Dependent Prepositions
Learn each verb, adjective, or noun together with its fixed preposition as one chunk (afraid of, depend on, interested in) — the preposition rarely follows a logical rule and stays at the end of the sentence even in questions ("What are you afraid of?").
Formula
Examples
Usage
- •Verbs that always take one specific preposition — depend on, believe in, apologize for, insist on
- •Adjectives that pair with a fixed preposition — good at, afraid of, interested in, tired of, married to
- •Nouns followed by a fixed preposition — reason for, interest in, need for, solution to
- •Question words that ask about the object of a dependent preposition, with the preposition left at the end — What is she afraid of? Who does it depend on?
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Try 5 cards free — no signup →Which preposition goes with which verb, adjective, or noun?
There's no reliable rule — dependent prepositions are fixed collocations that have to be learned together with their verb, adjective, or noun as a single chunk: depend on, apologize for, interested in, afraid of, reason for, good at. Grouping new words by their preposition (everything that takes "on": depend on, insist on, rely on) makes them easier to remember than learning each pair in isolation.
The same base word can even take different prepositions with different meanings: agree with a person, agree on a plan, agree to a proposal — so memorizing the verb alone isn't enough; the whole verb + preposition + typical object pattern needs to be learned.
Can you end a sentence with a preposition?
Yes — in everyday English, the dependent preposition stays at the end of the sentence in questions and relative clauses: "What is she afraid of?", "Who does it depend on?" This is standard, natural English, not an error to avoid.
A fronted version exists ("Of what is she afraid?") but survives only in very formal or old-fashioned written register — moving the preposition to the end is the normal, expected pattern in speech and most writing.
Comparison Table
| Form | Verb + preposition | Adjective + preposition | Noun + preposition |
|---|---|---|---|
| on | depend on, insist on, rely on | — | — |
| of | consist of, approve of | afraid of, tired of, proud of | fear of |
| in | believe in, result in | interested in, involved in | interest in |
| for | apologize for, wait for | responsible for, famous for | reason for, need for |
| to | belong to, object to | married to, similar to | solution to, reply to |
| at | laugh at, arrive at | good at, surprised at | — |
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More Examples
He apologized for being late.
Verb + preposition (apologize for)
I'm afraid of spiders.
Adjective + preposition (afraid of)
She is interested in ancient history.
Adjective + preposition (interested in)
What's the reason for the delay?
Noun + preposition (reason for)
He's good at solving problems quickly.
Adjective + preposition (good at)
Success depends on hard work and luck.
Verb + preposition (depend on)
Common Mistakes
- ✗Translating the preposition literally from another language: "married with" instead of "married to", "discuss about" instead of "discuss" (no preposition at all).
- ✗Dropping the preposition entirely: "I depend my parents." instead of "I depend on my parents."
- ✗Swapping near-synonym prepositions: "good in" instead of "good at", "interested for" instead of "interested in".
- ✗Adding a preposition after verbs that take a direct object with none, like "discuss", "marry", "enter".
Tips
- ✓Learn each verb/adjective/noun together with its preposition as one chunk — "depend on", not "depend" plus "on" separately.
- ✓Group new items by preposition (on: depend on, insist on, rely on; of: afraid of, tired of, proud of) — patterns are easier to remember than isolated pairs.
- ✓When unsure, check a learner's dictionary entry — the dependent preposition is usually listed right after the definition, e.g. "interested (in sth)".
Advanced Notes
Dependent prepositions are collocations, not logical choices — native speakers memorize them as fixed pairs rather than reasoning them out, which is why they stay a fossilized error even in advanced learners. The same word can take different prepositions with different meanings — agree with a person, agree on a plan, agree to a proposal — and prepositions rarely translate directly between languages. The preposition is never dropped or moved in everyday speech, even in questions ("What is she interested in?"), though a fronted form ("In what is she interested?") survives only in very formal, mostly written register.
FAQ
Is it "married to" or "married with"?
"Married to" is correct — "married with" is a common error caused by translating the preposition literally from another language. The fixed pairing is "married to (someone)", with no alternative preposition.
Is it "discuss" or "discuss about"?
"Discuss" takes a direct object with no preposition at all: "Let's discuss the plan", not "discuss about the plan". This is one of the most common dependent-preposition errors — adding a preposition after a verb that doesn't need one.
Is it "good at" or "good in"?
"Good at" is correct for skills and abilities: "good at math", "good at solving problems". "Good in" is used differently, for describing someone's behavior within a situation ("good in a crisis") — the two aren't interchangeable for the skill meaning.
Is it "interested in" or "interested for"?
"Interested in" is the fixed pairing: "interested in photography", "interested in learning". "Interested for" is not a standard English collocation.
Can you drop the preposition after "depend"?
No — "depend" always needs "on": "I depend on my parents", not "I depend my parents". Dropping the preposition entirely is a common mistake, distinct from using the wrong preposition.
Practice
- 1.He apologized being late.
- 2.I'm afraid spiders.
- 3.She is interested ancient history.
- 4.What's the reason the delay?
- 5.Success depends hard work and luck.
Compare With
Other B2 Topics
Past Perfect
Used for the earlier of two past events to show sequence
Future Perfect
Used for actions completed before a specific future point
Conditionals (0, 1, 2, 3)
Forms real, hypothetical, and impossible conditions across all time frames
Reported Speech
Used for converting direct speech to indirect speech with tense and pronoun shifts
Gerund vs Infinitive
Used for choosing between -ing and to+verb after verbs, adjectives, or prepositions
Causative Have
Used for arranging for someone else to do something for you
Past Perfect Continuous
Used for an ongoing action that continued up to a past event
Future Perfect Continuous
Used for duration of an ongoing action up to a future point
Modal Perfects: Deduction About the Past
Expresses deductions about past events using must/can't/might + have
Participle Clauses
Used for reducing clauses using -ing or past participle for concise formal style