Verb + Preposition Collocations

Verb + Preposition Collocations in English (With Examples & Practice)

You can know all the grammar rules in the world and still sound slightly… not quite right in English. Why? Because English doesn’t only care about which verbs you use. It cares about which prepositions they go with.

We say:

• believe in something
• suffer from something
• wait for someone
• agree with someone
• apologise to someone for something

We don’t usually say:

❌ believe about

❌ suffer of

❌ wait to someone

These fixed combinations are called verb + preposition collocations, and learning them is one of the fastest ways to make your English sound natural, accurate, and exam-ready — especially for Cambridge exams like B2 First (FCE) and C1 Advanced (CAE).

In this lesson, you’ll learn the most useful verb + preposition patterns, grouped by preposition, with clear explanations and natural examples.

What are verb + preposition collocations?

Some English verbs are normally followed by a specific preposition. You usually can’t change it and you can’t guess it. You have to learn the whole combination as one unit.

For example:

• depend on
• belong to
• succeed in
• complain about
• deal with

Think of these as word partnerships. They’ve been together for centuries and don’t like experiments.

Verb + ABOUT collocations

(talking, thinking, worrying, complaining)

We often use about with verbs related to speaking, thinking, or feelings.

• It’s no use arguing about that now.
• He asked about my plans for the weekend.
• She doesn’t care about him anymore.
• The customer complained about the soup.
• I’m sorry, I completely forgot about our arrangement.
• Have you heard about the earthquake?
• What do you know about computers?
• We all laughed about the joke later.
• The writer talked about his new novel.
• What do you think about my new dress?
• Mildred is worried about her exam results.

Verb + AT collocations

(aiming, looking, reacting)

We often use at for direction, target, or focus.

• She aims at saving £100 every month.
• The tourists arrived at the hotel just before noon.
• Her son excelled at
• Everyone laughed at
• Look at that cat over there!
• The teacher pointed at the boy.
• She lost her patience and shouted at
• Sara smiled at us and waved.
• Mark stared at me without saying a word.

Verb + FOR collocations

(requesting, searching, hoping, paying)

We often use for to express purpose, request, or target.

• Everyone admired Brian for his bravery.
• You should apologise for what you did.
• Mary asked for
• A woman in the street begged for
• My son has never cared for classical music.
• He fought for his country during the war.
• She closed her eyes and hoped for the best.
• They longed for their own home.
• How much did you pay for the tickets?
• Lucy has two children she has to provide for.
• He searched for his phone but couldn’t find it.
• Who are you waiting for?
• Simon works for a multinational company.

Verb + FROM collocations

(origin, separation, recovery, protection)

We often use from to talk about origin, difference, or escaping.

• Pauline benefited from her friend’s advice.
• I borrowed a book from
• George comes from a small town in Scotland.
• The two brothers differed from each other.
• A man escaped from prison yesterday.
• She graduated from university in 2015.
• Nigel has fully recovered from his illness.
• Mike rescued an old man from
• The minister resigned from his position.
• She retired from business at 55.
• They saved some books from the fire.
• She is separated from her husband.
• Andy suffered from memory loss after the accident.

Verb + IN collocations

(involvement, belief, success, activities)

We often use in for participation, fields, and results.

• The ship arrived in the city harbour.
• If you want to succeed, you must believe in
• Jade felt she could confide in her friend.
• He tried to engage in a discussion.
• We invested in the company.
• He participated in the debate.
• The bad decision resulted in serious losses.
• Helen specialised in Russian literature.
• He succeeded in repairing the engine.
• She trusted in his judgement completely.

Verb + OF collocations

(thinking, approving, consisting)

• His parents didn’t approve of his decision.
• The book consists of fifteen chapters.
• They only dreamed of buying a bigger house.
• Have you heard of this writer?
• Don’t worry. He can take care of
• Sandra often thought of her childhood home.

Verb + TO collocations

(reaction, communication, direction, connection)

We often use to to show direction, response, or relationship.

• It took us a while to adapt to our new home.
• He found it hard to admit to his mistake.
• Finally, he agreed to sign the contract.
• Mira apologised to her date for being late.
• The car belongs to Mr Smith.
• Jennifer refused to consent to the plan.
• This street leads to the main square.
• He listened to music on his headphones.
• Most employees objected to the proposal.
• Please respond to my email.
• Julie spoke to the receptionist.
• Can I talk to you for a moment?
• We travelled to Greece by bus.
• When in doubt, turn to a professional.

Verb + WITH collocations

(relationships, cooperation, problems)

We often use with to talk about connection, interaction, or dealing with problems.

• She didn’t agree with
• Will you stop arguing with your brother?
• The book begins with a description of the family.
• Compared with other children, Tom was very tall.
• Small shops can’t compete with big supermarkets.
• How do you cope with this heat?
• I don’t like dealing with
• The president met with the ambassador.

Using correct verb + preposition collocations improves your Use of English score, makes your writing sound natural and precise, makes your speaking smoother and more confident and prevents “almost correct” mistakes that cost easy points. Examiners notice this immediately.

Never learn a verb alone. Learn it with its preposition. English words are like old British couples: they’ve been together forever and don’t appreciate being separated 😄

Download verb preposition collocations exercises in PDF here

Learn noun + preposition collocations here

Learn adjective + preposition collocations here

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