Dependent Prepositions
B1 · IntermediatePrepositionsInterested in, depend on, afraid of — many words come with their own fixed 'partner' preposition that simply has to be learned.
What you'll learn
- A dependent preposition is a fixed preposition required by a specific verb, adjective, or noun — it 'depends' on that word
- There's usually no rule for which preposition a word takes — each pairing is learned individually, like vocabulary
- Dependent prepositions can follow verbs (depend on), adjectives (good at), or nouns (interest in)
- This lesson gives the overview; Verb + Preposition, Adjective + Preposition, and Noun + Preposition each go deeper into their own word class
What makes a preposition 'dependent'
A dependent preposition is a preposition that a specific word — a verb, an adjective, or a noun — always takes, regardless of context. It's called 'dependent' because the choice of preposition depends entirely on that one word, not on any general rule about meaning or location.
Usually no logical rule
Unlike prepositions of time or place, dependent prepositions rarely follow a predictable pattern based on meaning. 'Interested in' and 'good at' both express a positive connection to something, but they use completely different prepositions — there's no way to guess which one is correct from logic alone.
Three word classes, one shared idea
Dependent prepositions attach to three main word classes. Verbs: listen to, depend on, believe in, apologize for. Adjectives: interested in, afraid of, good at, married to. Nouns: interest in, reason for, solution to, relationship with. Each word class has its own lesson in this section for deeper practice — this lesson is the overview that ties them together.
Real English
Watch out
depend always pairs with on, never from or of — this is a fixed dependent preposition with no exceptions.
Don't guess the preposition based on logic or translate it from another language — each dependent preposition has to be learned as a fixed pair.
Real life — Talking about plans
"Are you still interested in that job?"
"Yes, but it depends on the salary, honestly."
"That's fair. Are you worried about the interview?"
"A bit, but I'm looking forward to it too."
Practice
Exercise 1 · Choose the correct preposition
I'm interested ___ history.
Exercise 2 · Choose the correct preposition
She apologized ___ being late.
Exercise 3 · Choose the correct preposition
This depends ___ the weather.
Exercise 4 · Choose the correct preposition
He's good ___ maths.
Exercise 5 · Choose the correct preposition
I'm not sure what caused her interest ___ art.
Exercise 6 · Identify the word class
Which word class is 'dependent' in 'good at chess'?
Exercise 7 · Identify the word class
Which word class is 'dependent' in 'depend on'?
Exercise 8 · Choose the correct sentence
Choose the correct sentence.
Exercise 9 · Complete the sentence
Fill in the correct preposition: She's afraid ___ spiders.
Exercise 10 · Complete the sentence
Fill in the correct preposition: I agree ___ you completely.
Exercise 11 · Put the words in the correct order
Quick challenge
Five quick questions to check what stuck.
Question 1 / 5
Score: 0/0
He's responsible ___ the whole project.
You learned
- A dependent preposition is a fixed preposition required by a specific verb, adjective, or noun.
- There's usually no logical rule — each pairing is learned individually, like vocabulary.
- Dependent prepositions attach to verbs (depend on), adjectives (good at), and nouns (interest in).
- See Verb + Preposition, Adjective + Preposition, and Noun + Preposition for deeper practice on each word class.
Related grammar lessons
Verb + Preposition
Learn the fixed prepositions that go with common verbs like listen to, wait for, depend on, and apologize for — each verb has its own required partner.
Preposition + -ing
Learn one of English's most reliable grammar rules: a verb that comes directly after a preposition always takes the -ing form, never the infinitive.
Adjective + Preposition
Learn which preposition goes with common adjectives like interested in, afraid of, good at and married to — combinations you mostly just have to memorize.
Prepositions of Movement
Learn prepositions that describe direction and movement — into, onto, through, across, along, over, and towards — and how each one shows a different path.