Prepositional Phrases

Common prepositional phrases should be easily recognized and understood by those who use them.

The following list contains words with prepositional phrases. The words below are followed by prepositions that always follow them.

When preparing for the Michigan Proficiency exam it is worth your while to make sure you know these prepositional phrases. Prepositions are tested in the grammar, vocabulary and cloze sections of the test extensively and play an important  in fluency and understanding at this level of the language.

able to (do sth)

absent from sth

absorbed in sth

account for sth

accuse of sth

accustomed to sth

across the street from sth

addicted to sth

advise about sth

afraid of sth

against the law

agree to sth

agree with sme

aim at sth

allergic to sth

(all) over the world

amount to sth

an alternative to sth

angry with sth / to sme

apologize for sth

apply for sth

approve of sth

argue about / against / for sth

arrest for sth

arrive at / in

ashamed of sth

ask for sth

associated with sth / sme

astonished at sth / sb

at 7 o’ clock

at a reasonable price

at bedtime

at both ends

at Christmas

at college

at ease

at fault

at first

at home

at last

at least

at lunchtime

at night

at present

at school

at the age of

at the airport

at the back of

at the beginning of sth

at the bus stop

at the concert

at the corner of

at the end of sth

at the front of

at the last minute

at the moment

at the party

at the same time

at the scene of

at the side of the road

at the start of sth

at the time

at the top of sth

at the weekend(s)

at university

at work

attached to sth / sme

attracted to sme / sth

bad at (maths)

bad for (you)

believe in sth

benefit from sth

blame for sth

borrow from sme

by 7.30

by bus / car / taxi / plane / train

by chance

by cheque / credit card

by law

by lunchtime

by myself

by now

by phone

by post

by profession

by the sea

by the time

by then

capable of doing sth

care about sme

care for sth

cater for sme

compared to sme / sth

compensate for sme

complain about / of sth

concentrate on sth

confess to sme

congratulate on sth

connected to sth / with sme

considerate of sth

consist of sth

convinced of sth

course on

(a) cure for sth

cure someone of sth

date from

deal in / with sth / sme

delay in

depend on sme / sth

develop into

die of sth

different from sth / sme

difficulty in sth

disagree with sme

disappointed in

discourage from sth

disgusted by sth

disqualify from

dissatisfied with sth / sme

divide into

dream of sth / sme

dressed in

effect on sth / sme

encourage someone to do sth

enthusiastic about sth

entitled to

envious of sth / sme

escape from sth / sme

excited about sth

expel from

experience of sth

experiment on sth

exposed to sth

faced with sth / sme

familiar with sth

famous for sth

fascinated by sth / sme

fluent in sth

fond of sth

for a change

for a long time / while

for enjoyment

for example

for instance

for money

for sale

for the better

for this reason

forgive for sth

from morning to night

from place to place

from then on

full of sth

get rid of sth / sme

good at sth

good for you (you)

grumble at

guilty of sth

harmful to sme

have in common

have the right to

hear about / of sth / sme

hope for sth

identical to sth / sme

impressed by / with sth / sme

in / into space

in a year’s time

in 1999

in a bad mood

in a day

in a few years

in a good mood

in a minute

in a straight line

in addition to sth

in advance

in an hour

in any case

in cash

in charge of sme / sth

in comparison to sth

in conclusion

in contrast to sth

in court

in danger of

in debt

in detail

in diameter

in existence

in fact

in fashion

in favor of sth

in front of sth / sme

in general

in good condition

in good shape

in heavy traffic

in his / her late / early twenties

in hospital

in installments

in love

in March etc.

in my free time

in need of

in operation

in order that / to

in prison

in Roman times

in season

in short

in spite of

in the 1990s

in the 20^th century

in the afternoon

in the mountains

in the back row

in the beginning (of)

in the business

in the center of

in the corner

in the country

in the countryside

in the distance

in the end

in the evening

in the first place

in the fresh air

in the front row

in the future

in the house

in the media

in the middle of

in the mirror

in the morning

in the mountains

in the news

in the open air

in the past

in the process of sth

in the sales

in the shade

in the way

in those days

in trouble

in use

incapable of doing sth

include in

influence on sth

inform of sth

information about sth

innocent of sth

insist on sth

intention of

interested in sth

involved in sth

jealous of sth / sme

join in

(just) in time

keen on sth

know about sth

lacking in sth

laugh at sth / sme

lead to

leave for

listen to sb / sth

look out of

made of sth

made up of

(make an)impression on

make fun of sb / sth

name after

no point in sth

of all ages

of all times

(off) by heart

off school

off work

on a diet

on a tour / trip / journey

on account of sth

on April 12 / Monday etc.

on arrival

on Christmas day

on condition that

on display

on earth

on foot

on his own

on holiday

on land

on location

on my birthday

on sale

on stage

on strike

on the first floor

on the beach

on the coast

on the contrary

on the corner of sth

on the edge

on the floor

on the ground

on the increase

on the island

on the left / right

on the one hand

on the other hand

on the other side

on the radio

on the tip of my tongue

on the way

on time

on trial

on TV

opportunity to do sth

opposition to sth / sme

out of breath

out of doors

out of fashion

out of order

out of season

out of stock

out of the window

out of tune

out of work

over the years

part with

participate in

patient with

pay attention to sth

play a part in sth

play a trick on sme

pleased with

point to / at sth

popular with

prepared to do sth

pressed for (time)

prevent from sth

protect from sth

protect against sth

proud of sth / sme

provide with sth

punish someone for sth

read about sth

recover from sth

refer to sth / sme

rely on sme

reputation for sth

research into sth

responsible for sth

result in

retire from sth

rise in

run the risk of sth

satisfied with sth / sme

search for sth / sme

sentence to

serve as

shocked by sth

shortage of sth

(sit) at a desk

speak to someone

speak about sth

spend on

steal from sme

stop someone from doing sth

stop work on sth

succeed in sth

suffer from sth

suitable for sth / sme

sure of / about sth

surprised at / by

suspect of sth

suspicious of sth take advantage of sth / sme

take care of sth / sme

take part in sth

talk about / on sth / sme

test for sth

thanks to

think about sth

think of sth

thoughtful of

tired of sth / sme

translate into sth

tremble with

under pressure

until / till 10.30

wait for sth / sme

way of (doing)

without any problem

without doubt

work for sth / sme

worry about sth

write about sth