Appropriate Prepositions
Appropriate Prepositions
Appropriate Prepositions
Mind the underlined words in the following sentences:
1. I abide by the advice of my parents.
2. I abide with your uncle.
3. I abide in Guwahati.
If we mind the italicised words (verbs) in the above sentences we see that the same verb (i.e. abide) has taken different prepositions after it as ‘abide by’ in sentence no.1, ‘abide with’ in sentence no.2 and ‘abide in’ in sentence no. 3. and gives three peculiar (special) meanings. Thus when a preposition takes place after a verb, adjective, adverb or noun ignoring the general rules of using prepositions and creating a new, unusual or peculiar meaning is called an Appropriate Preposition. ‘A lot of prepositions have been being used appropriately in the English language. Here a list of some common and frequently used Appropriate Prepositions is given with illustration:
Appropriate Prepositions
AÂ Â Â Â Â Â
Abide by (obey): We should abide by the advice of our elders
Abide with (to live with a person): I abide with my parents.
Abide in (at) (to live in a place or at a place): Dr. Sen Gupta abides in Paris or at Bordoah.
Abhorrence of (hatred): Everybody should have an abhorrence of bribery.
Abound in: Assam abounds in tea.
Absent from (a place): Why was Ram absent from school yesterday?
Absorbed in: Nilima is absorbed in writing.
Abstain from: Everybody should abstain from bad company.
Access to: Nobody has free access to the principal except certain students.
Accede to: Nobody can accede to our principal’s idealism.
Accompanied with (a thing): He was suffering from a headache accompanied with fever.
Acceptable to: Your presence is not acceptable to my friends.
According to: According to the theory of Humanism, every man is for all.
Accord with (a thing or person): Your deeds don’t accord with your promises.
Accountable to (for): I am accountable to Ram (person) for doing this (a thing).
Accused of: He was accused of bribery.
Acquit of: Ram was acquitted of theft.
Adapted for: Everything cannot be adapted for all.
Addicted to: Nobody should be addicted to wine.
Adept in (skilled): Shirina is adept in drawing.
Adequate to: Your income is not adequate to your wants.
Adhere to: I will adhere to my idealism.
Admit into: Ram will be admitted into Pune University.
Adjacent to: My school is adjacent to the post office.
Adverse to: Your imagery is adverse to reality.
Affection for: You have good affection for me.
Affectionate to: I am affectionate to my parents.
Affix to: Affix this paper to the book.
Afraid of: I am afraid of God.
Agree on (a point); to (a proposal); with (a person): I agree with Ram on this comment. Ramen could not agree to the proposal. I agree with my teacher.
Akin to: Over affection is akin to hatred.
Alien to (unknown): Love is not alien to me.
Aim at: Corbett aimed at a tiger to shoot.
Alarmed at: The tiger was alarmed at the sound of the gun.
Alive to: Everybody should keep alive to peril.
Allot to: This paper is allotted to all.
Allude to: I cannot allude to this comment in this reference.
Aloof from: Ram should keep aloof from his young friends.
Amazed at: I am amazed at your behaviour.
Ambition for: I have an ambition for higher education.
Amenable to: Now everybody is amenable to principles.
Amount to: His annual income amounts to Rupees 500,000.00.
Angry with (a person), for (something): I am angry with Ram for telling a lie.
Angry at (anything): I am angry at his misconduct.
Annoyed with (a person), for (a thing): Hamen was annoyed with his colleague for doing a fault.
Answer to: Please answer to all questions.
Answer for: Please answer for your failure.
Antipathy to: I have an antipathy to the lottery.
Anxious about (a thing), for (a person): Ram was anxious about his result, but his sister was anxious for her little child.
Appeal to: Our president will appeal to the teachers to work hard.
Apply for: You should apply for the post.
Apply to: To increase your salary you should apply to the Magistrate.
Appeal against: I will appeal against you in the high court.
Appear in (at): The tiger appears in the forest.
