Intermediate grammar · Unit 135 · B2

Verb + preposition 4 of/for/from/on

Prepositions

This unit groups common verbs by the preposition that follows them: of, for, from and on. It also covers the few cases where no preposition is used at all.

Go to the exercises

A Verb + of

Verb Example pattern
accuse / suspect somebody of accuse somebody of lying
approve / disapprove of approve of a decision
die of or die from die of an illness
consist of consist of three parts
  • Liam accused his brother of eating the last yoghurt.
  • Two players were suspected of fixing the match.
  • My grandad doesn't approve of tattoos, but he has stopped saying so.
  • "What did your great-uncle die of?" "Pneumonia."
  • The quiz consisted of six rounds and a picture sheet.

B Verb + for, and blame ... on

pay (somebody) for something you buy or receive: pay for the tickets, pay for the repairs.

With a bill, a fine, a fee, tax, rent or a sum of money, there is no preposition: pay the bill, pay the rent, pay fifty pounds.

Verb Example pattern
thank / forgive somebody for thank somebody for a present
apologise (to somebody) for apologise to them for the delay
blame somebody/something for blame somebody for the mess
somebody is to blame for he is to blame for the mess
blame a problem on blame the mess on somebody
  • Who paid for the taxi? (not paid the taxi)
  • I couldn't afford to pay the electricity bill this month.
  • She has never forgiven him for missing her fortieth.
  • I apologised to the neighbours for the noise.
  • The manager blamed the goalkeeper for the defeat.
  • Everyone agreed that the goalkeeper was to blame for the defeat.
  • Don't blame the defeat on me. I was on the bench.

C Verb + from

suffer from an illness, a condition and so on.

protect somebody/something from a danger.

  • More and more people are suffering from back problems.
  • A good hat will protect your head from the sun.

D Verb + on

depend on, rely on. With depend + when / where / how / whether and so on, you can use on or leave it out.

live on money or food = that is all you have to live.

congratulate / compliment somebody on something.

  • I can't say when we'll get there. It depends on the motorway.
  • You can rely on Bev. She has never missed a shift.
  • "Are you coming to the match?" "It depends who's playing." (or It depends on who's playing.)
  • A student loan is barely enough to live on.
  • We congratulated Ravi on getting into medical school.
  • I complimented the chef on her pastry.

Exercises

135.1 Put in the correct preposition. If no preposition is necessary, write - (or leave the space empty).

  1. Two players were suspected of taking bribes.

    Two players were suspected of taking bribes.

  2. Are you going to apologise shouting at the referee?

  3. The course consists ten weekly lessons and a final test.

  4. I was accused taking the raffle money, but I'd never even seen it.

  5. We finished our coffee, paid the bill, and caught the bus home.

  6. It was my dog that dug up their garden, so I had to pay the new plants.

  7. Thousands of people still die malaria every year.

  8. I wrote to Auntie Jean to thank her the jumper she knitted me.

  9. The new head teacher is popular. Most parents approve her changes.

  10. Do you blame the council the state of the roads?

  11. Whenever his team loses, he blames it the referee.

  12. Forgive me asking, but are you Maureen's son?

135.2 Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Begin with the words in brackets.

  1. Kerry said that I was lazy. (Kerry accused me ...)

    Kerry accused me of being lazy.

    Kerry accused me of being lazy.

  2. The mix-up was my fault, so I apologised. (I apologised ...)

  3. Owen passed all his exams, so I congratulated him. (I congratulated ...)

  4. There have been break-ins on the street, and the shop has metal shutters to protect it. (The shop has metal shutters to protect ...)

  5. My grandad eats only soup and toast. (My grandad lives ...)

  6. You can't say that the traffic jam was my fault. (You can't blame ...)

  7. The manager thought that Lewis had taken money from the till. (The manager suspected ...)

135.3 Complete the sentences using these verbs in the correct form, together with a preposition.

accuseapologiseapprovecongratulatedependlivepaysuffer

  1. My grandparents don't approve of my nose ring, but they have stopped mentioning it.

    My grandparents don't approve of my nose ring, but they have stopped mentioning it.

  2. When you took Amira to the cinema, who the tickets?

  3. It's horrible to be something you haven't done.

  4. We're planning a barbecue on Saturday, but it the weather.

  5. Rents are low in that town. You can very little money.

  6. You were rude to the waitress. I think you should her.

  7. My dad hay fever. He sneezes from May to August.

  8. I rang Hannah to her getting the job.

135.4 Put in the correct preposition. If no preposition is necessary, write - (or leave the space empty).

  1. I'll never forgive him for what he said at the wedding.

    I'll never forgive him for what he said at the wedding.

  2. A decent coat will protect you the wind on the moors.

  3. You can always rely Shona. She never lets anyone down.

  4. Jake works on Saturdays to pay his driving lessons.

  5. My mum has always suffered migraines.

  6. I don't know if I'll come to the quiz tonight. It depends how busy work is.

  7. Callum is nineteen and still depends his parents for everything.

  8. A full Welsh breakfast consists bacon, eggs, cockles and laverbread.

  9. I complimented Mr Adeyemi his front garden. It looked wonderful.

See also