Verbs and Prepositions
Lots of English verbs take a fixed preposition — you "depend on" something, "listen to" music, "wait for" a bus. Using the wrong one is a very common mistake. Here are the frequent pairings, each with an example.
Tip
The preposition is part of the verb's meaning — "wait for" (not "wait") and "listen to" (not "listen"). Learn the two words together.
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depend on
“It depends on the weather.”
listen to
“Listen to this song.”
wait for
“I'm waiting for the bus.”
apologise for
“He apologised for the delay.”
belong to
“This book belongs to me.”
believe in
“I believe in you.”
concentrate on
“Please concentrate on your work.”
rely on
“You can rely on her.”
agree with
“I agree with you.”
apply for
“She applied for the job.”
deal with
“We'll deal with it tomorrow.”
succeed in
“He succeeded in passing the exam.”
consist of
“The team consists of five people.”
insist on
“She insisted on paying the bill.”
Frequently asked
Why is it "listen to music" and not "listen music"?
Because "listen" always takes the preposition "to" before its object. It's a fixed pairing — like "wait for" and "look at" — so the preposition is never dropped.
Is it "agree with" or "agree to"?
Both exist, with different uses. You agree with a person or opinion ("I agree with you"), and you agree to a plan or request ("she agreed to the terms").