verbpreposition

Verb-preposition, commonly referred to as a prepositional verb, is a category of verbs that requires a specific preposition to link to their complement. The preposition marks the semantic relationship between the verb and its object, and the combination often functions as a unit with a meaning not predictable from the verb alone. Examples include depend on, rely on, believe in, insist on, apologize for, belong to, and consist of.

Prepositional verbs differ from phrasal verbs, where a verb combines with a particle that can alter meaning and often permits different object placements. In prepositional verbs, the object typically follows the preposition rather than directly after the verb, and the preposition is essential to grammaticality and meaning.

Common verb–preposition pairs and typical usage include depend on, rely on, believe in, insist on, apologize for, belong to, consist of, participate in, care for, be aware of, and differ from. Examples: Farmers depend on rain for crops; researchers rely on data from fieldwork; people believe in human rights; the team insists on strict safety measures; she apologized for the delay; the book belongs to the library; the committee consists of ten members; students participate in the debate; she cares for her elderly neighbor; I am aware of the risks; this estimate differs from the previous one.

Usage notes: prepositions in these combinations are not freely interchangeable; changing the preposition can change or destroy meaning. Some verbs take different prepositions to express nuanced senses, so learners should memorize common collocations. The prepositional object can be a noun phrase or, in some cases, a clause, and non-native speakers may transfer preposition choices from their first language, leading to errors.