TRAINING COURSE:

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH: FIRST (FCE)

DEPENDENT PREPOSITIONS
In the Cambridge First Exam, many times you will find in need of using dependent prepositions. A
dependent preposition is a preposition that always follows the same expression; for example, we say
‘interested in’ and not ‘interested on’ or ‘interested about’. The reason why those are tested in the
Cambridge First Exam is due to interference with your mother tongue, as many times learners want to
use the repositions they use in their mother tongue, instead of the one that is used in English.

There isn’t an easy way to learn dependent prepositions, other than learning them through reading texts,
listening to real English and using them in your speaking and your writing. In the Cambridge First Exam
this is specifically tested in the Use of English paper. A clear example of exercise testing dependent
prepositions is Part 2 of the Use of English paper; the open cloze part.

Here is a list of the most common dependent prepositions you may find in the exam.

TYPE 1: VERB + DEPENDENT PREPOSITIONS

• accuse somebody of • blame somebody for • object to something
• add to • comment on • object to somebody doing
• agree with somebody • complain about something
• agree on something • concentrate on • praise somebody for
• aim at/for • congratulate on + verb • prevent s/o from
• apologise for (-ing) • refer to
• apply to a job / candidancy • consent to • rely on
• (dis)approve of • consist of • smile at
• argue with/about • deal with • succeed in
• arrest somebody for • decide on • stand for
• attend to • excuse somebody for • thank somebody for
• believe in • insist on • volunteer to
• belong to • laugh at • warn somebody about

TYPE 2: ADJECTIVES + DEPENDENT PREPOSITIONS

• according to • envious of • proud of
• accustomed to • famous for • puzzled by/about
• afraid of • fed up with • safe from
• annoyed with/about/at • fond of • sensitive to(wards)
• anxious about • frightened of • serious about
• ashamed of • good at • sick of
• astonished at • guilty of • similar to
• aware of • incapable of • sorry for/about
• crazy about • interested in • suspicious of
• delighted at/about • jealous of • sympathetic to(wards)
• different from • keen on • tired of
• (dis)satisfied with • mad at/about • typical of
• doubtful about • opposed to • unaware of
• enthusiastic about • pleased with

TYPE 3: NOUN - PREPOSITION COLLOCATIONS

• (take) advantage of • connection between • information about

• in agreement • cruelty towards • (have no) intention of
• all in all • decrease in • knowledge of
• attack on • delay in • (keep) in mind
• attitude towards • difference between/of • need for
• on average • difficulty in/with • (take no) notice of
• on behalf of • disadvantage of • under (no) obligation
• under(no) circumstances • in doubt • (take)pleasure in
• comparison between • in (no/a) hurry • in power
• on condition • increase in • in practice
• preference for • rise in • on suspicion of
• protection from • at risk • under suspicion
• reaction to • room for • in theory
• reason for • on second thoughts • in trouble
• reduction in • solution to • trouble with
• report on • at stake • use of
• result of • on strike • on the whole

LET’S PRACTICE