PhrasalVerbs Prepositions

be + Adjective

Preposition

Sentence Example

am afraid

of

Everyone is afraid of pythons.

am annoyed

with

Daddy was annoyed with me because I lost his keys.

is obsessed

with

Teenagers are often obsessed with computer games.

am interested

in

I'm interested in learning Chinese.

is liable

to

You are liable to fail the test if you don't study.

am shocked

by

We were shocked by his sudden disappearance.

am good

at

His entire family is good at sports.

am, grateful

to

I am so grateful to you for your help.

am excited

about

Jayden is so excited about his visit to Disney Land.

am upset

about

I am really upset about my bad grades.

is responsible

for

He is responsible for organizing the party decorations.

is famous

for

Japan is famous for sushi.

am right

about

You are definitely right about that.

am aware

of

Are you aware of the consequences of global warming?

am addicted

to

He is addicted to pain killers.

am fond

of

I am very fond of your grandmother.

am bored

with

Many students are bored with school.

am preoccupied

with

She's very preoccupied with planning her wedding.

am serious

about

You should be more serious about your schoolwork.

am married

to

She is married to a famous actor.

am kind

to

It important to be kind to our fellow man.

am indifferent

to

He's very indifferent to his surroundings.

am baffled

by

We were all baffled by that math problem.

am surprised

by

I was surprised by her sudden success.

am angry

with

My mother was angry with me because I forgot to call her on her birthday.

am jealous

of

Many people are jealous of the success of others.

is full

of

The room is full of happy graduates and their families.

is good

of

That was very good of you ot help me out.

am bad

at

Jake is bad at spelling and math.

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am anxious

about

Everyone is anxious about the upcoming exams.

am capable

of

He is capable of doing 5 things at once!

am certain

about

I'm certain about this answer.

am immune

to

am ashamed am conscious am detained am distressed

of of by by

am attentive am prone am engaged am late am keen am happy am sorry am ready am deficient am experienced

to to to for on with about for in in

is absent is derived is different is safe

from from from from

is missing am absorbed

from in

am convicted is packed is exempt is faced

of with from with

am barred

from

is cluttered am involved is expelled am engrossed is crammed

with in from in with

Sophie is immune to the flu virus because she had a flu shot. I am ashamed of you- insulting your uncle!` Were you conscious of making so many mistakes? He was detained by the police for questioning. His father was distressed by the death of his best friend. She is very attentive to the needs of her children. David is prone to saying the wrong thing. He is engaged to the girl net door. They always arrive late for parties. I am really keen on downhill skiing. He's so happy with his final grades. Oooh, sorry about that. Are you ready for the geography test? If you are deficient in iron, you get anemia. She is experienced in dealing with difficult students. He has been absent from school for 2 weeks. Aspirin is derived from the willow tree bark. She is very different from her twin sister. You will be safe from harm here in the shelter. He has been missing from his unit for3 days. He was so absorbed in his work that he didn't feel the earthquake! He was convicted ot killing his neighbor. My suitcase is packed with gifts. He is exempt from the army due to bad eyesight. The company is faced with disaster if if doesn't get a loan. They were barred from entering the country because they didn't have the correct documents. His house is cluttered with tons of junk. The Mafia is involved in selling drugs. He was expelled from school for cheating. He is totally engrossed in that book. The subway car is crammed with passengers.

am insured

against

We are insured against fire and theft.

am concerned

about

I am concerned about the melting ice caps.

is connected

with

The PC is connected with the TV.

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VERB

PREPOSITION

SENTENCE EXAMPLE

resign

from

He resigned from hs coaching position.

argue

about

What are you arguing about again?

glance

at

`i just glanced at my notes- I didn't study.

confide

in

I always confide in my best friend.

protest

against

Workers were protesting against rising prices.

results

from

Beriberi results from a lack of Vitamin C.

specialize

in

He specializes in Art Deco furniture.

succeed

in

They succeeded in reaching their goal pf raising 1 million dollars.

remind (me)

of

Your nephew reminds me of my Uncle Will.

apologize

for

Did you apologize for breaking his i-Pod?

blame

for

The police blamed his for the accident.

collide

with

The car collided with a tractor trailer.

confront

with

The detective confronted him with the evidence.

distinguish

from

I can't distinguish one twin from the other.

discuss (something)

with

I'd like to discuss something with you

deter

from

Nothing will deter her from reaching her goal.

coincide

with

My birthday coincidences with their wedding date.

provide

with

The Red Cross provide them with food and water.

differ

from

Chinese differs from English in many ways.

marvel

at

I was marveling at the Grand Canyon's beauty.

