Prepositions (Deeper)
Level B2–C2 · movement, dependent prepositions & collocations
◎What you'll master
- Choose the right preposition of movement (into, onto, out of, off, through, across, over…) for the path described.
- Learn the fixed dependent prepositions that follow common verbs (depend on, consist of, apply for).
- Match adjectives to their prepositions (interested in, afraid of, different from, good at).
- Use noun + preposition patterns (reason for, solution to, increase in, effect on).
- Avoid the classic no-preposition traps: discuss, enter, marry, mention, request, lack, approach take a direct object.
1Movement: showing the path, not just the place
Prepositions of movement describe the path something takes. Static prepositions (in, on, at) say where something is; movement prepositions say where it goes. Pick the one whose picture matches the journey.
The core contrast: to vs into vs onto
To points at a destination; into shows movement to the inside of something; onto shows movement to a surface.
| Preposition | Path it shows | Example |
|---|---|---|
| into | entering an enclosed space | He dived into the pool. |
| out of | leaving an enclosed space | She climbed out of the car. |
| onto | moving to a surface | The plane taxied onto the runway. |
| off | leaving a surface | A book fell off the shelf. |
| through | in one side and out the other | We drove through the tunnel. |
| across | from one side to the other (a flat area) | They swam across the river. |
| along | following the length of something | We strolled along the beach. |
| over | above and across | The plane flew over the city. |
| past | up to and beyond | She walked past the bakery. |
| towards | in the direction of (not necessarily arriving) | He moved towards the exit. |
2Dependent prepositions after verbs
Many verbs are married to a particular preposition. There is little logic to learn — you memorise the pair. The wrong preposition is one of the most common errors at B2–C2, so drill the high-frequency pairs below.
| Verb + preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| depend on / rely on | need or be determined by | Success depends on effort. |
| consist of | be made up of | The team consists of six people. |
| apply for | request formally | She applied for the grant. |
| apologise for | say sorry about | He apologised for the delay. |
| believe in | trust the value of | They believe in hard work. |
| succeed in | manage to do | She succeeded in passing. |
| deal with | handle | We must deal with the complaint. |
| concentrate on / insist on | focus on / demand | Please concentrate on the task. |
| refer to / belong to | mention / be owned by | This refers to page ten. |
3Dependent prepositions after adjectives
Adjectives that express feelings, ability, or relationships usually take a fixed preposition before their object. Learn the adjective and its preposition as one unit.
| Adjective + preposition | Example |
|---|---|
| interested in | She's interested in architecture. |
| good / bad at | He's good at chess but bad at spelling. |
| afraid of / proud of / capable of | I'm afraid of heights but proud of my work. |
| keen on | They're not keen on early starts. |
| responsible for | She is responsible for hiring. |
| aware of | Were you aware of the risk? |
| similar to / different from | This case is similar to the last but different from mine. |
4Dependent prepositions after nouns
Abstract nouns carry their own prepositions, and they often differ from the related verb. Notice that the noun reason takes for, while solution and answer take to.
| Noun + preposition | Example |
|---|---|
| reason for | What's the reason for the delay? |
| increase / decrease in | There was a sharp increase in prices. |
| solution to / need for | There's no easy solution to this, but a clear need for change. |
| effect on | Sleep has a big effect on memory. |
| cause of | Smoking is a major cause of illness. |
5No-preposition traps
Several English verbs feel as if they need a preposition — because the natural translation adds one — but they take a direct object with nothing between. These are among the most tested errors on the TOEFL.
| Verb | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| discuss | discuss about the plan | discuss the plan |
| enter | enter into the room | enter the room |
| marry | marry with her | marry her |
| mention | mention about it | mention it |
| request | request for a copy | request a copy |
| lack | lack of experience (as a verb) | lack experience |
| approach | approach to the desk | approach the desk |
6Putting it together
In one sentence you may stack all three patterns: a movement preposition, a verb pair, and a no-preposition verb. Read carefully and let each word choose its own preposition.
She jumped ______ the pool.
I'm not very good ______ drawing.
The children ran ______ the room, shouting.
We need to discuss ______ before deciding.
Her results are quite different ______ mine.
The thief climbed ______ the wall to escape.
As she approached ______, the guard stopped her.
✎Fix the Error
Each sentence has one mistake in the underlined word. Type the correction and check.
1.The result will depend of the weather.
2.She's very interested on marine biology.
3.The committee will discuss about the plan tomorrow.
4.He married with her in 2019.
5.My cousin is really good in maths .