Appear to: Ram appears to me as a gentleman.
Appetite for: I have an appetite for cold drinks.
Applicable to: Your idealism is not applicable to modern democracy.
Appoint to: Nanak Sen will be appointed to the post of Vice-chancellor of Delhi University.
Appropriate to: Your comment is not appropriate to my principles.
Approve of: I cannot approve of your application.
Aptitude for: I have no aptitude for sports.
Arrive at: Ram will arrive at Barpeta by noon.
Ascribe to: I cannot ascribe my fault to you.
Ashamed of: I am ashamed of my sin.
Aspire after: Aspire after your good deeds.
Assent to: I cannot assent to your glib remark.
Assign to: The work was assigned to me.
Associate with: Nobody should associate with bad company.
Assure of: I am assured of your help.
Ask for: Please do not ask me for my books.
Ask of: He asked a book of me.
Astonish at: I was astonished at his courage.
Attach to: His house attaches to that of mine.
Attend to: Please attend to what I say.
Attain to: He attains to adulthood.
Attacked with: Ram was attacked with cold-fever.
Attacked by: He was attacked by a dog.
Attend on: Please attend on the patient.
Authority on: He has authority on writing.
Authority over: The government has a good authority over politics.
Avail oneself: Ram availed himself of the Puja vacation.
Aware of: I am aware of your success.
Adverse to: I am not adverse to my work.
Appropriate Prepositions
BÂ Â Â Â Â Â
Based on: His lecture was based on Gandhiji’s idealism. Beware of: Beware of your mistakes.
Blind to: Never be blind to your faults.
Bar to: There is no bar to success for you.
Bark at: The dog barked at Ram.
Beg of: You beg the favour of mine.
Believe in: I believe in the oneness of God.
Beneficial to: Karate is beneficial to health.
Belong to: This book belongs to me.
Bent upon: Ramen was bent upon going there.
Beset with: I am beset with joy.
Beside oneself with: When I met you I was beside myself with joy.
Bestow upon: May God bestow peace upon you.
Bias against: I have a bias against none.
Boast of: Nobody should boast of wealth.
Born of: He was born of an aristocratic family.
Bound for: The ship is bound for Sri Lanka.
Bound by: I am bound by your courage to help him.
Brood over: Let me brood over the matter.
Burst into: Suddenly Ram bursts into laughter.
Busy at: I am busy at my writing.
Appropriate Prepositions
CÂ Â Â Â Â Â
Compete against: Let me compete against my colleagues.
Capable of: You should be capable of hard study.
Capacity for: Ramen has no capacity for doing the work.
Care for: He cares for none.
Careful of: He is careful of his failure.
Catch at: The thief was caught at by the police.
Caution against: Take caution against all danger.
Cautious of: I am cautious of my fault.
Certain of: Be certain of your success.
Characterise by: His writing is characterised by simplicity.
Characteristic of: Simplicity was the characteristic of Sukanta’s verses.
Charge against: I have no charge against my friend.
Charge of: I cannot take the charge of your office.
Claim upon: I have a claim upon the rights of the novel.
Close to: This house is close to my library.
Clue to: I could not find any clue to my former friend.
Comment on: Please comment on this passage.
Commit to: Commit the appropriate prepositions to memory.
Common to: The impact of science is common to all.
Compare to (dissimilar things): Your dishonesty may be compared to fire.
Compare with (similar things): Alexander the Great may be compared with Napoleon Bonaparte.
Comply with: Please try to comply with my request.
Confide in: Why can you not confide in your friend’s arguments?
Confuse with: He confused the red with the yellow.
Cure of: Be cure of your disease.
Convince of: It is not difficult to convince him of my honesty.
Convict of: Ram was convicted of robbery.
Contrary to: His work is contrary to his plan.
Conscious of: I am conscious of my faults.
Content with: I am content with what I have.
Congratulate on: Don’t forget to congratulate on the president.
Compensate for: You must compensate for the loss.
