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Verb + Preposition List

REF LEVEL VERB PATTERN NOTE MEANING EXAMPLE
VERB + ABOUT
VP04 Logo boast about/of sth BRAG express too much pride in yourself American girls like boys who boast about how cool they are.
VP11 Logo care about sth WORRY feel interest in something Chain smokers don't care about the dangers of smoking.
VP08 Logo forget about sth FAIL TO RECALL not remember to do something In the excitement she forgot all about her little sister.
VP05 Logo fret about/over sth NERVOUS be nervous or worried It turned out that it was nothing to fret about.
VP04 Logo grumble about sth COMPLAIN complain quietly about something Some of the customers have been grumbling about poor service.
VP08 Logo quarrel about/over sth ARGUE argue about or disagree with sth Susan and her husband are always quarrelling about money.
VP08 Logo think about sth CONTEMPLATE consider doing something I was thinking about changing my job.
VP06 Logo wail about sth MOAN cry about th in a loud high voice It's no use wailing about something that happened so long ago.
VP08 Logo worry about/over sb/sth PROBLEM think about problems or fears There's no point in worrying about things you can't change.
VERB + AGAINST
VP07 Logo insure sth against sth COVER buy insurance for something They have insured their house against fire and flood damage.
VERB + AT
VP03 Logo aim at sth INTEND try or plan to achieve something Some politicians aim at closing the gap between rich and poor.
VP12 Logo arrive at sth REACH (buildings, small places) reach a place The bus arrived at the station fifteen minutes late.
VP02 Logo estimate sth at sth GUESS form an idea of the cost, size, value Costs were unofficially estimated at about $10,000.
VP05 Logo gape at sb/sth LOOK look in great surprise at sb or sth Susan stood there gaping at me, too shocked to speak.
VP02 Logo grin at sb SMILE WIDELY smile a wide smile They grinned at her in a friendly way and she returned their smiles.
VP07 Logo hint at sth SUGGEST suggest something in an indirect way She's hinted at the possibility of moving to the Netherlands.
VP09 Logo laugh at sb/sth GIGGLE show that you think sb or sth is stupid I can't go to the pub looking like this - everyone will laugh at me.
VP02 Logo marvel at sth BE AMAZED show great surprise or admiration We marvelled at our mother's ability to remain calm in a crisis.
VP02 Logo nag at sb PESTER complain often in an annoying way Some children complain that their parents nag at them.
VP09 Logo point sth at sb AIM aim something at sb/sth Julia said that the man had pointed the gun at her head.
VP06 Logo roar at sb SHOUT shout something very loudly "Get down and don't move," the policeman roared at him.
VP09 Logo smile at sb/sth HAPPINESS make a smile appear on your face He smiled at the thought of finally being able to see her again.
VP09 Logo swear at sb/sth RUDE WORDS use rude or offensive language When the shop assistant started to swear at her, she walked away.
VERB + BY
VP05 Logo abide by sth OBEY accept and be guided by something He said he would abide by the court's decision.
VERB + FOR
VP06 Logo account for sth EXPLAIN explain the reason for something How can we account for the recent population explosion?
VP03 Logo allow for sb/sth CONSIDER consider or include sb/sth When buying property, you should allow for future growth.
VP08 Logo apologise to sb for sth SAY SORRY express regret for doing sth wrong We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused.
VP07 Logo applaud sb for sth PRAISE express approval of sb/sth We applauded Ann for having the courage to refuse.
VP05 Logo barter sth for sth EXCHANGE exchange goods for other things She bartered her postcard collection for his comics.
VP10 Logo beg for sth BESEECH make a very strong request Like many people, they can only beg for help.
VP10 Logo blame sb for sth BE AT FAULT think sb is wrong to do sth The company blames the poor economy for its financial losses.
VP11 Logo care for sb PROTECT look after somebody The children are being cared for by their grandmother.
VP01 Logo cater for sb/sth PROVIDE provide what is needed by sb/sth He says they have good facilities and can cater for children.
VP01 Logo compensate for sth EXCHANGE make up for some defect or weakness The price of the item was reduced to compensate for a defect.
VP04 Logo crave for sth LONG FOR have a very strong desire for sth The less you crave for food, the more you reduce weight.
VP10 Logo criticise sb for sth DISAPPROVAL express disapproval of sb or sth The judge was widely criticised for his verdict.
