In English, there are a huge number of the verb and preposition combinations, which simply need to be memorized.
In this article, we’ll look at only ten of these verb-preposition combinations.
Try to memorize verbs with prepositions when you see them. They will be useful to you.
By the way, I politely borrowed the infographic from Grammar.net. They have a lot of very colourful and useful infographics.
Do you remember what you should do with it? That’s right! Print it and hang it in a place where you can see it so you can learn these English words and expressions more quickly.
As you’ve already guessed, some English verbs only pair with certain prepositions, which then take on a certain meaning.
We often call such word combinations phrasal verbs. For example:
- Bill contributed to charity.
- She has recovered from her surgery.
- Chickens object to foxes.
In the phrases “contributed to,” “recovered from,” and “object to” we see typical verbs that need prepositions – not just any prepositions, but specific ones.
The same is true of the verbs you will see further in this article; they require specific prepositions.
1. Call in
You’ll see different meanings of call in in the examples.
- Joe has called in all the books he gave me.
- Poor Margie was so sick that she had to call in to work.
In the first sentence, call in means “to require that something be given or returned,” and in the second sentence this verb + preposition has another meaning, “to notify by telephone that you won’t be coming to work.”
2. Call off
The next verb + preposition combination means “to cancel” or “to recall someone or something from an attack or pursuit.” Look at the examples:
- The meeting has been called off because there were too many absentees.
- The police found the escaped criminal and called off the dogs.
3. Bowl over
The first meaning of this verb + preposition combination is literal. It means “to knock down.”
In the second meaning of bowl over, it acts as a phrasal verb and refers to a state of shock or surprise. For example:
- The big dog accidentally bowled me over.
- When I heard Phil was fired, it bowled me over.
4. Pay for
This phrasal verb in English means “to give money in exchange for something” or “to suffer bad consequences for something bad that you did.”
- You’ll pay for that, wise guy!
- I won’t pay for this meal! It was terrible.
5. Bear with
This word combination can be understood as two separate words (a bear – the animal – is with someone. In this context, the word “bear” is a noun, not a verb.) or it can be a phrasal verb that means “to tolerate an unpleasant situation patiently and without complaining.” For example:
- I saw a bear with three cubs.
- Please bear with Hannah, she is new here.
6. Hold out
The word combination hold out means “to wait until the end; to wait for something better,” or “to extend something or hold something, as if in an offer or for someone to take it.” For example:
- The glasses were pretty, but Betty decided to hold out for a sale.
- She obediently held out her diary to him.
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7. Cool down
A synonym of this phrasal verb is “calm down.” For example:
- Fred went somewhere to cool down after the argument.
- Calm down! Don’t yell at me!
8. Eat up
This phrasal verb can be translated “to eat with an appetite; to eat all of something.”
In conversational speech, it can also mean “to work at something quickly and efficiently” or “to do something with a lot of enjoyment.”
- The kids were eating up the festivities.
- She’s eating up the course in English.
9. Count on
The ninth interesting verb + preposition combination in our list means “to depend or rely on someone or something; to trust that someone will do something.”
- Can we count on you for the party?
- I couldn’t count on him. He’s such an irresponsible man.
10. Drop by
The last English phrasal verb means “to visit someone as a guest, often without previous specific or concrete plans.”
This is an expression that is used more in speaking than in writing, and it is used as a gesture of hospitality. For example, you can say to an old friend (or about him):
- Drop by any time you’re in the city!
- He dropped by after work for a drink.
Don’t forget, you just need to memorize phrasal verbs.
Use them as often as possible when you speak. I’m sure you’ll be successful!