made by + the person/company/process which produced it made for + its purpose made from + original material which has been transformed made of + original material which is still visible [r]
Trang 1GRAMMAR FOR ADVANVED LEARNERS DEPENDENT PREPOSITIONS
In English there are many words which are used with particular prepositions Because
the choice of preposition depends on the word and meaning, the prepositions we use are
called dependent prepositions For example, we accuse someone of a crime, we don't
accuse orneone at a crime, by a-crime or for a crirne
There are many verbs which combine with particular prepositions Some of these are
'prepositional verbs' (e.g quarrel with someone) Other verbs follow different patterns
(e.g accuse someone of a crime) There are also many nouns and adjectives which are
followed by particular prepositions
GENERAL RULES
1 Prepositions after verbs, nouns and adjectives always have an object The object can
be a noun, pronoun or verb
- I apologised to my boss / her / the managing director (the objects are nouns)
- I apologised for arriving late.(the object is a verb-ING)
Note that 'to' can be a preposition.
2 If the object of a preposition is a verb, it must be an -ing form:
- She sueeeeded in win the race =>She succeeded in winning the race
* The -ing form can have its own subject This is a noun phrase or an object pronoun:
- I'm looking forward to my wife returning (wife is the subject of returning.)
- Dad insisted on us apologising (us is the subject of apologising.)
In formal English we can use possessives rather than nouns or pronouns
- The judge granted bail as she felt there was no risk of the defendant's absconding.
- The detective insisted on our leaving the crime scene.
3 Many adjectives describing feelings and emotions can be followed by a preposition
or
to + infinitive
- We were annoyed at finding our places taken He's keen on learning archery.
- We were annoyed to find our places taken He's keen to learn archery.
Some verbs can also be followed by either a preposition or to + infinitive, but there may
be a change of meaning:
- They don't agree with the government's policy (= They have a different opinion.)
- I agreed to help him fill out the forms (= I said that I was willing to )
4 Many of the words which describe what we say, think or feel are followed by a
preposition + -ing form Some of these words can also be followed by a that clause
- The judge insisted on the jurg disregarding the doctor's testimong
- The judge insisted that the jurg disregard,the doctor's testimong
But prepositions cannot be followed by a that clause except with the expression
‘the
fact that’:
- My parents disapproved of that my brother left school at sixteen.
- My parents disapproved of the fact that my brother left school at sixteen.
5 We do not use 'if' after prepositions, we use 'whether':
- I'm afraid I wasn't aware of if she was watehing tne or not
- I'm afraid I wasn't aware of whether she was watching me or not.
VERB + PREPOSITION PATTERNS
1 Some verbs combine with a preposition either to create a new meaning or to link a verb with an object These verbs are called prepositional verbs
- They decided to look into the problem (= to investigate it)
- Tim complained about the bill.
- She apologised for her outburst.
Some prepositional verbs also use an extra preposition before an indirect object, e.g to the manager Most of these are reporting verbs:
- Tim complained to the manager about the bill.
- She apologised to the committee for her outburst.
2 We use object + preposition + -ing form after particular verbs to link the verb with the person it affects and the action which is connected to it
- The police accused her of stealing.
- His sense of duty prevented him from leaving.
These verbs can be made passive:
- She was accused of stealing (by the police).
- He was prevented from leaving (by his sense of duty).
3 We can use direct object + preposition + indirect object after particular verbs to link the verb with two objects:
- The tour guide discussed the day's schedule with us.
- Henry explained it to me very slowly.
With some verbs we can change the order of the objects, but in this case different prepositions are used:
- I blame our schools for the poor standard of education (= blame somebody for
something)
- I blame the poor standard of education on our schools (= blame something on
somebody)
- The King of Sweden presented the physicist with the Nobel prize (= present somebody with something)
- The King of Sweden presented the Nobel prize to the phgsicist (= present something
to somebody)
These verbs can be made passive But only the direct object (the one which immediately follows the active verb) can become the subject of the passive verb:
- My teacher explained it to me
- I was explained it by my teaeher => It was explained to me (by my teacher)
Trang 2 Unlike some verbs used with two objects (e.g give), with the above verbs we cannot
omit the preposition:
- He gave it to me He gave me it.
- He explained rne it - He expleiaed it me => He explained it to me
- He diseassed us it - He discussed it us => He discussed it with us
NOUN + PREPOSITION
1 Where a noun is related to a prepositional verb, the noun often takes the same
preposition ,
- He succeeded in winning the Palme d'Or (= to succeed in something)
- We congratulated him on his success in winning the Palme d'Or (= a success in
something)
2 But some nouns followed by a preposition are related to verbs which do not take a
Preposition
- The members had a discussion about the subscription charges (= a discussion about
something)
- We discussed the subscription charges (= to discuss something)
- We diseussed about the subseription charges
Here are examples of other verbs / nouns like this:
* to demand something/ a demand for something
* to fear something / a fear of something
The preposition is usually followed by an -ing form or noun But there are some noun +
preposition forms which can only be followed by a noun
- The court issued a demand for repaying of the debt.
=> The court issued a demand for repayment of the debt.
ADJECTIVE/PARTICIPLE + PREPOSITION
1 Where an adjective is related to a noun or verb which takes a preposition, the
adjective usually takes the same preposition
- I expressed my gratitude for their assistance I was grateful for their assistance.
