Many English verbs must be followed by a specific preposition. 'Listen' takes 'to' — you listen TO music, never 'listen music' or 'listen at music'. 'Depend' takes 'on' — the answer depends ON the situation, never 'depends of' or 'depends from'. These verb + preposition pairs are not predictable — two similar verbs can take different prepositions. 'Agree with a person' but 'agree on a plan'. 'Talk to a friend' and 'talk about a problem' — both possible, different meanings. 'Look at a picture', 'look for your keys', 'look after a baby' — one verb, three different prepositions, three different meanings. Students at B1 level need to master these patterns to speak and write naturally. This lesson covers the most common verb + preposition combinations and shows how to teach them as chunks so the preposition becomes automatic.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
The answer depends of the situation. ✗
The answer depends on the situation. ✓
She apologised to her mistake. ✗
She apologised for her mistake. ✓
Do you agree to my opinion? ✗
Do you agree with my opinion? ✓
Each verb here needs a specific preposition — but not always the same one. Why are these so often wrong, and why cannot students use logic to work out the preposition?
Verb + preposition combinations are fixed in English by convention, not by logic. The preposition that comes with each verb was settled by centuries of usage and is not predictable from meaning. 'Listen' takes 'to' because English has always used 'listen to' — not because 'to' means something special here. 'Depend' takes 'on' in the same way. When students try to work out which preposition to use, they often reach for the preposition that translates most directly from their first language — and most of the time, that is the wrong one. The answer is not to teach students the 'rule' for each verb — there is no rule. The answer is to teach the verb + preposition as one chunk, so the preposition is already attached when students retrieve the verb.
look at (= direct your eyes to something)
— She looked at the beautiful sunset.
look for (= try to find something that is lost or missing)
— I am looking for my keys.
look after (= take care of)
— Please look after my son while I am away.
look forward to (= be excited about something in the future)
— I am looking forward to the weekend.
Four phrases, four different meanings. The verb is the same but the preposition changes everything. Why is this particularly hard?
Some very common verbs ('look', 'talk', 'think', 'agree') combine with many different prepositions to make different meanings. 'Look at' is not the same action as 'look for' — they are different ideas. A student who knows only 'look' cannot choose the right preposition for the right meaning. Students need to learn each combination as a separate item. 'Look at' is one chunk. 'Look for' is another chunk. 'Look after' is another. They happen to share the word 'look', but for a learner they are different vocabulary items. This is similar to phrasal verbs — in fact, 'look after' is a phrasal verb and 'look at' is close to being one. Teaching them together as a family — 'here are four meanings of look' — helps students see the pattern and also see that the verb alone does not carry the meaning. The preposition does.
agree WITH a person (= share their opinion)
— I agree with my teacher.
agree ON something (after discussion)
— The team agreed on a new plan.
agree TO a request (= accept)
— She agreed to my suggestion.
talk TO a person (= speak with them directly)
— I need to talk to the head teacher.
talk ABOUT a topic (= discuss)
— Let's talk about the exam next week.
talk WITH a person (= have a conversation — more informal)
— I talked with my friend for hours.
These verbs can take more than one preposition. How does the meaning change each time?
A few common verbs change their preposition to signal a small change in meaning. 'Agree with a person' means sharing their view. 'Agree on something' is about reaching a decision together after discussion. 'Agree to a request' means accepting a proposal. All three involve agreement, but the preposition tells you which kind. Similarly 'talk to' (direct conversation with someone) and 'talk about' (the subject of the conversation) are both common — students can use them together: 'I talked to my teacher about the exam'. Teaching these multi-preposition verbs requires showing all the options at once, with examples of each, so students learn the full set together. Choosing between 'agree with' and 'agree on' is not just about grammar — it is about meaning, and students need practice with the meaning distinction.