Compose of: Water is composed of Oxygen and Hydrogen?
Condemned to: He was condemned to death.
Condole with: I condoled with Bina for his failure.
Conducive to: Milk is conducive to natural health.
Confer upon: U.K. University conferred an honorary doctorate upon Mahantaji.
Connect with: Don’t connect him with this problem.
Connive at: I cannot connive at your indolence.
Consist of: Our committee consists of forty members.
Consist in: Happiness consists in a simple life.
Contemporary of: William Shakespeare was a contemporary of Queen Elizabeth.
Contribute to: Please, excuse me, I cannot contribute a large sum of money to the fund.
Control over: I have no control over him.
Cope with: I tried to cope with that environment.
Correspond with: Please correspond with me off and on.
Count upon: I cannot count upon your help.
Count for: He will count this income for nothing.
Crave for: He craves for money only.
Crown with: Ram was crowned with success.
Appropriate Prepositions
D
Depend on (upon): Children depend upon their parents.
Dedicate to: The book is dedicated to the students.
Debar from: He was debarred from doing the work.
Deal in: Ram deals in tea.
Deal with: Please deal gently with everybody.
Deficient in: I was deficient in English when I was a student of Middle school.
Delight in: I delight in writing.
Demand for: I have no demand for money from you.
Dependent on: I am dependent on my parents.
Deprive of: He was deprived of his property.
Derive from: Ghee is derived from butter.
Desire for: I desire for money now.
Desirous of: I am desirous of getting a job in an industry.
Desist from: Desist from doing harm to others.
Destined for: This post was destined for a Hindu.
Despair of: Nobody should be despaired of failure.
Destitute of: My pocket is destitute of money.
Determined on: I am determined on doing my work.
Deviate from: Ram deviated from simple living.
Detrimental to: Smoking is detrimental to health.
Devoid of: They are not devoid of money.
Devote to: We should devote ourselves to our works.
Die of: She died of cholera.
Die from: He died from overwork.
Die by: He died by accident.
Die for: Kanaklata died for Freedom.
Dissent from: My friends dissented from our principles.
Dilate on: Please dilate on the story.
Divide into: The house is divided into four chambers.
Dream of: I cannot dream of such imagery in my verses.
Due to: Rehman did not go there due to his illness.
Dull at: Devjani was not dull at Arabic.
Dull of: Ram was dull of hearing.
Divert from: My friends tried their best to divert me from my goal of life.
Dissuade from: He was dissuaded from going to Pune.
Dispose of: I cannot dispose of my earlier manuscripts.
Appropriate Prepositions
E
Eligible for: Kanak was eligible for the post of teacher.Â
Eager for: I am eager for having a job.
Emerge from: Suddenly a deer emerged from the jungle.
Encroach upon: He cannot encroach upon my school.
End in: The meeting ended in success.
Endear to: Try to endear yourself to us all.
Enlist in: I was enlisted in the committee as a member.
Engage in: My friend is engaged in business.
Enquire of, after, about, into: He enquired of any present condition. Ram enquired after my business. They enquired about my writings. The detective will enquire into the murder.
Envious of: They are envious of Kanak’s success.
Equal to: Rahim proves himself to be equal to Ram.
Excel in: She excels in singing.
Exchange for: I cannot exchange my pen for your horse.
Exempt from: Ramen was exempted from going to jail.
Expose to: Don’t expose to the sun.
Exile from: Napoleon was exiled to St. Helena from France.
Exception to: There is no exception to these principles.
Exclusive of: The price of the book is Rs. 10/- exclusive of all taxes.
Expect from: I cannot expect much from you.
Appropriate Prepositions
F
Faith in: I have full faith in the oneness of God.
Faithful to: Every husband should be faithful to his wife.
False to: Never be false to your friends.
Familiar with: Ram and Rahim are familiar with us.
Favourable to: The Monsoon is favourable to our crops.
Famous for: Ramananda is famous for painting.
