English Grammar 39. WORDS FOLLOWED BY PREPOSITIONS

Chapter 39: Words Followed by Prepositions

Welcome to Chapter 39! Prepositions can sometimes feel like a puzzle. Have you ever wondered why we say we are "good at" math but "fond of" music? In English, certain words are strictly married to specific prepositions. In this chapter, we will learn how verbs, nouns, adjectives, and participles pair up with prepositions to create correct and natural-sounding English.

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Topic 1: Fixed Prepositional Pairs

Explanation

Certain Verbs, Nouns, Adjectives, and Participles are always followed by particular Prepositions. You cannot swap the preposition out for another one just because it sounds similar in your mother tongue. Memorizing these fixed pairs is the secret to speaking and writing flawless English.

Important Rules and Examples

Below are real-life sentences showing appropriate Prepositions in action. Read these carefully to see how the highlighted words always take specific prepositions:

• Mumbai is famous for its textiles.
• The goat subsists on the coarsest of food.
• Jawaharlal Nehru was fond of children.
• India is a noble, gorgeous land, teeming with natural wealth.
• Being apprised of our approach, the whole neighbourhood came out to meet their minister.
• In the classical age the ideal life of the Brahman was divided into four stages or ashrams.
• It is natural in every man to wish for distinction.
• He was endowed with gifts fitted to win eminence in any field of human activity.
• The writer is evidently enamoured of the subject.
• These computers are cheap enough to be accessible to most people.
• Ambition does not always conduce to ultimate happiness.
• The true gentleman is courteous and affable to his neighbours.
• Newly acquired freedom is sometimes liable to abuse.
• Little Jack proved quite a match for the giant.
• The African elephant is now confined to Central Africa.
• Camels are peculiarly adapted to life in the desert.
• He is a man of deep learning, but totally ignorant of life and manners.
• The income derived from the ownership of land is commonly called rent.
• The Moors were famous for their learning and their skill in all kinds of industries.
• Alexander profited by the dissensions of the Punjab Rajas.
• Few things are impossible to diligence and skill.
• I am indebted to you for your help.
• Ashoka, although tolerant of competing creeds, was personally an ardent Buddhist.
• The celebrated grammarian Patanjali was a contemporary of Pushyamitra Sunga.
• Ivory readily adapts itself to the carver's art.
• Coleridge's poetry is remarkable for the perfection of its execution.
• The holy tree is associated with scenes of goodwill and rejoicing.
• The noise from downstairs prevented me from sleeping.
• I am already acquainted with the latest developments of the situation.
• His duties were of a kind ill-suited to his ardent and daring character.
• Man is entirely different from other animals in the utter helplessness of his babyhood.
• A residence of eight years in Sri Lanka had inured his system to the tropical climate.
• The ancient Greeks, though born in a warm climate, seem to have been much addicted to the bottle.
• He (Dr. Johnson) was somewhat susceptible to flattery.
• A man who always connives at the faults of his children is their worst enemy.
• Naples was then destitute of what are now, perhaps, its chief attractions.
• The cat appears to have originated in Egypt or in the East.
• Judged by its results the policy of Hastings was eminently successful.
• In his work Charak often hints at the value of sweet oil.
• There is still no cure for the common cold.
• It was formerly supposed that malaria was due to poisonous exhalations.
• People who are averse to hard work, generally do not succeed in life.

