Question 1

Why do I say "depend on" instead of "depend of"?

Accepted Answer

"Depend on" is a fixed verb-preposition combination in English. The preposition is not chosen by logic or by translation from another language; it is part of the phrase. You can also use the slightly more formal "depend upon", especially in writing, but "depend of" is not standard English. The best way to learn dependent prepositions is to record the whole phrase, not only the verb: write "depend on someone", "wait for the bus", and "listen to music". This builds accurate memorisation and helps you avoid common first-language transfer errors.

Question 2

How are "look at", "look for", and "look after" different?

Accepted Answer

These three phrases use the same verb but have different meanings. "Look at" means direct your eyes towards something: "Look at this picture." "Look for" means try to find something: "I am looking for my keys." "Look after" means take care of someone or something: "Can you look after the children?" Because the preposition changes the meaning, you need to learn the complete phrase with an example sentence. In exams, the surrounding words usually tell you which meaning is needed, so read the whole sentence before choosing the preposition.

Question 3

When should I use "apologise to" and "apologise for"?

Accepted Answer

Use "apologise to" before the person who receives the apology: "I apologised to Sara." Use "apologise for" before the mistake, action, or problem: "I apologised for being late." Very often, both appear in one sentence: "He apologised to his teacher for missing the lesson." This distinction is useful because many dependent preposition items test whether you can identify the person and the reason separately. In British English, "apologise" is spelt with -ise, while American English usually writes "apologize"; the preposition pattern stays the same.

Verb + Preposition Part 1 Exercises

Quick Rule

All 20 questions

Continue Practising

Prepositions Dictation: Time and Place

Verb + Preposition Error Correction

Adjective + Preposition Error Correction

-ed vs -ing Adjectives

Conditionals

Present Perfect