Idiomatic
use of Prepositions and Conjunctions
(Words
Followed by Appropriate prepositions)
A
• Abide by: a promise, a
decision to stick to it: Once you have made a promise, you ought to abide by
it.
• Abound in: to be rich in:
This tank abounds in fish.
• Abound with: to be infested
with: The forest abounds with elephants and lions.
• Absolve from: to free from,
to acquit of: nothing can absolve you from your responsibility.
• Absorbed in: engrossed in:
The singer was absorbed in singing.
• Abstain from: to keep away
from, to avoid, especially strong drinks: The doctor advised the patient to abstain
from liquor.
• Accede to a request to the
terms and conditions of an agreement: to agree to: My friends will accede to
my wishes in this matter.
• Acceptable to: Your terms are
not acceptable to me.
• Access to: approach to: A
financially sound person can manage an easy access to the authorities.
• Accompanied with something: Rain
was accompanied with a hail storm.
• Accompanied by a person: I
went to the movies accompanied by my cousin.
• Accord with: to agree: Your
present statement does not accord with what you said last week.
• Accord to: to extend, to
grant: (a) We accorded a hearty welcome to Dr. Rao when he came to
preside over our annual function. (b) The president accorded sanction
to the new bill.
• Accordance with: He acts
strictly in accordance with the rules.
• According to: He helped me according
to his word.
• Account for: to explain: His
extravagance accounts for his poverty.
• Accuse of: to charge with, to
blame for: He was accused of theft.
• Accustomed to: to be used to:
Indians accustomed to playing only on slow courts, lost the match to the
Australians.
• Acquainted with: having
knowledge of: I am not in a position to give any decision since I am not acquainted
with all the facts of the case.
• Acquiesce in: to agree
silently, passively: Don’t just acquiesce in any proposal brought
forward; accept it only if you find it reasonable.
• Acquitte of: free from: For
want of any definite evidence against him, he was acquitted of the
charge.
• Acquit oneself in: to behave
have: He acquitted himself creditably in the discharge of his duties.
• Act upon: an advice, order,
etc: You must act upon this letter at once, or it will be too late.
• Adapt to: adjust with: Try to
adapt yourself to your circumstances if you want to be happy.
• Add to: to increase: Do not add
injury to insult.
• Addicted to: given to
something usually evil: Being addicted to drinking and gambling, he soon
squandered away his property.
• Adhere to: stick to: We must adhere
to our principles at all costs.
• Adjacent to: next to: His
shop is adjacent to a departmental store.
• Admit to: He was admitted
to the college.
• Admit of: to allow, leave
room for: Your conduct does not admit of any excuse.
• Afflicted at: pained at,
distressed at: She felt afflicted at the death of her only son.
• Afflicted with: The old man
was afflicted with pain in the joints.
• Afraid of: You are afraid
of your father.
• Agree to a thing, proposal: They
unanimously agreed to my proposal.
• Agree with a person: They agreed
with me that corruption is at the root of the slow progress of our country.
• Agree on a subject: We all agree
on this point.
• Aim at: He aimed his rifle
at the leopard.
• Akin to: related to: I
experienced a feeling akin to remorse.
• Alarmed at: We were alarmed
at the news of a theft in our locality.
• Alien to: foreign to: He is alien
to any feeling of self respect.
• Alight from: to get down
from: The soldier alighted from the horse and saluted his commander.
• Alive to: conscious of: He is
not alive to the weakness of his son.
• Alive with: Connaught Place
is always alive with people.
• Alliance with: union with: We
desired a marriage alliance with a noble family living in our neighborhood.
• Allot to: Occupy only the
seats allotted to you.
• Allude to: foreign to refer:
He alluded to the partition of India in his speech.
• Amazed at: surprised at: I am
amazed at your courage.
• Angry at something: I got angry
at his behaviour.
• Angry with a person: The
teacher got angry at the student.
• Annoyed at something: I was annoyed
at his pranks.
• Annoyed with a person: The
teacher was annoyed with the students.
• Anxious for or about: The
child is quite safe; you need not feel anxious for him.
