What they are
A prepositional verb is a verb + preposition with a fixed meaning. The preposition is always followed by an object (a noun, pronoun or -ing form), and it cannot be separated from the verb.
Common verb + preposition
| Preposition | Verbs |
| for | wait for, look for, ask for, apologize for, pay for |
| to | listen to, talk to, belong to, look forward to |
| on | depend on, insist on, agree on (a topic), spend (money) on |
| at | laugh at, look at, arrive at (a place) |
| about | talk about, think about, complain about, worry about |
| in / from / with | believe in, succeed in · suffer from · agree with, deal with |
Careful pairs
- look at (direct your eyes) · look for (search) · look after (take care of)
- arrive at a place · arrive in a city or country
Watch out
- After a preposition use -ing: She apologized for being late. I'm looking forward to seeing you.
- Adjective + preposition also has fixed patterns: good at, afraid of, interested in, proud of, married to.
En español
Muchos verbos en inglés llevan una preposición fija que no siempre coincide con el español (wait for = esperar, listen to = escuchar, depend on = depender de). Después de una preposición usa -ing.
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