VP01 Logo earmark for sb/sth SET ASIDE designate sth for a particular purpose 15% of the budget has been earmarked for a new security system.
VP01 Logo nominate sb/sth for sth SUGGEST propose as a candidate He has been formally nominated for the presidency.
VP08 Logo pay sb for sth BUY give money for goods or services Did he pay you for looking after his dogs while he was away?
VP01 Logo pose for sb/sth POSITION sit or stand in a particular position She has never been asked to pose for the cover of a magazine.
VP12 Logo search sb for sth LOOK FOR examine sb's clothes to find sth They were searched by the guards for weapons.
VP04 Logo strive for sth SEEK try very hard to do or achieve sth They encourage all members to strive for the highest standards.
VP08 Logo thank sb for sth BE GRATEFUL tell sb that you are grateful for sth They said goodbye and thanked us for the dinner.
VP08 Logo wait for sth STAY IN stay where you are until sth comes Tina read the newspaper while waiting for the train.
VERB + FROM
VP02 Logo abscond from sth ESCAPE depart secretly and hide oneself Dave absconded from every children's home they placed him in.
VP10 Logo ban from sth FORBID forbid people from using something He was banned from the team because of alcohol abuse.
VP09 Logo borrow sth from sb/sth RECEIVE take or receive temporarily You could always borrow some money from the bank.
VP03 Logo conceal sb/sth from sth HIDE hide somebody/something For a long time her death was concealed from him.
VP02 Logo derive sth from sth GET get something from something We derived great satisfaction from our friendship.
VP06 Logo deter sb from sth PREVENT discourage sb from doing something The weather did not deter some people from swimming in the sea.
VP09 Logo differ from sb/sth BE DIFFERENT be different from sb/sth Your views differ considerably from those of your brother.
VP04 Logo elicit sth from sb OBTAIN get information from somebody Has she managed to elicit a response from John yet?
VP05 Logo emerge from sth TRANSPIRE (of facts, ideas) become known A pattern is beginning to emerge from our analysis of the data.
VP07 Logo eradicate sth from sth GET RID OF get rid of something completely They are determined to eradicate racism from sport.
VP12 Logo expel sb from sth PERSON force someone to leave a school His sister was expelled from school for bad behaviour.
VP09 Logo hide sb/sth from sb CONCEAL prevent from being seen or discovered We hid her from the police in our summer house.
VP02 Logo infer sth from sth DEDUCE form an opinion from evidence What do you infer from this woman's hesitating manner?
VP02 Logo inherit sth from sb QUALITY derive a quality from one's ancestors He inherited a passion for poetry from her grandmother.
VP03 Logo refrain from sth DESIST stop yourself from doing something In order to avoid forest fires, please refrain from smoking.
VP09 Logo suffer from sth FEEL PAIN experience physical or mental pain He's been suffering from cancer for four years now.
VERB + IN(TO)
VP12 Logo arrive in sth REACH (cities, countries) reach a place What time does the plane arrive in Amsterdam?
VP09 Logo believe in sth BE CERTAIN be certain that something exists Mark says he doesn't believe in ghosts.
VP01 Logo confide in sb SECRET tell personal and private things to sb Teachers are highly respected and children will confide in them.
VP09 Logo contain in sth HOLD include something as a part She was opposed to some of the provisions contained in the bill.
VP09 Logo dress sb in sth WEAR wear a particular type of clothes Why do people insist on dressing little boys in blue?
VP03 Logo embroil sb in sth INVOLVE involve in conflict or difficulties She was reluctant to embroil herself in our problems.
VP01 Logo establish yourself in sth PROVE hold a position for long enough As a doctor he worked hard to establish himself in the town.
VP06 Logo implicate sb/sth in sth INVOLVE show sb to be involved in a crime His investigation would implicate his sister in the crime.
VP01 Logo indulge in sth ALLOW allow to do sth as a special pleasure We went into town to indulge in some serious shopping.
VP04 Logo instruct sb in sth TEACH teach somebody something All our staff have been instructed in sign language.
VP11 Logo involve in sth TAKE PART take part in something The teacher tried to involve all the children in the game.
VP01 Logo persist in/with sth CONTINUE try to do or continue doing something Why does she persist in blaming herself for what happened?
VP04 Logo prevail in sth EXIST be usual, common, or popular Barbaric customs still prevail in the mountainous area.
VP05 Logo result in sth CAUSE cause something to happen The closure of the factory resulted in over 200 redundancies.