• Apologize to a person for
something: He had to apologize to the principal for his
misconduct in the class.
• Appeal to a person for or
against something: He appealed to the Principal for mercy.
• Appetite for a thing: How can
the appetite for worldly reaches be appeased?
• Applied to a person for
something: He applied to the manager for the post of clerk.
• Appoint a person to a situation: He
was appointed to the post of the general manager of a reputed industrial
concern.
• Apprise of: to inform: If you
apprise me of the situation in time, I shall help you to face it.
• Approve of: Everybody approved
of his plan of joining IAS.
• Aptitude for: talent for: Do
not undertake any assignment unless you have an aptitude for it.
• Argue with a person on a
subject, for or against something: Do not argue with your elders.
• Arrive at a place: He arrived
at the station well in time.
• Ashamed of: One should be ashamed
of one’s mistake.
• Ask about: I asked my
friend about the welfare of his family.
• Asked for: Go to the top
floor and ask for Mr. Chopra.
• Aspire to: He aspired to become
a doctor.
• Assent to: A bill has to be
passed by both the houses before the president gives his assent to it.
• Assure of: I can assure of
my innocence.
• Astonished at: His father was
astonished at his cleverness.
• Authority on: Our principal
is an authority on modern algebra.
• Authority over: I have no authority
over this gentleman; I can only request him to lend me his co-operation.
• Atone for a fault: to make
amends for it: He atoned for his earlier betrayal with a lie long
devotion.
• Attend to: Please attend
to what I say.
• Attend upon: to look after:
He had no servant to attend upon him.
• Attribute to: to assigned to,
to ascribe to: His success may be attributed to his diligence.
• Avail oneself of: to make use
of: Unless you avail yourself of the opportunities that fall your way,
you cannot be successful.
• Award to: A prize was awarded
to him for having won the rifle shooting championship.
• Aware of: to have knowledge
of: Are you aware of the latest changes in the syllabus.
B
• Banish from: to expel: He was
banished from the kingdom for having plotted against the crown prince.
• Beg of or from a person: He begged
of money from me.
• Beg for: He begged for help,
but got none.
• Believe in: We believe in reasoning
out things.
• Belong to: He belongs to a
respectable family.
• Beware of: Beware of doing
wrong to any man.
• Blame for: Why do blame me
for this?
• Bless with: He has been blessed
with a son.
• Blind of: Maharaja Ranjeet
Singh was blind of one eye.
• Blind to: Most people are
usually blind to their own shortcomings.
• Boast of: I agree that he is
talented but he boasts of his talent a bit too much.
• Born of: Jawahar Lal Nehru
was born of his rich parents at Allahabad
• Bound for: The train is bound
for Calcutta.
• Brood over: to think
constantly of: It is no use brooding over past failures.
C
• Call on a person.
• Call at one's house.
• Capable of: If he is guided
properly, he is capable of showing much better result.
• Care of (care as a verb): You
must care for what your parents say.
• Care of (care as a noun): One
should take care of one's health.
• Celebrated for: famous for:
Amritsar is celebrated for its Golden Temple.
• Certain of: sure of: He is
quite certain of getting a first class in the examination hall.
• Charge with: to accuse of:
The treasurer was charged with having instigated others against the manager.
• Clamour for: To make a loud
demand for: The workers are clamouring for higher wages.
• Close to: Close to the
college building is the Principal’s residence.
• Coincide with: to accord
with: His view in this matter does not coincide with me.
• Collide with: The Tonga collided
with a car and the horse was killed.
• Commence on: to begin on: Our
examination commences on next Monday.
• Commit to: to imprison: The
suspect was committed to the court.
• Common to: Human weaknesses
like greed, pride, jealousy are common to all.
• Compare with (used with
things belonging to the same class): Compare this pen with that.
• Compare to (use for
dissimilar things): Life may be compared to a dream.
• Compatible with: consistent
with, in agreement with: His actions are hardly compatible with the tall
moral claims he makes.
• Compete with a person for
something: Twenty candidates competed with each other for the first
prize.
• Complain to a person, of something,
against another person: The patient complained of giddiness.