Feed on: The child feeds on milk.
Feel for: Who is here to feel for my misfortune?
Fond of: I am fond of poetry.
Fondness for: We have a fondness for success.
Free from: Try to be free from sin.
Frown on: Fortune frowns on the wicked.
Full of: The glass is full of water.
Furnish with: The room is furnished with fine furniture.
Appropriate Prepositions
G
Glad at (of): They are glad at (of) your success.
Good at: She is good at hand-writing.
Glory in: Mahatmaji gloried in our freedom.
Grateful to: I am grateful to him for his help.Â
Greedy of, (after): Kamala Kanta was greedy of (after) material pleasures.
Grumble at: You should not grumble at failure.
Guard from: Guard the rice from the rats.
Guard against: Guard yourself against your enemy.
Guess at: I cannot guess at your age.
Guilty of: Ram is said to be guilty of misconduct.
Appropriate Prepositions
H
Hanker after: Rahim never hankers after money.Â
Hatred for: I have no hatred for my enemies.
Heard of (from): For many days I’ve heard nothing of (from) you.Â
Hinder from: Don’t hinder me from writing this essay.
Hing upon: I cannot hing upon you.
Hint at: He hinted at my success.
Hit upon: At last I hit upon the final decision.
Hope for: Ramen has but no hope for success.
Hopeful of: I am hopeful of going there.
Hostile to: Your decision was hostile to that of mine.
Appropriate Prepositions
I
Ignorant of: They are ignorant of our plans.
Impose on: The duty was imposed on me.
Ill of (with): Ram was ill of (with) cold-fever.
Impute to: Please don’t impute the work to me.
Include in: Include my name as a student in your list.
Inclusive of: The Price of this book is 150/- inclusive of all taxes.
Inculcate on: The teacher inculcated the idea of socialism on the students.
Indifferent to: Sankardev was indifferent to worldly pleasures.
Independent of: Nobody is independent of others.
Indebted to, for: I am indebted to you for your advice.
Indulge in: I am indulged in milk.
Infected with: The town was infected with malaria.
Infested with: The godown was infested with rats.
Influence over: I have a good influence over my friends and colleagues.
Inform of: Please inform me of your decision.
Injurious to: Cigarette smoking is injurious to health.Â
Innocent of: He was innocent of the trickery.
Insist on: Please insist on doing your duty.
Inspire with: Your success inspired me with new courage.
Interfere with: Don’t interfere with my duty.
Interest in: My interest is in the drawing.
Introduce into: Ram was introduced into the committee.
Invest in: Invest your money in the bank.
Involve in: Don’t involve me in the affairs.
Irrelevant to: Your advice is irrelevant to my taste.
Irrespective of: We should love each other irrespective of caste and creed.
Appropriate Prepositions
J
Jealous of: I am not jealous of your success.
Jeer at: Don’t jeer at a lame man.
Jest at: He is wicked who jests at the poor.
Jump at: The tiger jumped at the deer.
Jump to (a conclusion): He jumped to the conclusion that he will meet us within a few days.
Appropriate Prepositions
K
Key to: Hard labour is key to success.
Knock at: Don’t knock at the door to deviate his attention.
Appropriate Prepositions
L
Lack in (of): I am lack in property but not of friends.
Lame of: Ram is lame of one leg.
Lament for: Lament for the death of your friend.
Laugh at: Who laughs at the lame man?
Liable to: You are liable to punishment.
Liking for: I have no liking for cricket.
Listen to: Listen to what the honourable Prime Minister says.
Lean against: Don’t lean against the table.
Long for: I long for higher education.
Appropriate Prepositions
M
Marry to: My sister was married to a gentleman.
Match for: He is not a match for my friend.
Meddle with: Don’t meddle with our private affairs.
Mindful of: I am mindful of your procedure.
Move by: I am moved by your promise.
Mourn for: I mourn for the loss of the thing.
Muse on: I am unable to muse on the matter.
