Difference between revisions of "Verb+preposition errors"
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Revision as of 03:42, 24 April 2019
The following is a partial and incomplete list of common collocation errors that Asian ESL students tend to make in English. The expressions with asterisks [*] are awkward or incorrect terms used by ESL/EFL learners (English as a second/foreign language) . Expressions with the greater sign [>] indicate that one expression is preferred or more common, especially in more formal English.
# |
Phrasal verb [*common error] | Examples |
---|---|---|
# | Absorbed in (=very much interested) [*at] |
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# | Accused of [*for] cf. charge with |
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# | Accustomed to [*with] cf. used to |
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# | Afraid of [*from] |
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# | Aim at [*on / against] [1] |
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# | All X (generic noun) [all ?of X, all X, all of the X] ; ‘all of the X’ has a more specific nuance – the speaker has particular items in mind |
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# | Anxious (troubled) about [*for] Anxious for = wishing very much |
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# | Angry with / at [*against] For persons, with is somewhat more common. We get angry with/at a person but angry at a thing.Also annoyed with, vexed with, indignant with. |
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# | Arrived at [*to] Use arrive in with countries and large cities. |
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# | Ashamed of [*from] ‘ashamed of’ ≠ ‘shy’ ‘ashamed’ = feeling shame or guilt ‘shy’ = feeling nervous with someone |
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# | Believe in [*to] ‘to believe in’ = to put trust or faith in‘to believe’ (without in) = to regard something as true |
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# | Besides / In addition to / [*Except] |
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# | Boast of / about [*for] (‘of’ is more literary, formal, or older style) |
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# | Buy for / atFor exact amounts and sums, ‘for’ is used; ‘at’ is used for weights or measures. |
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# | Careful of / with / about [*for] cf. ‘take care of’ |
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# | Close to [*from] |
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# | Complain about [*for] For illnesses: ‘complain of’ |
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# | Composed of [*from] |
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# | Congratulate on/for On refers to an occasion or event, while for refers more to the reason for congratulating someone. |
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# | Consist of [*from] |
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# | Contact [*contact to] |
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# | Covered with [?by] ‘covered with’ is for descriptions; ‘covered by’ refers to an act or result of covering |
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# | Cure of [*from] The noun ‘cure’ takes ‘for’. |
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# | Deprive of [*from] |
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# | Die of an illness > die from an illnessThe phrase die of is more common than die from X in contemporary English; the phrase die from X may put slightly more emphasis on X as an active cause. |
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# | Different from [*than] |
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# | Disappointed by, about or at from[1] by/at/ about[2] with/ inBefore a person we use with or in, before a thing we use at, about, by; and before a gerund we use at |
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# | Divide into parts [*in] A thing can also be divided in half or in two. |
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# | Doubt: no doubt about / in [*for] Doubtful of‘Doubt about’ may be more common that ‘doubt in’; the latter makes more of a contrast with ‘believe in.’ |
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# | Dressed in [*with] |
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# | Exception to [*of] With the exception ofExcept for |
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# | Exchange for [*by] In exchange for |
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# | Fail in [*from] |
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# | Full of [*with / from] Fill with |
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# | Get rid of [*from] |
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# | Glad about [*from/with] Or with an infinitive: glad to |
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# | Good at (in) Also: ‘bad at, clever at, quick at, slow at,’ etc.; but ‘weak in’ Note: “He is good in class” means that his conduct is good. |
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# | Guard against [*from] |
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# | Guilty of [*for] |
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# | Independent of [*from] Dependent on |
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# | Indifferent to [*for] |
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# | Influence on [*to] The verb takes a direct object with no preposition. |
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# | Insist on [*to] |
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# | Interested in [*for] Also: take an interest in |
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# | Jealous of [*from] |
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# | Leave for (a place) [*to] |
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# | Live on / off of [*from] Feed on |
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# | Look at [?to] [2] |
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# | In my opinion [*according to] |
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# | Panic about [*with] |
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# | Persist in [*with] |
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# | Room for [ > place for] |
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# | Related to [*with] |
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# | Spend on / for‘On’ indicates activity, and is more common; ‘for’ indicates the purpose, goal or object. |
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# | Tie to (implies movement, goal, or change in position) Tie on/onto (implies location) |
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# | Travel by train [*with the train] (or other vehicle) [3] |
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# | Warn (someone) of [>about] (a danger) |
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- ↑ At denotes direction toward; because at indicates direction or movement toward something, it means the object is not directly or fully affected, e.g.: throw at, shout at, fire at, shoot at; shoot at. When the verb can take a direct object or at, the object in the Verb + DO construction is fully affected by the action, while Verb + at indicates an object that is not fully affected, e.g., shot a goose cf. shot at a goose.
- ↑ ‘Look to’ is more literary, meaning ‘behold, behold as an example, turn to.’ Also: gaze at, stare at, etc., but look after (= take care of) , look for (=try to find) , look over (=examine) , look into (=examine closely) , look on or upon (=consider) , look down on (=have a low opinion of) , look up to (=respect) , look out for (=expect) , look forward to (= expect with pleasure) , look to (= rely on) .
- ↑ We travel by train, by boat, by bike; also, by land, by sea, by air, by bus; in a bus or on a bus; by car or in a car, by taxi or in a taxi; on horse-back, on a donkey, on a bicycle; on foot.