VP07 Logo seduce sb into sth PERSUADE persuade someone to do something She seduced people into following her by telling them lies.
VP09 Logo succeed in sth ACHIEVE achieve the correct or desired result They will never succeed in this business.
VP10 Logo translate sth into sth INTERPRET change words into a another language His latest book has been translated into 12 languages.
VP11 Logo turn sth into sth CHANGE become something He has seen his little girl turn into a beautiful woman.
VERB + OF
VP01 Logo acquit sb of sth NOT GUILTY decide that sb is not guilty of a crime Tom was acquitted of all the charges against him.
VP05 Logo be composed of sth FORM be formed from various things The houses in my hometown were chiefly composed of wood.
VP03 Logo conceive of sb/sth IMAGINE imagine something It is difficult to conceive of a society without money.
VP07 Logo convict sb of sth FIND GUILTY prove that sb is guilty of a crime He was convicted of tax evasion and spent 4 months in prison.
VP01 Logo despair of sb/sth GIVE UP HOPE lose hope or be without hope She had begun to despair of ever finding a flat she could afford.
VP06 Logo disapprove of sb/sth REJECT feel that sth or sb is bad, wrong The workers strongly disapprove of the firm's new policies.
VP03 Logo dispose of sb/sth GET RID OF get rid of sb or sth Please dispose of your cigarette butts in one of the ashtrays.
VP10 Logo dream of sth SLEEP think about sth that you'd like to have Tina dreamed of drowning and woke up trembling.
VP01 Logo weary of sth TIRE lose your interest for something She never seems to weary of eating the same type of food.
VERB + (UP)ON
VP02 Logo accompany sb on/at sth PLAY MUSIC perform an accompaniment to or for The singer was accompanied on the piano by his brother.
VP08 Logo base sth (up)on sth OPINION form sth by using sth as a basis Her first book was based on her own experiences as a doctor.
VP04 Logo bet sth on sth RISK MONEY risk money on a race or an event He bet $2,000 on the horse that came in third.
VP10 Logo comment on/about sth REMARK ON express an opinion about something Several people have commented on her new evening dress.
VP08 Logo congratulate sb on sth SUCCESS praise someone or something They congratulated her on her driving test results.
VP07 Logo deliver on sth PRODUCE do what you promised to do I am certain that she will deliver on her promise.
VP08 Logo depend (up)on sb/sth TRUST rely on somebody/something I'm not sure if I'll have the picnic. It depends on the weather.
VP05 Logo elaborate (up)on sth EXPLAIN add more information to or explain sth She said he was resigning but did not elaborate on her reasons.
VP02 Logo embark (up)on sth START start something new or important The band are about to embark on a seven-month world tour.
VP12 Logo force sth (up)on sb NO CHOICE make somebody accept something It's no good trying to force a diet on someone.
VP02 Logo impose sth (up)on sb/sth FORCE introduce a new law, rule, tax This decision will impose serious constraints on all schools.
VP08 Logo insist on sth DEMAND demand that something happen George was determined to insist on his rights.
VP06 Logo lecture on sth TEACH give a formal talk to a group of people He travelled widely in Europe, lecturing on Balkan Linguistics.
VP03 Logo linger on REMAIN take longer than usual to disappear Snow may linger on the high passes as late as April.
VP02 Logo pride yourself on sth TAKE PRIDE IN be proud of something She prides herself on being able to organise her own life.
VP11 Logo rely (up)on sb/sth DEPEND ON need or depend on sb/sth He relies on his brother to drive him to school.
VP11 Logo work on sth IMPROVE try hard to improve something We have a team of ten working on product development.
VERB + TO
VP12 Logo be admitted to sth HOSPITAL allow someone to enter a hospital Keith was admitted to hospital suffering from asthma.
VP06 Logo appeal to sb REQUEST make a serious or formal request They asked that the leader appeal directly to their citizens for help.
VP02 Logo attribute sth to sth/sb ASCRIBE say that sth is because of sb/sth His doctor attributes his health problems to a poor diet.
VP08 Logo belong to sb/sth BE OWNED be owned by somebody/something The car belongs not just to him, but to his wife as well.
VP02 Logo commit yourself to sth PROMISE keep to an agreement or arrangement Both sides committed themselves to settle the dispute peacefully.
VP04 Logo confine to sth LIMIT limit an activity, person, or problem Please confine your comments to 500 words.
