Mastering dependent prepositions

 

Mastering dependent prepositions

Hello Quijoter@s!

If you’re studying at a B2+ or C1 level, you’ve probably discovered that dependent prepositions can be annoyingly unpredictable. They’re those tiny words that don’t follow a clear rule but completely change whether a sentence sounds natural or not. And yes, advanced learners still get stuck on them!

Mastering these combinations is key for writing formal texts, preparing for certification exams, giving presentations, and simply sounding more confident and fluent in everyday English.

What are dependent prepositions?

They are prepositions that always accompany certain:

• verbs (depend on, specialise in)

• adjectives (familiar with, committed to)

• nouns (a rise in, an advantage of)

These combinations are fixed, and using the wrong preposition makes the expression sound unnatural or incorrect, no matter how perfect the rest of the sentence is.

Advanced verb + preposition combinations

• Insist on
  She insisted on speaking to the manager.

• Object to
  Some employees object to working longer hours.

• Succeed in
  They succeeded in solving the issue.

• Accuse someone of
  He was accused of plagiarism.

• Approve of
  Not everyone approves of that decision.

• Focus on
  Let’s focus on the main point.

Advanced adjective + preposition combinations

• Accustomed to
  I’m not accustomed to such cold weather.

• Capable of
  She’s capable of handling the situation.

• Committed to
  We are committed to providing high-quality lessons.

• Fed up with
  He’s fed up with constant delays.

• Familiar with
  Are you familiar with this method?

• Independent of/from
  The results are independent of external factors.

Advanced noun + preposition combinations

• A demand for
  There is a growing demand for bilingual professionals.

• A decrease/increase in
  We’ve seen an increase in course enrolments.

• A solution to
  We need a solution to this problem.

• An advantage of
  One advantage of studying a language is improved confidence.

How to learn dependent prepositions effectively

Instead of memorising long lists, focus on learning the full expression, as a single chunk. Your brain recognises it faster and you’ll produce it more naturally:

• interested in learning

• focus on improving

• committed to achieving

• a solution to the problem

Reading, listening and noticing these expressions in context helps them become automatic, a key step for reaching C1 fluency.

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