Important Preposition Groupings

Here are extensive lists of Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives that take specific prepositions, based on the chapter's exercises. Review these to build your vocabulary:

Preposition	Examples of Words that take this Preposition
FOR	affection, ambition, apology, appetite, aptitude, blame, candidate, capacity, compassion, compensation, contempt, craving, desire, esteem, fitness, fondness, guarantee, leisure, liking, match, motive, need, opportunity, partiality, passion, pity, predilection, pretext, relish, remorse, reputation, surety.
WITH	acquaintance, alliance, bargain, comparison, conformity, enmity, intercourse, intimacy, relations.
OF	abhorrence, assurance, charge, distrust, doubt, experience, failure, observance, proof, result, want.
TO	access, accession, allegiance, alternative, antidote, antipathy, approach, assent, attachment, attention, concession, disgrace, dislike, encouragement, enmity, exception, incentive, indifference, invitation, key, leniency, likeness, limit, menace, obedience, objection, obstruction, opposition, postscript, preface, reference, repugnance, resemblance, sequal, submission, succession, supplement, temptation, traitor.
FROM	abstinence, cessation, deliverance, descent, digression, escape, exemption, inference, respite.

Additional Practice Exercises

1. She has a great affection ___ her younger brother.
2. The prisoner begged for deliverance ___ his captors.
3. He showed a complete indifference ___ the consequences.

Solutions and Explanations

• 1. for: The noun 'affection' is followed by 'for'.
• 2. from: The noun 'deliverance' takes the preposition 'from'.
• 3. to: The noun 'indifference' is followed by 'to'.

Common Mistakes & Tips

• Mistake: Saying "I have a great desire of learning."
• Tip: Always remember that the noun 'desire' takes the preposition 'for'. Correct: "I have a great desire for learning."

Quick Summary

Many words in English demand a specific preposition to follow them. The best way to master these is by reading widely and memorizing the fixed pairs (e.g., famous for, capable of, addicted to).

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Topic 2: Same Word, Different Context, Different Preposition

Explanation

Sometimes a word takes a certain Preposition after it in one context and a different Preposition in another context. The preposition changes depending on what or who the object of the sentence is.

Rules and Solved Examples

Pay close attention to these contrasting examples:

• Accommodate: We should accommodate ourselves to circumstances. My friend accommodated me with a loan.
• Differ: I differ with you on this question. Your car differs from mine in several respects.
• Anxious: I am anxious about the result. Her parents are anxious for her safety.
• Retire: He has retired from business. He has retired into private life.
• Influence: He has great influence over his disciples. He has hardly any influence with the Vizier. The remarks of his critics had considerable influence on his writings.
• Labour: All his life he laboured for the good of humanity. He is labouring under a misapprehension. He laboured at his dictionary for twelve years.
• Liable: Trespassers are liable to a fine of Rs. 500. He is liable for his wife's debts.

Additional Practice Exercises

1. I differ ___ you regarding the new policy.
2. The tiger differs ___ the lion in its stripes.

Solutions and Explanations

• 1. with: We differ with a person when we disagree.
• 2. from: One thing differs from another thing in physical characteristics.

Common Mistakes & Tips

• Mistake: Using "anxious about" when expressing a strong wish to achieve something.
• Tip: Use "anxious about" when you are worried (e.g., about the result), but use "anxious for" when you strongly desire something (e.g., for her safety).

Quick Summary

Do not assume a word has only one prepositional partner! The correct preposition often depends on whether the object following it is a person, a thing, an idea, or a situation.

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Topic 3: Related Words Taking Different Prepositions

Explanation

Just because two words share the same root (for example, a noun and its related adjective), it does not mean they take the same preposition. Some related words take different Prepositions after them.

Rules and Solved Examples

Compare the noun forms and adjective/verb forms of these words:

Word 1 (and Preposition)	Example Sentence	Related Word 2 (and Preposition)	Example Sentence
According to	I acted according to his advice.	In accordance with	In accordance with his advice I took quinine.
Affection for	She has great affection for her grandchildren.	Affectionate to	The old lady is affectionate to all.
Ambition for	It is all due to his ambition for fame.	Ambitious of	He is ambitious of fame.
Capable of	He is capable of anything.	Capacity for	He has not the requisite capacity for this work.
Confidence in	He has great confidence in his assistant.	Confident of	He is confident of success.
Fond of	The child is fond of sweets.	Fondness for	She has great fondness for children.
Desire for	He has no desire for fame.	Desirous of	He is desirous of visiting Agra.
Result of (Noun)	As a result of the injury received by him, he died...	Resulted from (Verb)	It is said that nothing resulted from the conference.