Appropriate Prepositions
N
Natural to: Human love is natural to all.
Necessity for: I have no necessity for your pen.
Need of: I have no need of your sympathy.
Negligent of: Don’t be negligent of your duty.
Notorious for: Hazi Mastan was notorious for smuggling.
Appropriate Prepositions
O
Obedient to: Be obedient to your teachers.
Object to: I can object to your principles.
Objection to: I have no objection to your opinion.
Obliged (to a person, for a thing): I am obliged to Charles Reba for his help in preparing this book.
Obstacle to: Unemployment is an obstacle to our progress.
Occur to: Suddenly a good plan occurred to my mind.
Open to: This house is opened to my friends.
Owe to: I owe to you for your help.
Overcome with: At last Ram overcomes the opposition.
Overwhelmed with: I am overwhelmed with your success.
Appropriate Prepositions
P
Part from: Yesterday evening, my friend parted from me.
Participate to: Leander Paes participated to Atlanta Olympics ’96.
Partake of: He partook of my company.
Passion for: Every young man has a good passion for money.
Persist in: He persists in doing it.
Persevere in: Ram and Rahim persevered in preaching Humanism.
Persuade of: I was persuaded of doing my work.
Play on: I am going to learn how to play on a guitar.
Point to: It was Memon who pointed to my faults.
Ponder over: For the whole day I pondered over my problems.
Popular with, for: The student is popular with his teachers for his ideal behaviour.
Prefer to: Prefer death to dishonesty.
Prepare for: I am prepared for doing the work.
Preside over: Mr. Momrez presided over the meeting.
Prejudicial to: Smoking is prejudicial to health.
Pretext for: Ram found no pretext for his enemy.
Prevent from: Prevent him from doing this secret work.
Proud of: We are proud of our national heritage and integrity.
Prior to: Work is prior to the result.
Productive of: Your hard labour is productive of your good result.
Proficient in: I am not proficient in Arabic.
Profitable to: Hard labour is profitable to business.
Prohibit from: Prohibit Ram from going there.
Prompt in: Be prompt in performing your social duties.
Prone to: He is prone to all bad habits such as – gambling, drinking wine, trickery etc.
Protest against: Don’t protest against my goodwill.
Provide with: Let me be provided with food and lodging.
Appropriate Prepositions
Q
Qualified for: You are qualified for your post.
Quarrel over: Never quarrel over such a trifle.
Quarrel with (a person): He often quarrels with his friends.
Quick at: Be quick at your writing.
Appropriate Prepositions
R
Rail at or against: Don’t rail at (against) a blind man.
Ready for: I am ready for doing my duty.
Reason with: I cannot reason with such a wicked man.
Rebel against: Who is there to rebel against the government?
Recover from: May you be recovered from broken health.
Refer to: I referred to the Bible for explaining the creed.
Regard for: I have no regard for such a hypocrite.
Regard to: I have nothing to say in regard to it.
Rely on: I cannot rely on your help.
Remedy for: There is no remedy for AIDS.
Remind of: Your talk reminds me of my duty.
Repose in: Repose your good and bad in God.
Repose on: I reposed on my bed.
Resign to: Every robber should resign to the police.
Respond to: Please respond to my call.
Responsible for: You are responsible for the accident.
Rich in: Assam is rich in tea.
Appropriate Prepositions
S
Sacred to: The river Ganga is sacred to the Hindus.
Sanguine of: I am sanguine of success.
Satisfied with: I am satisfied with my friends.
Search for, after: Karishma searched for more and more salary, but does not search after pleasure and comfort.
Seek for: I seek for an opportunity to get there.
Send for: Please send for a doctor.
Similar to: This book is not similar to that.
Sin against: Don’t sin against God and man.
Sick of: He is sick of an idle life.
Suffer for: We should be ready to suffer for our motherland.
Slow of: He is slow of writing.
Smile at: Don’t smile at the poor.
Smile upon: Fortune smiles upon you.