VERB

PREPOSITION

SENTENCE EXAMPLE

3

concentrate

on

I can't concentrate on my HW- be quiet!

pay

for

It's OK- I'll pay for the dinner.

confuse (me)

with

You have confused me with my brother.

deal

with

The teacher can't deal with noisy students.

plead

with

We pleased with the gunman for mercy.

benefit

from

Everyone can benefit from eating a healthy diet.

stem

from

His problems stem from an unhappy childhood.

confess

to +ing

He confessed to assassinating the president.

depend

on

We depend on our friends for help and support.

impose

on

Economic Sanctions were imposed on Iran.

react

to

How did he react to the terrible news?

refer

to

He was referring to a text in the Koran.

insist

on

The 3 year old insists on doing everything himself.

devote

to

Mother Teresa devoted her life to the poor in India.

appeal

to

Bungee jumping on my honeymoon doesn't appeal to me.

suffer

from

She suffers from severe migraines.

prefer

to

I prefer to stay at home tonight rather than going out.

resort

to

Desperate men resort to desperate measures.

see

to

Please see to that matter immediately.

Nouns

Prepositions

Sentence Example

4

ban

on

There is a ban on cars today in the city center.

cure

for

There is no cure for AIDS yet.

room

for

There is room for 1 more passenger.

a witness

to

He was a witness to the accident.

have control

over

She has no control over her unruly children.

effect

on

The medicine had no effect on his cough.

have admiration

for

I have great admiration for Nelson Mandela.

recipe

for

This is a recipe for chocolate cake.

quarrel

with

Stop quarreling with your brother!

a solution

to

What's the solution to the problem # 5?

have a craving

for

I have a craving for chocolate chip ice cream.

have access

to

Most people have access to the Internet these days.

tax

on

There is a tax on cigarettes and alcohol.

alternative

to

What is an alternative to fossil fuels?

exception

to

That's the exception to the rule.

a threat

to

Rising sea levels are a threat to low lying islands.

restriction

on

There is no restriction on the amount of cash you can bring with you.

influence

on

His parents had a positive influence on his life.

credit

for

Give him credit for raising the company’s profits.

respect

for

The soldiers had no respect for private property.

sympathy

for

I have no sympathy for students who never study.

responsibility

for

Who claimed responsibility for the bombing?

PREPOSITION

NOUN

SENTENCE EXAMPLE

5

in

advance

Please pay for the room in advance.

at

fault

Who is at fault here?

out of

focus

This picture is awful- it's out of focus.

under

stress

He has been under a lot of stress recently.

on

behalf of

On behalf of the entire staff, we thank you for your help.

by

the time

By the time they arrived at the party, it was over!

in

 jeopardy

Your life is in jeopardy if you don't take precautions.

in

demand

Tablet computers are in great demand these days.

under

control

The police have the situation under control.

out of

stock

Sorry that style is out of stock at the moment.

without

delay

Pay your credit card without delay- or pay interest.

in

comfort

The rich live in great comfort.

in

good condition

The classic Mercedes is in good condition.

by

coincidence

By coincidence we were on the same flight to Rome.

on

the contrary

On the contrary, I think the French are very polite.

in

theory

Well, I theory government ministries works well, but

in

practice

In practice, things are not what they seem.

out of

work

He has been out of work for 2 years.

under

suspicion

He is under suspicion- the police suspect that he robbed the bank.

out of

breath

After running 5 kilometers, she was out of breath.

on

good terms with

She is on good terms with her boss.

out of

danger

He is now out of danger- his situation is no longer critical.

in

trouble

He got in trouble for cheating on his English test.

in

charge of

I was in charge of entertainment for the party.

with

the exception of

Everyone scored high on the test with the exception of 2 students.

in

response to

I'm writing in response to your letter dated...

out of

luck

You are out of luck- there's no more chocolate mousse.

out of

practice

Sorry, I'm so out of practice. My tennis is really rusty!

on

purpose

Honestly, I didn't do it on purpose.

PREPOSITION

NOUN

SENTENCE EXAMPLE

6

by

surprise

Oh! You caught me by surprise.

on

a regular basis

He plays tennis on a regular basis.

in

favor of

Who's in favor of leaving school early today?

in

high spirits

Everyone was in high spirits on the last day of school.

in

all likelihood

In all likelihood Obama will be elected president.

by

mistake

I dialed the wrong number by mistake.

on

average

It rains 66 inches a year on average in Oregon.

for

life

He was put in prison for life.

under

pressure

My boss has been under a lot of pressure recently.

under

repair

The Brooklyn Bridge is presently under repair.

on

the verge of

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown  is a famous movie.

on

the market

They have put their house on the market.

under

cover of

The thief stole quietly into the garden under cover of night.

under

the impression

I was under the impression that she knew all about the accident.

in

recognition of

In recognition of a lifetime of achievement in the cinema, you are hereby awarded an honorary Oscar.

in

collaboration with

The scenario was written in collaboration with his best friend.

at

any rate

At any rate, we should be arriving very soon.

in

distress

The ship is in distresses and radioed for help.

in

decline

Smoking is in decline throughout Europe.

at

first sight

It was love at first sight!

in

comparison with

A beach holiday is boring in comparison with trekking in the Himalayas.

out of

the ordinary

His acceptance speech was nothing out of the ordinary.

under

the influence of

The king came under the influence of evil ministers.

after

all

Well after all, it wasn't such a bad vacation.

without

exception

Without exception- everyone must wear their seat belts.