VP02 Logo consent to sth AGREE agree to do something She has kindly consented to give us some of his valuable time.
VP10 Logo contribute to sth IMPROVE help to cause something to happen Many players have contributed to the team's success.
VP03 Logo convey sth to sb COMMUNICATE make ideas, feelings known to sb John managed to convey his enthusiasm to his wife.
VP07 Logo devote yourself to sb/sth DEDICATE give most of your time, etc. to sb/sth Betty devoted herself entirely to writing poetry.
VP11 Logo explain sth to sb MAKE CLEAR make sth clear or easy to understand The firefighter explained the rules to the children.
VP08 Logo hand sth to sb PASS pass or give something to somebody The waitress smiled politely as she handed my bill to me.
VP08 Logo happen to sb/sth EXPERIENCE have an effect on sb/sth It's the best thing that has ever happened to her.
VP08 Logo listen to sb/sth HEAR pay attention to somebody/something Everyone listened carefully to the firefighter's instructions.
VP02 Logo pledge sth to sb/sth PROMISE formally promise to give or do sth The government has pledged to clean up industrial emissions.
VP11 Logo present sth to sb GIVE give, provide, or make sth known She presented the report to his colleagues at the conference.
VP05 Logo resort to sth RECOURSE make use of sth, especially sth bad They want to resolve this crisis without resorting to violence.
VP06 Logo subject sb/sth to sth MAKE SUFFER cause sb/sth to experience sth harmful The test involved subjecting the sample to intense heat.
VP02 Logo succumb to sth SURRENDER lose the determination to oppose sth He finally succumbed to Ann's charms and agreed to marry her.
VERB + WITH
VP09 Logo agree with sb OPINION have the same opinion I myself agree with you, but I can't speak for my boss.
VP09 Logo argue with sb DISAGREE give reasons for or against something He continued to argue with the referee throughout the game.
VP01 Logo associate sb/sth with sth LINK connect or bring into relation They were closely associated with each other during the war.
VP09 Logo begin sth with sth START start doing something They usually begin their lessons with a warm-up exercise.
VP06 Logo clutter sth with sth MESS UP be in a mess, make untidy Try to avoid cluttering your desk with books and papers.
VP01 Logo coincide with sth TAKE PLACE happen at or near the same time The show is timed to coincide with the launch of his new record.
VP07 Logo commence with sth BEGIN begin something The festivities will commence with a moment of silence.
VP01 Logo comply with sth STANDARDS meet particular standards New vehicles must comply with set safety standards.
VP04 Logo console sb with sth COMFORT give comfort or sympathy to sb She consoled herself with the thought that things could be worse.
VP09 Logo deal with sth TAKE ACTION solve a problem, perform a task They discussed different ways of dealing with the problem.
VP11 Logo enclose sth with sth SEND include sth with a letter Please enclose a cheque with your application.
VP07 Logo enrich sth with sth ENHANCE improve the quality of something Breakfast cereals can be enriched with vitamins and minerals.
VP05 Logo fiddle with sth MOVE THINGS manipulate, as in a nervous manner He was fiddling with her pen as he waited for the test to start.
VP01 Logo ingratiate yourself with sb PRAISING do things to make somebody like you She's always trying to ingratiate herself with her teacher.
VP04 Logo mingle sth with sth MIX combine two or more things Her perfume mingled with the smell of woodsmoke from the fire.
VP03 Logo plead with sb REQUEST make an emotional appeal We pleaded with them not to take any action against the girl.
VP12 Logo provide sb with sth SUPPLY give sb something that they need The project was designed to provide young students with work.
VP12 Logo equip with sth PROVIDE provide sb with necessary supplies We spent a lot of money equipping the school with new tablets.
VP01 Logo sympathise with sb/sth UNDERSTAND feel sorry for somebody I can sympathise with those who have lost loved ones.
Logo - CEFR-Level A1 (Beginner)
Logo - CEFR-Level A2 (Pre-Intermediate)
Logo - CEFR-Level B1 (Intermediate)
Logo - CEFR-Level B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
Logo - CEFR-Level C1 (Advanced)
Logo - CEFR-Level C2 (Proficiency)
Logo - NOT APPLICABLE
VP24 - PET GRAMMAR SECTION
VP24 - FCE GRAMMAR SECTION
VP24 - ADVANCED VOCABULARY SECTION

sth - something | sb - somebody