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English grammar

depend on, good at, worried about

B1 · Intermediate Place and direction Questions 10

The rule

Many English adjectives and verbs are followed by one fixed preposition, and there is no rule that predicts which — it belongs to the word and has to be learned with it. Adjectives: good at, bad at, interested in, worried about, afraid of, proud of, keen on, responsible for, different from, similar to, married to. Verbs: depend on, apply for, belong to, listen to, look for, wait for, complain about, apologise for, agree with, succeed in. Learn the pair, never the single word, and remember that a verb after any of them takes -ing.

Pattern

adjective / verb + its own preposition · … + verb-ing

Examples

  1. It depends on the weather.

  2. She is very good at explaining things.

  3. I am worried about the electricity bill.

  4. He applied for three jobs last week.

Common mistakes

  • Wrong: It depends of the weather.

    Right: It depends on the weather.

    depend always takes on.

  • Wrong: I am good in cooking.

    Right: I am good at cooking.

    good takes at for a skill.

  • Wrong: She is married with a teacher.

    Right: She is married to a teacher.

    married takes to.

Practice questions

Try each one yourself first, then open “Show answer” for the solution and the reason.

  1. 1Choose the correct sentence.

    1. I am not very interested in politics.
    2. I am not very interested for politics.
    3. I am not very interested on politics.
    4. I am not very interested about politics.
    Show answer

    Answer: A I am not very interested in politics.

    interested takes in.

  2. 2Choose the correct sentence.

    1. We are waiting the results.
    2. We are waiting for the results.
    3. We are waiting on the results to arrive here.
    4. We are waiting about the results.
    Show answer

    Answer: B We are waiting for the results.

    wait takes for before what you are waiting for.

  3. 3Choose the correct sentence.

    1. She apologised of being late.
    2. She apologised about being late to us.
    3. She apologised to being late.
    4. She apologised for being late.
    Show answer

    Answer: D She apologised for being late.

    apologise takes for, and a verb after it takes -ing.

  4. 4Choose the correct sentence.

    1. This bag belongs for my sister.
    2. This bag belongs with my sister.
    3. This bag belongs to my sister.
    4. This bag belongs of my sister.
    Show answer

    Answer: C This bag belongs to my sister.

    belong takes to.

  5. 5Fill in the gap.

    He is responsible _____ the whole department.

    1. for
    2. to
    3. about
    4. of
    Show answer

    Answer: A He is responsible for the whole department.

    What you answer for takes responsible for.

  6. 6Fill in the gap.

    I am afraid _____ heights.

    1. about
    2. of
    3. from
    4. for
    Show answer

    Answer: B I am afraid of heights.

    afraid names what frightens you with of.

  7. 7Fill in the gap.

    They complained _____ the noise from the flat above.

    1. about
    2. of
    3. on
    4. for
    Show answer

    Answer: A They complained about the noise from the flat above.

    complain names the problem with about.

  8. 8Fill in the gap.

    Her accent is quite different _____ mine.

    1. of
    2. than
    3. to than
    4. from
    Show answer

    Answer: D Her accent is quite different from mine.

    different from is the standard form.

  9. 9Put the words in the right order.

    It all depends on the price

    Show answer

    Answer: It all depends on the price.

    depend on is fixed.

  10. 10Put the words in the right order.

    She is very proud of her children

    Show answer

    Answer: She is very proud of her children.

    proud of is fixed.

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