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PREPOSITION

NOUNS

SENTENCE EXAMPLE

without

a word

He left without saying a word. How rude!

under

age

Under age children will not be allowed.

out of

pocket

He had to pay out of pocket for all the expenses incurred on his trip to Nairobi.

out of

control

The situation is out of control: the government should take stronger measures.

in

the early stages

Planning for the new library is in the early stages.

in

answer to

In answer to your question, we think that...

in

short

In short the movie was all about a poor family.

for

the foreseeable future Things should be fine for the foreseeable future.

out of

reach

The tasty steak was out of reach of the lion's paws.

beyond

belief

It was beyond belief that he expected me to pay for his entire vacation.

out of

doors

The wedding will be held out of doors.

under

the circumstances

Under the circumstances, I think you should admit taking the money from the till.

beyond

a shadow of a doubt

The accused must be found innocent beyond the shadow of a doubt.

in

the end

In the end the hero conquered the evil magician.

in

any case

In any case I would take an umbrella with you.

for

the time being

For the time being we are staying in New York.

in

turn

The children answered the questions in turn.

in

time

The firemen arrive in time to save the burning house.

at

the end

The entire audience was crying at the end of the movie.

at

large

The escaped killer is still at large.

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PHRASAL VERB

SYNONYM

SENTENCE EXAMPLE

back down break down break down

retreat car stopped working started crying

break up

split with boyfriend

bring about bring off bring up bring up carry out orders catch on come about come in for

make happen be successful raise children mention a subject do what you are told become popular happen get into trouble

come off come up

be successful be mentioned

come up against come up with count on do away with draw up a contract

face a problem find an answer/idea rely on get rid of write a contact

drop in on drop off end up face up to fall for fall through

visit unexpectedly go to sleep happen finally confront a problem get tricked didn't happen

get across get at get down to business

make understood what do you mean start working

The enemy backed down and the battle was won. Our car broke down 50 miles from nowhere. She broke down and started sobbing when she heard the news. He broke up with his long term girlfriend last December. What brought about that chemical reaction? I hope he can bring off his political campaign. Bring up children is exceedingly difficult. Why did you brine up that matter again? The soldiers carried out the orders. Apps for i-Phones have really caught on. How exactly did that come about? You will come in for it- if you leave work early every day. We hope everything will come off without a hitch. The subject if our moving came up again during dinner. Everyone comes up against many obstacles in life. We have to come up with a name for our new puppy. You can count on me- I'll be there for you. The ministry did away with school uniforms. The Miami Heat just drew up a new contract for their star center. Let’s drop in on John and see what he's up to. The movie was so dull that I dropped off early on. So it ended up that Marvin won the first prize. You better face up to the truth and take steps. Don't tell me you fell for that old trick?! Plans for w weekend on Mykonos fell through at the last minute. He is unable to get his ideas across. Just what are you getting at? I don't understand. Let's stop wasting time and get down to business.

get on get round to give away give up go off go off is going on

get along with find time to give to others quit explode/alarm sounds spoil (food) what's happening

How do you get on with your in-laws? I never go round to reading any books this summer. He gave away millions to charity. I don't know what to do. I give up! The bomb went off at 9 o'clock outside the bank. That cheese stinks! It has gone off. Just exactly what is going on here?

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to go around go through

enough for all suffer

grown on have it in for hit it off hold up hold up keep up lay down the law let me down

get used to get me into trouble get along really well rob a bank delayed in traffic continue read the riot act disappoint

look into make out make up make up pick up

investigate can't read create a fake story got back together get better

put you up put up with rip you off run into see him off set up stand for

house you endure cheat meet by chance take to airport etc. start a business symbolize

be taken in take over take to take up tell someone off

be deceived buy a company learn to like uses time yell at someone

turn down turn out

refuse happen in the end

turn up wear off

appear stop working

There is enough pizza to go around- don't worry. He went through terrible trials and tribulations as a child. Living in a foreign country has really grown on me. I know that my boss has it in for me. It's unfair! Alexandra and I hit it off from the moment we met. The National Bank was held up yesterday. Sorry, but we were held up in traffic. Keep up the good work and you'll be a great student. Our history teacher really laid down the law! My friend Olivia always lets me down. It's really upsetting. The police are looking into the matter- don't worry. I can't make out what it says here- can you read it? She is always making up stories about what happened. They kissed and made up and all is well. The economy is picking up and things should be better soon. I'll put you up when you come to London. He simply cannot put up with stupid people. Don't go to that store- they're sure to rip you off. Guess who I ran into last night at the disco? We're going to see my grandmother off tomorrow. The company was originally set up by his grandfather. The American flag stands for the country and the 50 states. He is a dupe! He is often taken in by false promises. Google is taking over a small Internet company. Our new puppy has really taken to you. Washing dishes takes up too much of my time. His Dad really told him off- he's grounded for a month. She turned down his marriage proposal. How did things turn out? Oh they got married in the end. Harry always turns up hours late. The pain killer will wear off in 2 hours.

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