Stain upon: Unchastity is a stain upon Hindu society.
Stare at: Ram stared at the tiger.
Start for: I started for Delhi.
Start at: Don’t be started at my knocking.
Stick to: He sticks to painting.
Surety for: Hari stood surety for me.
Sensitive to: Rakesh is sensitive to beautiful things.
Stoop to: Why have you to stoop to such trifles?
Sub-ordinate to: I am sub-ordinate to God only.
Subscribe to: He subscribed six rupees to the poor-fund.
Subsist upon: We subsist upon food.
Suffer from: He often suffers from cold-fever.
Sufficient for: These books are not sufficient for me.
Superior to: This book is superior to that of Ashramji.
Suspicious of: She was suspicious of my sudden entrance.
Sympathy for: I have no sympathy for a rogue.
Sympathise with: Ram sympathises with Rahim’s poverty.
Appropriate Prepositions
T
Talk to: They will talk to you.
Talk about: They are talking about my recent novel all evening.
Talk over: We agreed to talk over the dispute.
Taste for: I have no taste for coca-cola.
Think of: I cannot think of such a sin.
Think about: Let me leave you alone for some time to think about the problem.
Tide over: He tided over the hardship.
Trade in: He trades in tea.
Touch on (discuss): The orator touched over the matter.
Triumph over: He triumphs over all difficulties.
True to: I am true to my words.
Appropriate Prepositions
U
Use of: What is the use of listening to music?
Use for: There is no use for the room.
Useful to: The cow is useful to man.
Unfit for: You are unfit for the post.
Unite with: The Muslims united with the Hindus during the Freedom Movement of India.
Appropriate Prepositions
V
Vain of: Who was not vain of his success?
Vary from: Conduct varies from person to person.
Versed in: Kalidas was versed in Sanskrit.
Victim of: Ram Chandra was the victim of his father’s promise.
Vie with: They vied with my students to win the prize.
Void of: This room is void of furniture.
Appropriate Prepositions
W
Wait for: I am waiting for my best friend.
Wait on: I cannot wait on you.
Want of: I have no want of courage.
Weary of: Never be weary of duty.
Weak in: Sita is weak in English.
Wish for: I wish for your glorious success.
Warn of: The scientists warn the people of the impending climatic disaster.
Warn against: I warn you against your enemy.
Wonder at: I wonder at your tricks.
Worthy of: A man of honour is worthy of praise.
Appropriate Prepositions  Â
Y
Yearn for: Everybody yearns for money.
Yield to: The young robbers yielded to the police.
Appropriate Prepositions
Z
Zealous for: I am zealous for painting.
Zest for: He has but no zest for goodwill.
Zest at: You have zest at doing the work but have no ability.  0 0 0
Appropriate Prepositions
N.B. Â The article ‘Appropriate Prepositions’ originally belongs to the book ‘School English Grammar Part- I‘ by Menonim Menonimus. Appropriate Prepositions
Books of Composition by M. Menonimus:
- Advertisement Writing
- Amplification Writing
- Note Making
- Paragraph Writing
- Notice Writing
- Passage Comprehension
- The Art of Poster Writing
- The Art of Letter Writing
- Report Writing
- Story Writing
- Substance Writing
- School Essays Part-I
- School Essays Part-II
- School English Grammar Part-I
- School English Grammar Part-II..
Books on Linguistics by M. Menonimus:
- A Brief History of the English Language
- Essays on Linguistics
- My Imageries
- Felicitous Expression: Some Examples
- Learners’ English Dictionary
Related Search:
- Home English Grammar
- Learn English
- Grammar-English for Students
- Easy English Grammar
- Basic English Grammar Lessons
- A Beginner’s Guide to Basic English Grammar …
- Prepositions
- Preposition: Definition and Meaning
- Rules of Prepositions
- What is a Preposition
- Words with Appropriate Prepositions
- Prepositions
- Appropriate Prepositions-English Grammar