- We depend on his generosity We are dependent on his generosity.
2 A lot of adjectives describing feelings and opinions have dependent prepositions:
- My grandfather's very keen on trout fishing.
- Stockbrohers are becoming increasinyly worried about the news from New York.
Some of these adjectives are formed from verb participles, e.g interested, bored,
scared We use participles + by + agent in passive sentences, e.g I was really scared
by that film Although these adjectives look like participles, they work differently and
cannot always be followed wilh 'by':
- I am scared by horror films => I am scared of horror films.
- He is interested by philosophy => He is interested in philosophy.
3 In some cases the participle form takes different prepositions depending on the
meaning, for example:
made by (+ the person/company/process which produced it) made for (+ its purpose)
made from (+ original material which has been transformed) made of (+ original material which is still visible)
WORD LIST: DEPENDENT PREPOSITION PATTERNS Prepositional verb + object + preposition + object
agree about sth with sb agree with sb about / over sth apologise to sb for sth complain about sth to sb complain to sb about sth depend on sb / sth for sth disagree with sb about / over sth quarrel with sb about / over sth rely on sb / sth for sth
Verb + direct object + preposition + indirect object
(* These verbs can also follow the pattern:
verb + direct object + preposition + -ing form.) accuse sb of sth*
acquit sb of sth advise sb against sth*
advise sb of sth aim sth at sb arrest sb for sth*
beat sb at sth*
blame sb for sth*
blame sth on sb bother sb with sth compensate sb for sth*
congratulate sb for sth* (US English) congratulate sb on sth*
convict sb of sth*
convince sb of sth criticise sb for sth cure sb of sth deprive sb of sth describe sth to sb discuss sth with sb explain sth to sb help sb with sth lend sth to sb make sth for sb
Trang 3persuade sb of sth
praise sb for sth*
present sb with sth
present sth to sb
prevent sb from -ing
protect sb from sth
provide sb with sth
provide sth for sb
reassure sb of sth
release sb from sth
rescue sb from sth
rid sb of sth
rob sb of sth
save sb / sth from sth
starve sb of sth
steal sth from sb
stop sb from -ing
strip sb of sth
supply sb with sth
supply sth forlto sb
suspect sb of sth
throw sth at sb (= in order to hit them)
throw sth to sb (= in order for them to catch it)
warn sb about / against sth*
welcome sb to sth
Noun + preposition + nounl-ing form
(* These nouns can only follow the pattern: noun + preposition + noun.)
advantage of / in
aim of / in
amazement at
anger about / at
annoyance about / at
answer to*
anxiety about
apology for
attack on
awareness of
belief in
boredom with
craving for
damage to*
danger of / in
decreose of (+ quantity)
decrease in*
delay in delay of (+ duration) demand for*
difficulty in effect of excitement about / at expense of
fear of gratitude for hope of idea of increase in*
increase of (+ quantity) insistence on
insurance against interest in job of lack of matter of matter with*
method of objection to pleasure of / in point of / in possibility of prelude to problem of / in proof of prospect of / for purpose of / in question about / of reason for
relationship with satisfaction with sequel to solution to*
success in surprise at tash of taste for thought of way of
Trang 4work of
worry about
Adjective + preposition
(* These adjectives can also be followed by to + infinitive.)
absent from
accustomed to
addicted to
afraid* of
amazed at / by
angry, annoyed*, furious* at / about (+ the cause of this feeling)
angry, annoyed, furious with (+ the person who caused this feeling)
anxious about (= feel nervous/worried about sb/sth)
anxious* for (= waiting impatiently for sth)
ashamed* of
astonished at/by
available for (+ purpose)
availqble to (+ person)
aware of
bad / good of (= ability)
bad / good for (= effect on health)
bad / good to (= behaviour towards/treatment of the object)
based on
bored with
capable of
characteristic of
close to
concerned about (= worried about)
concerned with (= involved in)
conducive to
confident of
content* with
contrary to
convenient for
conversant with
crazy* about
crowded with
curious* obout
deficient in
dependent on
devoid of
different to/from
different than (US English)
disgusted with / at
eager* for engaged* in (= working in / involved in) engaged to (= promised to marry) excited* about
faithful to famous for fed up with fond of fraught with glad for (= pleased for sb) glad of (= grateful for sth) good at / for / to ( bad) grateful for (+ the cause of this feeling) grateful fo (+ the person who caused this feeling) guilty of
harmful to hopeful of impervious to impressed with / by inclined towards incumbent upon inherent in intent on interested* in jealous of keen* on kind to lacking in late for made by (+ the person/company who produced it) made for (+ its purpose)
made from (+ original material which has been transformed) made of (+ original material which is still visible)
nervous of obedient to obvious to opposed to pleased at / about (+ something general, e.g your recovery/the inflation figures) pleased with (+ something personal, e.g my exam results/my new jacket) popular with
prone to proud* of ready * for related to
Trang 5reminiscent of
responsible for
riddled with
scared of
shoched at
short of
similar to
sorry* about (+ the cause of this feeling)
sorry for (+ the person youfeel sympathy towards) subject to
successful in
sufficient for
suitable for
superior to
sure of
terrified of
tired of
typical of
upset about / by / over (+ the cause of this feeling) upset with (+ the person who caused this feeling) worried about
worthy of
wrong with