (efficient): He is good at driving.
98. Grateful to/for (thankful): We are grateful to you for your help.
99. Guilty of (having guilt): He is guilty of theft.
100. Hanker after (have a strong desire): Don't hanker after evil-money.
101. Hopeful of (having hope): 1 am hopeful of your success.
102. Inform of (give information): Who informed you of the matter?
103. Interested in (having an interest): He is interested in painting.
104. Introduce to (acquaint with): He introduced me to the class.
105. Laugh at (ridicule): Don't laugh at the poor.
106. Jealous of (having ill feeling): He is jealous of my prosperity.
107. Key to (mainly helpful): Industry is the key to success.
108. Lame of (having lameness): He is lame of one leg.
109. Marry to (to be in marriage): Mamtaz was married to Shahjahan.
110. Mindful of (attentive to): Good students are mindful of their studies.
111. Open to (allowing all): A school is open to all for education.
112. Noted for (famous): Mohsin was noted for charity.
113. Play at (cards/with fire): He was playing at cards. Don't play with fire.
114. Popular with (loved by people): He is popular with his work mates.
115. Preside over (be the head of): He presided over the meeting.
116. Prepare for (get ready): He is preparing for the exam.
117. Qualified for (fit for): He is qualified for the post of Principal.
118. Play on (perform on a musical instrument): The boy was playing on a violin.
119. Prevent from (forbid): Father prevented me from going to the cinema.
120. Prohibit from (forbid): Father prohibited me from going to the cinema.
121. Recover from (come round): He has recovered from illness.
122. Regard for (honour): We must have regard for our elders.
123. Smile at (laugh at): Don't smile at the poor.
124. Smile on (favour): Fortune smiles on the brave.
125. Sure of (having confidence): I am sure of my success.
126. Trust in (believe in): We should trust in God.
127. Taste for (interest): He has taste for music.
128. Thirst for (strong desire): He had thirst for knowledge.
129. Worthy of (deserving): Your action is worthy of praise.
130. Wait upon (attend on): A nurse waits upon the patient.

Common questions

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'Believe in' typically conveys a broader sense of faith or conviction, often associated with higher ideals or entities, such as "We believe in Allah" . It can imply a deep-seated acceptance of the existence or moral certainty of something beyond evident reality. 'Trust in', as in "We should trust in God" , often expresses reliance on the credibility and dependability of a person or entity, emphasizing a practical form of faith rooted in expectation of future action or support. Therefore, while both relate to belief, 'trust in' conveys an assurance needing practical fulfillment.

Prepositions can significantly change the meaning of idiomatic expressions, making them more precise and contextually appropriate. For example, "abide by" means to obey, as in "Students should abide by the rules of the school" , while "abide in" refers to living somewhere, as in "His uncle abides in London" . Similarly, "compare with" is used for comparison between similar items, e.g., "Rabindranath is compared with Shelly" , whereas "compare to" refers to drawing an analogy between dissimilar items, such as "Anger is often compared to fire" . These examples show how different prepositions attached to the same verb create idiomatic expressions with distinct meanings.

'Consist of' relates to the composition or components of something, implying a list of parts, as in "Our family consists of five members" . It directly reflects something's content and material makeup. Conversely, 'consist in' indicates a feature or essence in terms of its existence, such as "Happiness consists in contentment" , suggesting a deeper, often abstract quality that defines something more so than its physical constituents. This distinction aligns with differentiating tangible elements from conceptual essences in English expressions.

'Bound for' indicates a destination or journey, implying the physical or metaphorical direction someone or something is heading, as seen in "The train is bound for Sylhet" . It suggests a level of determination and can often imply a planned outcome. 'Bound to', although not directly presented in the given sources, typically implies inevitability or destiny, suggesting an outcome that is certain or a necessity due to existing conditions. Both express future aspects but with distinctly different focus areas—physical trajectory versus inevitable outcome.

Prepositions in phrases like 'ashamed of' and 'anxious about' serve to specify the focus or cause of certain emotions. 'Ashamed of' relates directly to personal regret or embarrassment tied to specific actions or qualities, e.g., "I am ashamed of your conduct" . Conversely, 'anxious about' involves a forward-looking worry or concern usually related to potential outcomes or events, such as "Father is anxious about my result" . These variations allow for nuanced emotional expression by clearly delineating different psychological states and their specific triggers.

Each preposition paired with 'die' conveys a different cause or context: 'die of' indicates death due to a medical condition, e.g., "The man died of malaria" ; 'die from' implies a fatal outcome resulting from an external factor, such as "The boy died from over-eating" ; 'die for' shows a death due to self-sacrifice or purpose, like "Soldiers die for their country" ; and 'die by' suggests self-inflicted circumstances, e.g., "The man died by suicide" . The selection of prepositions thus clarifies specific causes or intents behind the demise.

'Complain to' is used to express grievances to someone, as in "They complained to the Headmaster" , implying that the person addressed has some authority or capability to address the complaint. On the other hand, 'complain against' is used when expressing dissatisfaction with someone's actions, as in "They complained against the teacher" , which signifies that the person's actions are the source of the grievance.

'Absent from' indicates a physical non-presence from a specific location or event, e.g., "He was absent from school" , signifying an expected presence but missed participation. The term 'absent in', although not directly mentioned in the sources, would logically imply an absence within a larger context or system, potentially abstract, though less commonly used. The distinction primarily lies in 'absent from' specifying definite location-oriented absenteeism versus 'absent in', which would theoretically denote absence within a broader, possibly more symbolic, structure.

'Fond of' is used to directly express liking or affection towards a person or thing, as exemplified by "The cat is fond of milk" . It is often used to describe a developed preference or affection in everyday contexts. 'Fondness for', on the other hand, highlights the existence of a strong emotional preference or attachment, often indicating a deeper or more intrinsic interest or affection, such as "He has fondness for games" . While both express affinity, 'fondness for' can imply a stronger, more ingrained affection.

'Cure of' refers to the removal or eradication of a disease or condition from an individual, indicating an achieved recovery, as in "He was cured of malaria" . In contrast, 'cure for' denotes a remedy or method that may address a type of illness universally, such as stating, "There is no cure for AIDS" . The former is outcome-centric regarding a case, while the latter focuses on existing solutions applicable to a condition broadly.

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