• Comply with: to agree to: My
friend willingly complied with my request for some financial assistance.
• Composed of: made up of:
Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen.
• Conceal from: to hide from:
Certain facts have to be concealed even from one's dearest
friend.
• Condemn to: imprisonment,
death, etc. for a crime: He was condemned to death for having a
committed a murder.
• Condole with: to express
sympathy with: His friends condoled with him in his bereavement.
• Confer a favour on someone:
to grant someone a favour: An honorary degree was conferred on him.
• Confide a secret to someone:
I confined my plans to him in the hope of getting some help and guidance.
• Confident of success: He was confident
of his success in the examinations.
• Confidence in a person: I
have confidence in my assistants.
• Confined to: Lay up with: He
is still confined to bed with fever.
• Conform to: to abide by:
while making this furniture, you must conform to the specifications
given by me.
• Congenial to: suitable to
one's disposition: The atmosphere in this office is not congenial to me.
• Congratulate on: He congratulated
me on my success in the election.
• Connive at: to ignore: Never connive
at the shortcomings of your children.
• Conscious of: aware of: I am
fully conscious of my limitations.
• Consent to: agree to: I cannot
consent to the proposal you have made.
• Consist of: to be made up of:
Our family consists of six members.
• Consist in: to lie in:
Happiness consists in contentment.
• Conspire against: to plot
against: The rebels conspired against the government.
• Contrast one object with
another.
• Control over: I have no control
over what he does.
• Convenient to: You may come
to see me at any time convenient to you.
• Convenient for: It is quite convenient
for me to come to your place this Sunday.
• Conversant with: well
acquainted: I am quite conversant with the local politics.
• Convey to: It has been conveyed
to all the delegates that they are required to produce identification
cards.
• Convince of: I do not fight
for a cause unless I am fully convinced of its justness.
• Cope with: to contend with,
to be equal to: We need three more hands to cope with the heavy rush of
work.
• Count on: to depend on: Don't
count on others help, try to be self supported.
• Crowned with: rewarded with:
His efforts were crowned with success.
D
• Deal with a person: to treat
him: I had to be very patient while dealing with the naughty child.
• Deal in: to trade in
something: We deal in stainless steel goods.
• Deal out: to distribute: Deal
out these cards thirteen each to the four players.
• Delight with a person; delight
at something; to delight in something.
• Demand for: There is a great demand
for Indian handicrafts in some of the western countries.
• Depend on: I can depend on
the sincerity of my servant.
• Desire for: A saint has no desire
for worldly pleasure.
• Desirous of: She is desirous
of getting married to a rich man.
• Desist from: To give up the
idea of doing something: I desisted from helping him with money when I
came to know that he was a spendthrift.
• Despair of: To give up hope:
He did not despair of success despite his repeated failures.
• Desperate of: Growing desperate
of recovery, she committed suicide.
• Destined to: preordained for,
marked beforehand for: She was destined to be a queen.
• Destitute of: in want of: He
was destitute of friends as well as money.
• Detrimental to: harmful to:
Drinking is detrimental to health.
• Deviate from: to digress
from: No progress is possible unless one deviates from the beaten track
and explores new regions.
• Devoid of: lacking common
sense, good humour, manners, etc.: It is an amusing irony that those who preach
good manners are usually devoid of even ordinary courtesy.
• Devoted to: given to: He is devoted
to his duty.
• Differ with: Persons differ
with each other: I differ with you on this subject.
• Differ from: Birds differ
from beasts.
• Diligent in one's work: hard
working: She is very diligent in her work.
• Disgrace to: A morally
depraved officer is a disgrace to his country.
• Disgusted with a person:
feeling sick of: I am thoroughly disgusted with my servants.
• Disgusted at: I felt disgusted
at his rude behaviour.
• Dispense with: to dismiss, to
do without: The principal dispensed with the services of his poem.
• Dispose of: to get rid of, to
sell: I cannot buy a new house unless I dispose of the one I am now
living in.
• Dissent from: disagreement
from: I express my dissent from the decisions taken at this meeting and
resign from the membership of the club.