Other Important Related Pairs:

• The flood and ebb tides alternate with each other. / The alternative to submission is death.
• What a contrast to his brother! / What a contrast between them! / The present speech is mild contrasted with his past utterance....
• He is descended from a noble family. / He is a descendant of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The coat fits me well except for the collar. / I take exception to your remark.
• I have no prejudice against foreigners. / Such a step will be prejudicial to your interests.
• He is prepared for anything. / Preparatory to taking extreme measures, his father once again warned him.

Additional Practice Exercises

1. Are you confident ___ winning the match?
2. She has no capacity ___ hard labor.

Solutions and Explanations

• 1. of: The adjective 'confident' takes 'of'.
• 2. for: The noun 'capacity' takes 'for'.

Common Mistakes & Tips

• Mistake: Saying "I have a great fondness of ice cream."
• Tip: While "fond" pairs with "of", its noun relative "fondness" pairs with "for". Correct: "I have a great fondness for ice cream."

Quick Summary

Do not let word families trick you. A noun and an adjective sharing the same root might require entirely different prepositions.

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Topic 4: Preposition vs. No Preposition (Change in Meaning)

Explanation

Sometimes a verb is followed by a preposition; sometimes no preposition follows it. The meaning, however, is not always the same in both cases. Adding a preposition can change the literal verb into a figurative "phrasal verb."

Rules and Solved Examples

Observe how the meaning shifts dramatically when a preposition is added:

• Call: I call that mean. (To describe or name something)
  Call on: I called on him at his office. (To visit someone)
• Catch: I don't catch your meaning. (To understand)
  Catch at: A drowning man catches at a straw. (To try to grab frantically)
• Close: This closed the proceedings. (To finish or shut)
  Close with: After a little higgling he closed with my offer. (To accept or agree to)
• Commence: He commenced life as a shop-assistant. (To begin)
  Commence with: The proceedings commenced with a song. (To start with a specific action)
• Count: Have you counted the cost? (To calculate numerically)
  Count upon: I count upon your advice and cooperation. (To rely or depend on)
• Deal: He deals fairly with his customers. (To behave towards)
  Deal in: He deals in cotton and cloth. (To trade or buy/sell)
• Dispense: The compounder dispenses medicines. (To distribute)
  Dispense with: His master dispensed with his services. (To get rid of or do without)

Additional Practice Exercises

1. I cannot ___ with his rude behavior anymore. (dispense / deal)
2. My father deals ___ antique furniture. (with / in)

Solutions and Explanations

• 1. deal: "Deal with" means to handle or behave towards someone/something.
• 2. in: "Deals in" means to trade in a specific product.

Common Mistakes & Tips

• Mistake: Writing "He deals with rice."
• Tip: If it's a business or trade, you must use "deal in". "Deal with" is for handling people or problems.

Quick Summary

Adding a preposition to a verb can entirely change its definition, turning a standard action into a new phrase.

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Topic 5: Gerunds vs. Infinitives After Prepositions

Explanation

When you have a preposition, and a verb comes right after it, what form should that verb take? Usually, it must take the "-ing" form (called a gerund or verbal noun). Do not use the infinitive (to + verb) with certain words which require a preposition followed by a gerund or by a verbal noun.

Rules and Solved Examples

1. Words Requiring Preposition + Gerund (-ing)

• He is addicted to gambling. [Not: to gamble].
• I assisted her in climbing the hill.
• He is averse to playing cards.
• I do not believe in pampering servants.
• He has hardly any chance of succeeding.
• He is confident of securing the first prize.
• He is desirous of visiting Japan.
• Sudha excels in dancing.
• I am fond of reading novels.
• I insisted on having my say.
• What is there to prevent him from leaving Chennai?.
• He succeeded in convincing his critics.
• I am tired of writing letters to him.

