Common Preposition Mistakes
B1 · IntermediateCommon Grammar MistakesMarried to, depend on, listen to, good at — the small words that go with specific verbs and adjectives, and the mistakes that come from guessing.
What you'll learn
- Many English verbs and adjectives pair with one specific preposition that has to be learned individually, not guessed from logic
- 'Married to', 'depend on', 'listen to', and 'arrive at/in' are among the most commonly mismatched pairs
- Some verbs (discuss, marry, resemble) take NO preposition at all in English, even though the equivalent verb needs one in many other languages
- 'At the weekend' (UK) / 'on the weekend' (US) — but never 'in the weekend'
- Prepositions after adjectives (good at, afraid of, interested in, worried about) each follow their own pattern too
One verb, one specific preposition
A huge number of everyday English mistakes come down to pairing a verb or adjective with the wrong preposition — or adding one where English doesn't use any at all. There's rarely a logical reason for which preposition goes with which verb; it simply has to be learned per word.
Commonly mismatched verb + preposition pairs
These verb + preposition combinations are mixed up especially often.
Some verbs need no preposition at all
A few verbs take a direct object with no preposition in English, even though learners often expect one by analogy with other verbs.
Prepositions after adjectives
Adjectives pair with their own prepositions too, and these often don't match what learners expect.
Real English
Watch out
'Married to', not 'married with', is the fixed pairing in English.
'Depend' always pairs with 'on' in English.
'Discuss' takes a direct object with no preposition at all.
'Interested' pairs with 'in', not 'on'.
Real life — Making weekend plans
"Are you free at the weekend?"
"I think so — it depends on my work schedule, but probably yes."
"Great — I'm really interested in that new exhibition downtown."
"Me too. Let's discuss the details tomorrow."
Practice
Exercise 1 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 2 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 3 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 4 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 5 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 6 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 7 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 8 · Choose the correct sentence
Which is correct?
Exercise 9 · Correct the mistake
Correct the mistake: We discussed about the plan yesterday.
Exercise 10 · Correct the mistake
Correct the mistake: I'm interested on history.
Quick challenge
Five quick questions to check what stuck.
Question 1 / 5
Score: 0/0
Which is correct?
You learned
- Each verb pairs with its own specific preposition, learned individually.
- married to, depend on, listen to, arrive at/in are among the most mismatched.
- discuss, marry, and resemble take no preposition at all in English.
- Adjectives (good at, afraid of, interested in, worried about) follow their own patterns too.
Related grammar lessons
Common Article Mistakes
A focused review of the most persistent article mistakes — missing 'a/an' before a job or role, and an extra 'the' added to general statements or place names that don't need one.
Gerund vs Infinitive Mistakes
A focused review of the verbs most often paired with the wrong pattern — enjoy + -ing (not to), want + to (not -ing), and the 'to' + -ing trap in phrases like look forward to.
Pronoun Mistakes
A focused review of the most common pronoun mistakes — the wrong pronoun after 'and' or a preposition, and reflexive pronouns added where English doesn't need one.
Subject–Verb Agreement Mistakes
A focused review of the trickiest subject–verb agreement errors — agreeing with the wrong noun when a phrase comes between the subject and the verb, and singular indefinite pronouns that feel plural.