April Fool-Proof Your IELTS Grammar: Master Dependent Prepositions

In many countries around the world, the 1st of April is known as April Fools’ Day. It’s a day when people play light-hearted tricks on each other. But while jokes can be fun, there’s one thing you don’t want to be fooled by: grammar.

Dependent preposition (also called preposition collocations) are one of those tricky areas that often confuse English learners. Why do we say interested in but good at? Why is it afraid of and not afraid from?

In this article, we’re diving into the world of words that come with prepositions. We’ll uncover common mistakes and how to fix them.

By the end, you’ll feel confident using dependent prepositions correctly in both your IELTS test and everyday life.

Prepositions are small, helper words such as in, at, on, with, from and to. They are used to show time, place, movement, or relationships between words.

You’re probably already familiar with prepositions that show time: at 3 o’clock, on Monday, in July.

And prepositions of place: on the table, at the station, in the wardrobe.

Dependent prepositions are prepositions that are used with specific nouns, verbs or adjectives.

Examples:

• recover from, believe in, agree with (verb + preposition)

• proud of, grateful for, worried about (adjective + preposition)

• access to, influence on, decline in (noun + preposition)

He’s recovering from surgery. Her parents are proud of what she’s achieved.

Many people do not have access to affordable housing.

These types of prepositions are also known as preposition collocations.

Do you ever feel like prepositions are playing tricks on you? You’re not alone! These tiny words can be confusing, which is why many English language learners mix them up.

With dependent prepositions, you can’t always choose the right preposition from its meaning. For example, in usually means “inside,” but in the phrase interested in, there’s no real connection.

Dependent prepositions don’t follow clear rules like prepositions of time or place.

They need to be learned as word groups, like learn about, responsible for or participate in.

However, with practice and exposure, these patterns can become easier to remember.

Using dependent prepositions correctly can help you get a higher band score in your IELTS test.

Dependent prepositions are collocations, words that are used together in everyday English. English speakers use particular words in pairs or groups. For example, we say someone has a strong opinion not a hard opinion. We raise awareness about an issue, not grow awareness. And we’re good at something, not good in something.

Collocations are important because they show you can use English fluently and naturally, something that examiners look for in both Writing and Speaking.

For example, the Lexical resource marking criterion for band 7 Writing says:

This means you need to show that you know which words go together. One way you can do this is by learning dependent prepositions (prepositions that always go with certain words).

Using these correctly shows grammatical accuracy, which is another scoring area. At higher bands (7 to 9), you should only make a few or rare mistakes. In the middle bands (4 to 6) grammar mistakes are more frequent, but at band 6, they do not prevent your ideas from being clear.

Let’s look at the most common errors English learners make with preposition collocations.

Verbs with dependent prepositions

Sometimes English learners make mistakes with prepositions that follow verbs. Look at the sentences below. Can you correct these common preposition mistakes in bold? We’ll share the answers at the end of the article.

1. Farmers depend of rainfall to maintain healthy crops.

2. The IELTS Writing test consists to two tasks.

3. Customers often complain for slow delivery times.

Adjectives with dependent prepositions

Now, let’s look at mistakes with adjectives and dependent prepositions. Can you correct the preposition mistakes in bold?

4. She’s married with my cousin.

5. Young children are often afraid from the dark.

6. The employment rates for men were similar with those for women in the 35–44 age group.

Nouns with dependent prepositions

The next group focuses on using prepositions incorrectly after nouns. Can you correct the preposition errors in bold?

7. Another reason of rising unemployment is automation.

8. Climate change has a significant effect in agricultural production in many countries.

9. The graph shows a sharp increase of the number of international students between 2010 and 2020.

Adding unnecessary prepositions

Sometimes English learners add a preposition where it’s not needed. Look at the sentences below. Can you find the preposition that should be removed?

10. I live close to uni so I usually go to home for lunch.

11. We need to consider about all possible solutions before making a final decision.

12. The new policy will affect to small businesses.

Forgetting prepositions

Another error is leaving out prepositions. Which prepositions are missing from these sentences?

13. It is important to listen _ the instructions carefully.

14. I waited _ him for an hour, but he never came.

15. The supervisor is responsible _ ensuring that all safety procedures are followed.

Answers:

1.) depend on 2.) consist of 3.) complain about 4.) married to 5.) afraid of 6.) similar to 7.) reason for 8.) effect on 9.) increase in 10.) Remove ‘to’ - ‘go home’ 11.) Remove ‘about’ - consider all possible solutions 12.) Remove ‘to’ - ‘affect small businesses’ 13.) listen to 14.) waited for 15.) responsible for.

So, how can you keep practising dependent prepositions and make sure they don’t trip you up on test day? Here are some tips and activities to help you perform at your best:

Study tips

There aren’t any fixed rules for which words need a preposition, but these tips can make learning easier:

• Avoid translation: English prepositions don’t always follow the same rules as your first language, so direct translation can lead to mistakes. Use an English language collocations dictionary, which shows which words commonly go together.

• Look for patterns: Words with similar or opposite meanings often take the same preposition.  Example: afraid/scared/frightened of, rely/depend on, good/bad at

• Watch for flexibility: Some words can take different prepositions depending on the meaning or situation.  Example:

• Let’s talk about the project. (talk about something)

• Let’s talk to Ali. (talk about someone)

Practice activities

Try one of these study activities during your IELTS preparation to help you get better at using preposition collocations.

• Keep a list of dependent prepositions that you find difficult and write example sentences for each.

• Read an article and highlight all the dependent prepositions you see.

• Do a practice IELTS Writing task and check your use of prepositions.

• Download our Dependent Prepositions Study Guide below with 25 common mistakes and how to fix them. It’s perfect for quick review anytime!

April Fool’s Day might be full of surprises, but dependent prepositions don’t have to be one of them. With consistent practice, you’ll learn how to use them correctly and keep them from tripping you up.