Prepositions and dependent prepositions

focus on / concentrate on

Schools should focus on practical skills rather than memorisation.

depend on / rely on

Millions of families depend on remittances from relatives abroad.

result in (→ effect) / result from (← cause)

Deforestation can result in landslides. · Many landslides result from deforestation.

lead to / contribute to

Poor diet leads to obesity. · Traffic contributes to air pollution. (+ -ing: contribute to reducing)

account for

The garment industry accounts for over 80% of Bangladesh's exports.

consist of

The course consists of four modules.

benefit from / suffer from

Rural students would benefit from online courses. · Many cities suffer from chronic congestion.

invest in / participate in / succeed in

Governments should invest in renewable energy.

cope with / deal with / comply with

Students must learn to cope with pressure. (never 'cope up with')

respond to / adapt to / object to

Farmers have had to adapt to changing rainfall patterns.

apply for (a job, a visa) / apply to (a university)

She applied for a student visa after applying to three universities.

agree with (a person / opinion) / agree on (a joint decision) / agree to (a proposal)

I agree with this view. · The two countries agreed on a deal. · The council agreed to the plan.

prevent / protect / discourage + object + from

Embankments protect villages from flooding. · High fees prevent many students from studying abroad.

spend + money/time + on · blame + someone + for

Governments spend billions on defence. · Many people blame social media for rising anxiety.

provide + someone + with + something / provide + something + for + someone

The scheme provides students with laptops. · It provides laptops for students.

responsible for

Who should be responsible for protecting the environment?

interested in / involved in

Fewer young people are interested in farming.

concerned about (worried) / concerned with (dealing with a topic)

Parents are concerned about online safety. · This essay is concerned with urban housing.

aware of / capable of / afraid of / proud of

Most smokers are aware of the risks.

dependent on / reliant on (but independent of)

The economy is heavily dependent on garment exports.

harmful to / beneficial to (or for) / essential for (or to)

Plastic waste is harmful to marine life.

similar to / different from / equal to / superior to

Life in Sylhet is very different from life in Dhaka.

familiar with / satisfied with / angry with (a person)

Older people may not be familiar with mobile banking.

addicted to / exposed to / accustomed to / opposed to / committed to

Children are increasingly exposed to advertising. (+ -ing: accustomed to working)

vulnerable to / prone to / sensitive to

Coastal areas are highly vulnerable to cyclones.

good at / skilled at (or in) / famous for / eligible for

Bangladesh is famous for its muslin and jamdani weaving.

rich in / short of / free from (or of)

Lentils are rich in protein.

impact on / effect on / influence on (the impact OF X ON Y)

Social media has a strong impact on teenagers. · The effect of noise on sleep is well documented.

increase / rise / fall / decline / drop in + the thing that changes

There was a sharp increase in car ownership.

increase / rise / fall of + the amount

There was an increase of 15% in car ownership.

reason for / cause of / solution to / answer to / key to

One reason for this trend is… · The cause of the problem is… · There is no simple solution to this problem.

access to / threat to / damage to / alternative to / contribution to

Millions still lack access to clean water.

demand for / need for / respect for

There is a growing demand for skilled IT workers.

investment in / participation in / experience in (or of)

Investment in education pays long-term dividends.

ban on / tax on / emphasis on / spending on / pressure on

A ban on single-use plastics… · Too much emphasis on exams…

attitude to (or towards) / approach to

Attitudes towards women in the workplace have changed.

advantage of (the benefit) / advantage over (a competitor)

The main advantage of online learning… · Online learning has an advantage over classroom teaching in flexibility.

relationship between X and Y / with someone; difference between

the relationship between income and health

by

the AMOUNT of change

Sales rose by 20,000 units. (from 40,000 to 60,000)

to

the FINAL figure

Sales rose to 60,000 units.

from … to

start and end figures

Sales rose from 40,000 to 60,000 units.

at

a point or level

Visitor numbers peaked at 95,000. · Unemployment stood at 5%. · Prices remained stable at $40.

of

noun + amount

a rise of 20% · an increase of 5 million

in

noun + the thing that changes

a rise in unemployment · a fall in exports

between … and / from … to

a time period

between 2010 and 2020 · from 2010 to 2020 (not 'between 2010 to 2020')

over / during / throughout

across a period

over the next decade · throughout the period

by (+ time)

no later than a point in time

By 2020, the figure had doubled.

account for / make up (no preposition after)

share of a total

Coal accounted for 40% of electricity. · Women made up 55% of students. (not 'accounted for of')

on / at

fixed phrases

on average · at its peak · at the end of the period · in comparison with

at (time)

clock times, night, festivals as a period

at 9 a.m. · at night · at the weekend (BrE; AmE 'on the weekend') · at Eid

on (time)

days, dates, special days

on Monday · on 26 March · on Victory Day · on Monday morning

in (time)

months, years, seasons, decades, centuries, parts of the day

in June · in 2024 · in the monsoon · in the 1990s · in the 21st century · in the morning

NO preposition

last / next / this / every / today / tomorrow

last year (not 'in last year') · next week · every summer

for / since

for + a period; since + a starting point

for three years · since 2021 (never 'since three years')

during / while

during + noun; while + clause

during the monsoon · while I was studying

by / until

by = deadline (no later than); until = continuing up to

Submit it by Friday. · The office is closed until Friday.

at (place)

a point or a building for its purpose

at the station · at home · at university · at the bus stop

in (place)

inside, cities, countries, areas

in Dhaka · in Bangladesh · in the classroom · in the north of the country

on (place)

surfaces, lines, floors, public transport

on the map · on the coast · on the left · on the second floor · on the bus (but in a car)

arrive in / arrive at

in + city or country; at + building or specific place

We arrived in London. · We arrived at the airport. (never 'arrive to')

in the north of / to the north of

Maps: inside an area vs outside it

The car park is in the north of the site (inside). · The school is to the north of the park (outside).

We discussed about the issue.

We discussed the issue.

discuss takes a direct object.

He returned back to Dhaka.

He returned to Dhaka. / He went back to Dhaka.

return already means 'go back'.

She is married with a doctor.

She is married to a doctor. / She married a doctor.

married to; the verb marry takes no preposition.

The bus reached to Sylhet at noon.

The bus reached Sylhet at noon. / The bus arrived in Sylhet.

reach takes a direct object.

Students must cope up with stress.

Students must cope with stress.

'cope up' does not exist in standard English.

According to me, fees should be lower.

In my opinion / I believe, fees should be lower.

according to introduces other sources, never yourself.

I have lived here since three years.

I have lived here for three years.

for + period; since + point in time.

He entered into the room.

He entered the room.

enter into is only for agreements and discussions.

The report emphasises on safety.

The report emphasises safety. / …puts emphasis on safety.

Verb: no preposition; noun: emphasis on.

Please explain me the rules.

Please explain the rules to me.

explain something to someone.

We must attend to the meeting.

We must attend the meeting.

attend to means 'deal with' (attend to a patient).

The team comprises of five people.

The team comprises five people. / …consists of five people.

comprise takes no of; consist of is the safe choice.

I'm good in maths and afraid from exams.

I'm good at maths and afraid of exams.

Fixed adjective + preposition chunks.

I went there on last Friday.

I went there last Friday.

No preposition before last / next / this.