• Dissuade from: to advise to
refrain from: I dissuaded him from taking up the job of a clerk in a
government office.
• Distinguish between two
things; to distinguish one thing from other.
• Distrust of: suspicion of: I
have a distrust of him who does not express his opinions frankly.
• Divert from: to turn aside:
He diverted my attention from the main point under discussion.
• Divide between two persons; divide
among more than two; divide into two parts.
• Dream of: Ram dreams of becoming
of a doctor.
• Due to: His failure was due
to his carelessness.
• Dull of: This child is dull
of understanding.
• Dwell on: to emphasis: The
speaker dwelt on the subject of economic planning at length.
E
• Eager for: to have keen
desire for: The boys are eager for success in the examination.
• Eligible for: fit to be
selected for: Only graduates are eligible for this post.
• Embark on: to begin an
enterprise: Before you decide to embark on a new venture, carefully
weigh its pros and cons.
• Enamoured of: attracted with:
The youngman was enamoured of her beauty at the very first sight.
• Encroach on: to intrude on: I
am sorry to encroach on your time.
• Endow with: to grant: Milton
believed he had been endowed with a talent for writing poetry.
• Engaged to: betrothed: She is
engaged to a doctor.
• Engaged in some work: busy
in: He is engaged in preparing his project.
• Enquire of a person about
something: enquire after one's health: I enquired of him about
the theft.
• Enquire into some matter: He enquired
into the matter of murder.
• Enter into an agreement: The
two teams entered into a secret agreement.
• Entitled to: to have a claim
to: You are not entitled to damages unless you possess a comprehensive
insurance policy.
• Entrust to: The job of making
purchases from the market was entrusted to him.
• Entrust with: He was entrusted
with the job of making purchases from the market.
• Envious of: Feeling envious
of the brilliant result of his cousin, he also started working hard.
• Equal to: He proved equal
to the situation.
• Escape from: He wanted escape
from the miseries of life.
• Esteem for: respect for: All
my friends have a great esteem for my parents.
• Excel in: to be very good at:
She excels in singing classical songs.
• Exchange with: I can exchange
my watch with yours.
• Exchange for: I am prepared
to exchange this watch for a transistor.
• Exempt from: free from: He
was exempted from the payment of the college dues.
• Expose to: to lay open to: He
was exposed to extreme cold because of which he caught pneumonia.
• Exult at success: to rejoice
at: It is quite natural to exult at one's success.
• Exult over a fallen enemy: A
true sportsman will never exult over the defeat of his rivals.
F
• Faith in: One can work
wonders in life if one has faith in oneself.
• Faithful to: We should be
faithful to our friends if we want them to be faithful to us.
• False to: You will be false
to none if you are not false to yourself.
• Familiar with: I am not familiar
with this locality.
• Familiar to: His face is not familiar
to me.
• Famous for: Sanchi is famous
for its Budha Stupas.
• Fatal to: deadly to: Laziness
is fatal to success in life.
• Favourable to: The
magistrate's decision was favourable to me.
• Favour with: Can you favour
me with a little help?
• Fawn on: to flatter: It is
meanness to seek promotion through fawning on one's superiors.
• Feed on: Cows feed on grass.
He feeds on flattery.
• Fight with, for: I can fight
with anyone for my friend.
• Fight against: We should not fight
against our kith and kin.
• Fit for a job: He is fit
for the job of a peon.
• Fond of: Children are fond
of sweets.
• Fondness for: He has a fondness
for reading novels.
• Foreign to: He is foreign
to all sense of shame.
• Fly at: to attack: A
ferocious dog flew at me as I entered the bungalow.
• Free from blame, worry, etc.
• Full of: Your article is full
of grammatical mistakes.
• Furnish with: to supply with:
Kindly furnish me with a specimen copy of this book.
G
• Get over: to overcome: His
perseverance helped him in getting over his weakness.
• Get at: to reach at: I could
not get at the book you suggested.
• Gifted with: My younger
sister is gifted with a very good memory.
• Glad at a result: I am glad
at my success.
• Glance at: to cast a look at:
He glanced at the messenger and dismissed him.
