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