| Verb | Preposition | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| listen | to | I listen to the radio every morning. | Always 'to'. 'Listen music' is wrong — the preposition is essential. |
| depend | on | The answer depends on the question. | 'Depend on', not 'depend of' or 'depend from' — both common translation errors. |
| agree | with / on / to | I agree with my brother. We agreed on a plan. She agreed to my request. | 'With' + person, 'on' + a decision or plan, 'to' + a request or proposal. |
| belong | to | This book belongs to the school library. | Always 'to'. Different from 'belong in' (be part of a place) — rare. |
| apologise | for / to | He apologised for being late. He apologised to his teacher. | 'For' + the thing you did. 'To' + the person you apologise to. Often used together: 'apologise to her for the mistake'. |
| look | at / for / after | Look at the picture. I am looking for my keys. She looks after her grandmother. | Three different meanings — direct eyes, search, take care. These are separate chunks. |
| talk | to / about | I talked to my teacher about the test. | 'Talk to' + person, 'talk about' + topic. Often combined in one sentence. |
| think | about / of | I am thinking about my future. What do you think of this idea? | Both common. 'About' = consider something in depth. 'Of' = have an opinion or memory of. |
| wait | for | I am waiting for the bus. | Always 'for'. Not 'wait to' (except before a verb: 'wait to see'). |
| worry | about | Don't worry about the exam — you will do well. | Always 'about' for a topic of concern. |
| ask | for / about | She asked for help. I asked about the timetable. | 'Ask for' = request something. 'Ask about' = enquire on a topic. |
| arrive | at / in | We arrived at the school. She arrived in Nigeria. | 'At' + a specific place (school, airport). 'In' + a city or country. Not 'arrive to' — a common error. |
NOTE 1 — Verb + preposition must be learned as chunks: Teach the verb and preposition together as one item, not as a verb plus a choice. When students meet 'listen', they should learn it with 'to' attached. When they write it in their notebook, 'listen to' goes together. Students who memorise the chunk retrieve it automatically; students who memorise the verb alone have to guess the preposition every time.
NOTE 2 — The same verb can take different prepositions: Common verbs like 'look', 'agree', 'talk', 'think' combine with different prepositions for different meanings. 'Look at' (direct eyes) and 'look for' (search) are completely different actions. Students must learn each combination as a separate item. Teaching the whole set together ('here are four meanings of look') makes this visible.
NOTE 3 — Translation traps: Some verb + preposition pairs are particularly tricky because the English preposition is different from the one used in other languages. 'Depend on' (not 'depend of' or 'depend from'), 'listen to' (not 'listen' alone), 'arrive at / in' (not 'arrive to'), 'apologise for / to' (not 'apologise of'). These need focused drilling.
NOTE 4 — Drop-the-preposition errors: One of the most common errors is dropping the preposition entirely — 'I listen music', 'I wait the bus', 'I arrived Lagos'. These sound natural to students because their first language may not need a preposition here. Teach: the preposition is not optional in English; it is part of the verb.
NOTE 5 — Build the chunk list over time: Each lesson, introduce two or three new verb + preposition pairs. Add them to a class display. Review old pairs weekly. The goal is automatic retrieval, which takes many encounters in many contexts over weeks.
Verb + preposition errors are one of the most persistent markers of a non-native speaker. Students can reach B1 or even B2 level with vocabulary, grammar, and fluency while still saying 'I listen music' or 'depends of'. These errors do not prevent communication, but they are immediately noticeable to a native speaker. The only effective fix is repeated explicit teaching and drilling — students need to meet each verb + preposition pair many times across many contexts before the preposition becomes automatic. The investment pays off: students who master these pairs sound significantly more natural and fluent.
When correcting verb + preposition errors in student writing, circle the verb and ask the student to supply the preposition themselves. This forces them to think about the pair rather than just copying a correction. Over time, this builds active retrieval. You can also ask students to pair-check each other's writing specifically for verb + preposition errors before handing in.
Choose the correct preposition to complete each sentence. Think about the verb and which preposition always goes with it.
Each sentence has an error with a verb + preposition. Find the error, write the correct sentence, and explain the rule.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — The chunk rule (5 min): Write 'listen' on the board. Ask: 'listen what?' Elicit 'to'. Write 'listen to' as one chunk. Explain: this is not a verb plus a choice — it is a fixed combination. You must learn them together. Show four more examples: depend on, belong to, wait for, agree with. Students repeat each as one unit.
STEP 2 — Drill the most common pairs (7 min): Write 10 verb + preposition pairs on the board: listen to / depend on / agree with / belong to / apologise for / talk about / think about / wait for / worry about / look for. Drill each aloud. Then call out the verb alone — students supply the preposition at speed. Correct errors immediately.
STEP 3 — Same verb, different prepositions (7 min): Focus on 'look' as the key multi-preposition verb. Teach 'look at' (direct eyes), 'look for' (search), 'look after' (take care of), 'look forward to' (anticipate). Give one example sentence for each. Students produce their own sentences using each. Then do the same for 'agree' (with / on / to) and 'talk' (to / about).
STEP 4 — Translation traps (6 min): Focus on the pairs most students get wrong: depend on (not 'of' or 'from'), listen to (not just 'listen'), arrive at/in (not 'to'), apologise for (not 'of'). Write each wrong form, cross it out, write the correct form. Drill the correct forms until automatic.
STEP 5 — True sentences (5 min): Each student writes three sentences about their own life using three different verb + preposition pairs from the lesson. Share in pairs. Partner checks: was the preposition correct? If not, what should it be? This forces active production and peer correction.
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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