• Glance over: look at
something: He glanced at the letter hurriedly.
• Glory in: to take pride in:
We glory in the victory of our country.
• Good at: Australians are very
good at cricket and tennis.
• Good to: He is good to others
though he is very strict.
• Grapple with: to contend
with; fight with: We should courageously grapple with the difficulties
of life.
• Grasp at: to catch at: The
child eagerly grasped at the butterfly.
• Grumble at: He grumbled at
the meagre allowance his father gave him every month.
• Grieve for a person.
• Grieve at something.
• Guard against a mistake, an
injury.
• Guilty of: You have been guilty
of giving false evidence.
H
• Hanker after money, fame,
power etc.: Hankering after riches is not an idle pursuit at least in
the modern materialistic world.
• Hard of hearing: Having low
hearing power: My friend is hard of hearing.
• Heedless of: without caring
for: He persisted in his struggle heedless of the consequences.
• Heir to: The crown prince, heir
to the throne, found his life in grave danger.
• Hide something from a
person.
• Hinge on: to depend on: My
whole future hinges on my result in the degree examination.
• Hint at something.
• Hope for something.
• Hopeful of: The doctor is
quite hopeful of the patient's recovery.
• Hostile to: opposed to: When
he found even his friends hostile to his proposal, he withdrew it.
I
• Identified with: to associate
oneself completely with: He is so devoted to his job that he has almost identified
himself with it.
• Ignorant of: uninformed
about, having no knowledge of: You cannot be absolved from a crime because you
are the ignorant of the law.
• Imbued with: inspired with:
We need youngmen imbued with the spirit of selfsacrifice.
• Immaterial to: unimportant:
It is immaterial to me whether my work earns praise or is badly
condemned.
• Impose on, upon: A heavy
responsibility was imposed on him at a very early age.
• Impress an idea on a
person: The speaker impressed on his audience the importance of
political awareness among the masses.
• Impute to: to ascribe to, to
attribute to: The loss of some confidential files from the chief secretary
table is being imputed to his peon.
• Incentive to: an inspiration
to: Poverty often acts as an incentive to hard work.
• Indifferent to: unconcerned
with, heedless of: He is indifferent to flattery and censure.
• Indispensable to: necessary
for: You might be a very suitable candidate for the job, but do not think that
you are indispensable to me.
• Indulge in: to gratify, to
give a free court to: One must not indulge in luxuries until one can
afford them.
• Infer from: to deduce from:
Nothing definite can be inferred from the statements made by these
culprits.
• Inferior to: Goods made in
India are no longer inferior to the imported ones.
• Infested with: haunted by:
This city is infested with rogues and rascals.
• Influence over: The Chief
Minister has no influence over his cabinet.
• Inherent in: abiding in:
Selfishness is inherent in man.
• Injurious to: harmful to:
Indulgence in anything may prove injurious to health.
• Insight into: penetration
into: A writer must have a deep insight into human character.
• Insist on, upon: She insisted
on joining a hostel as, she said, she felt disturbed at home.
• Inspired with: Inspired
with his initial success, he went ahead with the project.
• Intent on, upon: bent upon:
He seemed intent upon breaking their friendship extended over a number
of years.
• Interested in: I am interested
not in screen but in stage.
• Interfere in some matter: Do
not interfere in his life.
• Intimate with: close to: One
should be intimate with a few well-tried friends only.
• Introduce into: I was introduced
into a dark room.
• Intrude on one's time: Do not
intrude on my time after the office hours.
• Introduce into a matter: It
would be imprudent to intrude into the affairs that do not concern one.
• Invest money in some project:
It isn't safe to invest one's entire savings in stocks and
shares.
• Invite to: I could not attend
his marriage though I had been invited to it.
• Irrelevant to: having no
concern with: His observations were mostly irrelevant to the topic of
the evening.
• Irrespective of: without
reference to: This post is open to all irrespective of caste.
J
• Jealous of: Don’t feel jealous
of others’ success.
• Jeer at: to laugh at: It is
undesirable to jeer at others for what they cannot help.
• Jest at: to laugh at: Do no jest
at your elders.