2. Allowable Exceptions (Both forms work)

Sometimes both constructions are allowable:

• He was afraid of telling the truth. OR He was afraid to tell the truth.
• He at last got the opportunity of meeting him. OR He at last got the opportunity to meet him.

3. Words that ALWAYS take the Infinitive

On the other hand, certain words always take the infinitive after them:

• He advised us to desist from that attempt.
• I decline to say anything further.
• I expect to meet opposition.
• It is hard to get access to him.
• He hopes to win the first prize.

Additional Practice Exercises

1. He is addicted to (drink / drinking).
2. I am fond of (swim / swimming).

Solutions and Explanations

• 1. drinking: "Addicted to" must be followed by a gerund.
• 2. swimming: "Fond of" is followed by a gerund.

Common Mistakes & Tips

• Mistake: Saying "He is addicted to gamble."
• Tip: Even though "to" usually signals an infinitive, in phrases like "addicted to" or "averse to," the "to" is a preposition, so it must be followed by the -ing gerund form.

Quick Summary

Prepositions generally require an "-ing" gerund after them, especially in fixed phrases like "addicted to" or "insist on." However, some verbs like "hope" and "decline" exclusively take the "to + verb" infinitive form.

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Topic 6: Unnecessary Prepositions & Transitive Verbs

Explanation

Sometimes, we insert extra prepositions where they are completely useless or grammatically incorrect. We must avoid making our sentences "cluttered" with extra words.

Rules and Solved Examples

1. Unnecessary Insertions

Prepositions are sometimes inserted where they are not required:

• Incorrect: Where have you been to?
  Correct: Where have you been? [Here 'to' is not required].
• Incorrect: My eldest son is a boy of about eighteen years old.
  Correct: My eldest son is about eighteen years old. [Here 'of' is not required].
• Incorrect: After having finished my work I went home.
  Correct: Having finished my work I went home. [Here 'after' is not required].

2. Transitive Verbs

Note that the verbs discuss, order, and stress are transitive and therefore they are not followed by prepositions. A transitive verb directly takes an object.

• We discuss a topic (not discuss about a topic).
• We order tea (not order for tea).
• We stress a point (not stress on a point).

Additional Practice Exercises

1. We need to discuss (about the project / the project) today.
2. He ordered (for a pizza / a pizza).

Solutions and Explanations

• 1. the project: "Discuss" is a transitive verb and takes no preposition.
• 2. a pizza: "Order" is a transitive verb and takes no preposition.

Common Mistakes & Tips

• Mistake: Saying "Let's discuss about the movie."
• Tip: "Discuss" already means "to talk about." So saying "discuss about" is like saying "talk about about." Just say "discuss the movie".

Quick Summary

Don't throw in prepositions just because they sound conversational. Verbs like discuss, order, and stress directly attach to their objects without prepositions like "about", "for", or "on".

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Chapter Assessment: 20 Multiple-Choice Questions

Test your knowledge of prepositions with these carefully crafted questions based on the chapter!