• Join in: The foreign visitors
joined us in the festivities.
• Join to: The doctor joined
the broken bone to the limb.
• Judge of: Do not judge of others
adversely.
• Jump at: The offer appeared
to be so attractive that he immediately jumped at it.
• Jump to the conclusion: He
hastily jumped to the conclusion that I was to blame for all his losses.
• Junior to: Being juniors
to others in service does not necessarily mean being inferior to them in
the quality of work.
K
• Keen on: He is keen on sending
his son abroad for higher studies.
• Keep from: to abstain from: Keep
from excessive indulgence of any kind.
• Keep to: If you always keep
to the left, it will avert many accidents.
• Key to: Sincerity of heart is
the key to lasting friendship.
• Kind to: Be kind to the
bird and free it from the cage.
• Knock against: In the dark,
he knocked against the wall.
• Knock at: I knocked at the
door but got no response.
L
• Lame of a leg.
• Lament for: to grieve for: It
is futile to lament for the dead.
• Land in: His extravagances landed
him in poverty.
• Laugh at: It is bad manners
to laugh at the actions of others.
• Lead to: directs to: Where
does this road lead to?
• Lean against: rest against
something: The tired traveller leaned against the tree.
• Lean over: bend over: He leaned
over the table.
• Liable for: answerable for:
The sun is liable for the debts of his father.
• Liable to: Exposed to: We all
are liable to error.
• Liking for: I have a great liking
for detective fiction.
• Limit to: There is a limit
to everyone's patience.
• Listen to: If you listen
to the singing you will appreciate her voice.
• Long for: to be desirous of:
I longed for the company of some friend.
• Loyal to: faithful to: It is
our duty to be loyal to our country.
M
• Mad with: angry at: I was mad
with rag at the disobedience of the students.
• Married to: She was married
to a banker's son.
• Match for: You are no match
for him so far as physical strength is concerned.
• Meddle with: to interfere in:
I do not like anyone to meddle with my affairs.
• Mourn for: to grieve at: The
whole nation mourns for the national hero.
• Moved at: I was moved to
tears at the sad plight of the refugees.
• Moved with pity: become sad:
The old lady was moved with pity to see the child crying with pain.
• Muse on: to reflect on: He mused
on the beauty of nature.
N
• Necessary for: Hard work is necessary
for success.
• Neglect of: Neglect of duty
will not be tolerated.
• Negligence in: Negligence
in the bringing up of children lead to sad consequences.
• Negligent in: The servant is
very negligent in his work.
• Notorious for: He is notorious
for back biting.
O
• Obedient to: We ought to be obedient
to our elders.
• Object to: I am determined to
adopt this course even if you object to it.
• Obliged to a person for some
favour.
• Occupied with: I do not like
to be disturbed when I am occupied with my clients.
• Occupied in: At the moment he
is occupied in the work of putting his things in order.
• Occur to: to come into one's
mind: It never occurred to him that the fault could be his too.
• Officiate for: In the absence
of the principal, the vice-principal officiates for him.
• Open to: Your conduct is open
to questions.
• Operate on: His fractured leg
had to be operated on.
• Opposite to: There is a
library opposite to our house.
• Overcome with: I was overcome
with grief at the news of his sad, untimely demise.
• Overwhelmed with: overpowered
with: He was overwhelmed with sorrow at his failure.
P
• Painful to: It was painful
to see her gradually straying into the path of evil.
• Part from a person: The dying
mother found it heart rending to part from her children.
• Partake of: to share: Kindly parttake
of the humble meal we can offer.
• Partial to: It pained us to
see the umpire being partial to our rival team.
• Pass for: He tried to pass
for a millionaire.
• Passion for: He has passion
for outdoor games.
• Pay for: to suffer: You will
have to pay for your follies.
• Peculiar to: This style of
writing is peculiar to him.
• Persist in: When he persisted
in behaving rudely, I lost temper.
• Pertinent to: to have a
relation to: We found his comments very pertinent to the point under
discussion.
• Pine for: To long for: The
parents pined for the lost child.
• Plead with a person for
something: The lawyer pleaded with the judge.
• Plunge into: to throw oneself
into: He took to heart his losses in business and plunged into grief.
• Point at a person.
• Point to something.
• Ponder on or over a subject:
to think on: We should carefully ponder over this point before taking
any action.
• Popular with or among: He is
very popular with the subordinates on account of his sympathetic nature.
• Possess of: He is possessed
of great wealth.
• Pounce on: to jump at: The
hawk pounced on the bird.
• Pray to: We pray to God
for mercy.
• Prefer to: He preferred death
to disgrace.
• Prepared for: We should be
prepared for the worst though the worst may not happen.
• Preside over or at a meeting.
• Prevail on a person: to
persuade him: I failed to prevail on my friend to join me in a business
venture.
• Prevail over: to overpower:
His enemies prevailed over him in his fight.
• Prevent from: His parents prevented
him from joining the army.
• Prey upon: Fear preyed
upon my heart.
• Prior to: before: prior to
joining this newspaper as its editor, I was working in a college.
• Proficient in: at home in: He
is proficient in Mathematics.
• Prohibit from: His sister prohibited
him from going to the movies.
• Protect from: Wear some
woolens to protect yourself from cold.
• Pride in: She takes pride
in her beautiful figure.
• Proud of: One should not feel
proud of one's achievements.
• Provide with: He provided his
son with money for the journey.
• Provide against: We should be
provided against a rainy day.
• Provoke to anger: to rouse
anger: His scurrilous remarks provoked me to anger.
• Pry into: to make enquiries
into: I tried to pry into the secret but in vain.
Q
• Quarrel with, over: He quarreled
with his friend over a trifle.
• Qualified for: He is well qualified
for the post of the manager of a restaurant.
• Quick at: My younger brother
is very quick at figures.
• Quick of: She is quick of understanding.
R
• Rail at someone: to use
abusive language: It is in bad taste to rail at others.
• Rebel against: to revolt
against: The angry tribes rebelled against their leaders.
• Reckon on: to depend on with
confidence: I have always reckoned on your support.
• Reconcile to: to adapt
oneself to: I cannot reconcile myself to my circumstances easily.
• Recover from: He hasn't yet
completely recovered from his illness.
• Reduce to: A long illness reduced
him to a mere skeleton.
• Refer to: All important cases
have to be referred to the section Officer.
• Reflect on: to meditate on:
If you reflect on this subject with a cool mind, you will realize your
mistake.
• Regard for: I have high regard
for the nameless patriots who laid down their everything at the altar of
their country.
• Regardless of: without paying
any heed to: He undertook the new venture regardless of the difficulties
involved in it.
• Related to: I would like to
be provided with all statistics related to this case.
• Relieve of pain: relieve from
pain.
• Rely on: to depend on: If you
want to rely on others, you should first be reliable to yourself.
• Remedy against: Quinine
should be used as a remedy against malaria.
• Renowned for: famous for: He
is renowned for the impartiality of his behaviour.
• Remonstrate with: to make
protest with: I remonstrated with him on treating me unfairly.
• Repent of: If you want to repent
of a sin, promise never to repeat it.
• Rescue from danger: to save:
A passer-by jumped into the well and rescued the child from drowning.
• Resolve on: to decide: I have
resolved on setting up an export business.
• Respectful to: Be respectful
to others if you want to be respected.
• Responsible to: to a person
for something: I am responsible to God for my actions.
• Revel in: to take keen
delight in: He has been revelling in drinking and gambling.
• Revolt against: They decided
to revolt against the arbitrary decisions of the Governor.
• Reward a person with something
for some work done by him.
• Rich in: India is rich in mineral
wealth.
• Rid of: I can be rid of my
worries only if you promise to support me.
• Rob of: The thieves robbed
him of all the valuables lying in the house.
• Rule over: Ashoka ruled
over his people with love and kindness.
S
• Sacred to: These articles are
sacred to the memory of my father.
• Sail for: The ship sailed
for Australia last week.
• Save from: Save me from those
who pretend to be my friends.
• Satisfied with: I am satisfied
with the work done by our new manager.