1. "Mumbai is famous ___ its textiles." Which preposition completes the sentence correctly?
   A) in
   B) with
   C) for
   D) to
   Correct Answer: C
   Explanation: The adjective 'famous' is followed by 'for', as in "Mumbai is famous for its textiles".
2. What preposition correctly follows 'addicted' in this sentence: "He is addicted ___ gambling."?
   A) with
   B) to
   C) on
   D) in
   Correct Answer: B
   Explanation: The word 'addicted' requires the preposition 'to' followed by a gerund, like "addicted to gambling".
3. Which of the following is the correct phrasing?
   A) Discuss about a topic
   B) Discuss on a topic
   C) Discuss a topic
   D) Discuss over a topic
   Correct Answer: C
   Explanation: 'Discuss' is a transitive verb and is not followed by a preposition. We discuss a topic (not discuss about a topic).
4. "The true gentleman is courteous and affable ___ his neighbours." Fill in the blank.
   A) with
   B) for
   C) towards
   D) to
   Correct Answer: D
   Explanation: The adjectives 'courteous' and 'affable' are followed by 'to'.
5. Choose the correct preposition: "I differ ___ you on this question."
   A) from
   B) with
   C) to
   D) about
   Correct Answer: B
   Explanation: When disagreeing with a person, we say "I differ with you on this question".
6. Choose the correct preposition: "Your car differs ___ mine in several respects."
   A) from
   B) with
   C) to
   D) on
   Correct Answer: A
   Explanation: When comparing how things are physically different, we use 'from', as in "Your car differs from mine".
7. "She has great affection ___ her grandchildren."
   A) towards
   B) to
   C) for
   D) with
   Correct Answer: C
   Explanation: The noun 'affection' is followed by 'for'.
8. "The old lady is affectionate ___ all."
   A) towards
   B) to
   C) for
   D) with
   Correct Answer: B
   Explanation: While the noun 'affection' takes 'for', the related adjective 'affectionate' takes 'to'.
9. Which sentence is grammatically correct?
   A) He deals fairly in his customers.
   B) He deals fairly to his customers.
   C) He deals fairly with his customers.
   D) He deals fairly for his customers.
   Correct Answer: C
   Explanation: "He deals fairly with his customers" means to behave towards them. "Deals in" refers to trading.
10. "Alexander profited ___ the dissensions of the Punjab Rajas."
    A) with
    B) by
    C) from
    D) over
    Correct Answer: B
    Explanation: The verb 'profited' in this context is followed by 'by'.
11. Identify the error: "Where have you been to?"
    A) 'Where' should be 'How'
    B) 'have' should be 'had'
    C) 'to' is not required
    D) 'been' should be 'gone'
    Correct Answer: C
    Explanation: Prepositions are sometimes inserted where not required. In this sentence, 'to' is not required.
12. "People who are averse ___ hard work, generally do not succeed in life."
    A) from
    B) of
    C) to
    D) against
    Correct Answer: C
    Explanation: The word 'averse' takes the preposition 'to'.
13. "He is confident ___ securing the first prize."
    A) for
    B) about
    C) in
    D) of
    Correct Answer: D
    Explanation: The adjective 'confident' is followed by 'of' and a gerund.
14. "He has great confidence ___ his assistant."
    A) for
    B) on
    C) in
    D) of
    Correct Answer: C
    Explanation: The noun 'confidence' takes the preposition 'in'.
15. "He was endowed ___ gifts fitted to win eminence."
    A) of
    B) with
    C) by
    D) for
    Correct Answer: B
    Explanation: The word 'endowed' is followed by 'with'.
16. Which of the following is the correct phrasing?
    A) order for tea
    B) order tea
    C) order to tea
    D) order about tea
    Correct Answer: B
    Explanation: 'Order' is a transitive verb and is not followed by a preposition. We order tea (not order for tea).
17. "I am indebted to you ___ your help."
    A) of
    B) with
    C) for
    D) by
    Correct Answer: C
    Explanation: The structure is indebted to someone 'for' something.
18. "He has no desire ___ fame."
    A) for
    B) of
    C) to
    D) towards
    Correct Answer: A
    Explanation: The noun 'desire' is followed by 'for'.
19. "He is desirous ___ visiting Agra."
    A) for
    B) of
    C) to
    D) towards
    Correct Answer: B
    Explanation: While the noun 'desire' takes 'for', the adjective 'desirous' takes 'of'.
20. "A drowning man catches ___ a straw."
    A) for
    B) on
    C) at
    D) with
    Correct Answer: C
    Explanation: The specific phrase meaning to try to grab frantically is 'catches at'.