• Scoff at: to make fun of: It
is understandable to scoff at other religions.
• Seek after: We all seek
after happiness in life.
• Send for: The patient is
serious; the doctor should be immediately sent for.
• Sentence to: The murderer was
sentenced to life imprisonment.
• Shocked at: We were shocked
at the widespread political corruption in the country.
• Short of: We ran short of funds,
so we had to suspend the work.
• Show off: to pretend: I have
a dislike for people who are in the habit of showing off in public.
• Sick at: I am feeling sick
at heart.
• Sick of: I am sick of waiting
or the bus for hours together yesterday.
• Similar to: These two
triangles are similar to each other.
• Slave to: Those who are slaves
to their own habits are victims of the worst kind of slavery.
• Slow at: He is rather slow
at accounts; give him some other job.
• Slow in: Don’t be slow in making
up your mind.
• Slow of: This child is slow
of understanding.
• Smack of: to show a taste of:
Her behaviour smacks of pride.
• Smile at: We could not help smiling
at the innocent prattle of the child.
• Smile on: At last fortune smiled
on him.
• Sneer at: to make fun of:
Only a cynic can sneer at virtue.
• Speak on a subject, speak of
something.
• Speak for or against a
person.
• Stand by: to support: I
promise to stand by you in your difficulty.
• Stick to: to be steadfast at:
Unless you stick to your decision, you cannot progress in life.
• Stoop to: to bend to: I never
thought he would stoop to such meanness.
• Strike at: He struck at the
snake with the stick.
• Struggle against
difficulties.
• Subject to: The plan you have
suggested is subject to approval by the government.
• Submit to: to yield to: If
people do not submit to authority, there will be chaos in the country.
• Subscribe to: to contribute
to: How much money did you subscribe to the flood relief fund?
• Succeed in: He succeeded
in stealing a march on the other athletes.
• Succeed to: Akbar succeeded
to the throne at a very young age.
• Successful in: I am sure you
will be successful in your aims.
• Suitable to: He got a prize suitable
to his age.
• Supply to: Wrong information
was supplied to us.
• Supply with: The poor beggars
were supplied with blankets.
• Sure of: He was sure of being
nominated to the council.
• Surprised at: We were all surprised
at the strict measures adopted by the Government.
• Suspicious of: distrustful
of: I am suspicious of his intentions.
T
• Taste for: liking for: He who
has no taste for music should be kept at arm's length.
• Teem with: to abound in: This
part of the sea teems with sharks.
• Tend to: Simple living and
high thinking tend to a happy life.
• Thankful to a person, for a
favour.
• Tired of: I am tired of leading
such an idle life.
• Tired with: She is tired
with walking.
• Treat of: This book treats
of the laws of health.
• Triumph over: to win a
victory over: He truimphed over his enemies with great tact.
• Tremble at: The child trembled
at such a ghastly sight.
• True to: Either do not make a
promise or be true to it.
• Trust in: Don't put your trust
in all and sundry.
• Trust with: He trusted his
servant with money.
V
• Vain of: proud of: He who is vain
of being virtuous does not know what virtue is.
• Vexed at: distributed at;
distressed at: I was vexed at his opposition, for I had expected quite
acquiescence.
• Victim of: He was a victim
of religious bigotry.
• Victim to: A weak person
falls a victim to many diseases.
• Victory over: He won a
convincing victory over his rivals.
• Vie with: to compete with:
The hawkers vied with one another in making such a loud noise.
• Void of: deficient in: His
remarks are void of sense.
• Vote for or against someone.
W
• Wait for a person.
• Wait on: to attend: The
servant waited on his master.
• Warn a person of danger; warn
a person against someone.
• Weary of: tired of: I am weary
of waiting for him so long.
• Welcome to: You are welcome
to our celebrations.
• Wish for: I desperately wish
for a change.
• Worthy of: His conduct is worthy
of the highest praise.
• Wonder at: I often wonder
at the spiritual stamina of Gandhi ji.
Y
• Yearn for: to long for: Man
has always yearned for eternal happiness.
• Yield to: to surrender to: A
man of spiritual strength will never yield to hardships.
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