Common preposition mistakes: dependent prepositions
A dependent preposition is the fixed preposition that a specific verb, adjective or noun always takes: depend on, discuss (no preposition), arrive in/at, married to, reason for. These combinations are arbitrary and can't be worked out from logic or translated from another language, which makes them one of the most persistent error sources even at advanced levels.
How to use common preposition mistakes: dependent prepositions
What is a dependent preposition?
A dependent preposition is the one preposition that automatically follows a particular verb, adjective or noun, regardless of meaning. Native speakers learn these as fixed pairs rather than by rule, which is exactly why they're hard for learners: there's no logical reason 'depend' takes on rather than of or in; it's simply the convention.
Because each pairing is arbitrary, direct translation from another language is the single biggest cause of dependent-preposition errors: a preposition that's correct in one language rarely transfers correctly into English.
- Success in this industry depends on timing as much as talent.
- This decision depends of too many uncertain factors.→ depends on; 'of' never follows depend
Verb + preposition combinations
Many common verbs have one fixed preposition: listen to, wait for, apply for, believe in, consist of, deal with, insist on, care about, agree with, complain about. A smaller group of verbs (discuss, marry, enter, approach, reach) take no preposition at all before an object, which surprises learners whose language does require one there.
- We waited for almost an hour before the doors finally opened.
- The committee will discuss the proposal at Thursday's meeting.discuss takes a direct object, no preposition
- She insisted on paying for dinner, even though it was my turn.
Adjective + preposition combinations
Adjectives follow the same pattern: interested in, good at, afraid of, similar to, responsible for, worried about, capable of, famous for, satisfied with. There's rarely any pattern connecting the meaning of the adjective to its preposition, so these are best learned as whole phrases rather than adjective and preposition separately.
- He's always been capable of far more than his exam results suggest.
- The two cities are similar to each other in size but very different in character.
- Local residents are worried of the new flight path over the neighbourhood.→ worried about; 'of' never follows worried
'Arrive in/at' and the top 15 dependent prepositions
Arrive is a special case worth learning on its own, because it takes two different prepositions depending on the size of the destination: in for cities, countries and large areas, at for a specific building, venue or point, and never to, however tempting that feels.
The table below collects the fifteen dependent prepositions that cause the most errors in learner writing and speech, a good shortlist to memorise as fixed phrases.
| Word | Preposition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| depend | on | It depends on the weather. |
| discuss | (no preposition) | We need to discuss the plan. |
| arrive | in (city/country) | We arrived in Hanoi at midnight. |
| arrive | at (building/point) | We arrived at the hotel just before dawn. |
| married | to | She's been married to a surgeon for ten years. |
| reason | for | The reason for the delay was never explained. |
| good | at | He's good at solving problems quickly. |
| interested | in | I've always been interested in marine biology. |
| afraid | of | Many candidates are afraid of making mistakes. |
| listen | to | Listen to the recording twice before you answer. |
| apply | for | She applied for a scholarship last month. |
| responsible | for | Managers are responsible for their team's performance. |
| similar | to | The two proposals are similar to each other. |
| capable | of | He's capable of finishing the report early. |
| wait | for | We waited for the delivery all afternoon. |
Common mistakes with common preposition mistakes: dependent prepositions
Find what is wrong in each one, then open it to check.
1It depends of the weather.What's wrong? Show the fix
It depends on the weather.
'Depend' always takes on, never of; this is one of the most frequent dependent-preposition errors.
2We need to discuss about the budget.What's wrong? Show the fix
We need to discuss the budget.
'Discuss' takes a direct object with no preposition at all; adding 'about' is a very common learner error.
3They arrived to the airport two hours early.What's wrong? Show the fix
They arrived at the airport two hours early.
'Arrive' takes at for a specific building or point, in for cities and countries, and never to.
4She's married with a pilot.What's wrong? Show the fix
She's married to a pilot.
'Married' always takes to, regardless of how the equivalent phrase works in other languages.
5I'm interested on Japanese history.What's wrong? Show the fix
I'm interested in Japanese history.
'Interested' takes in, not on.
6He's good in mathematics.What's wrong? Show the fix
He's good at mathematics.
'Good' takes at when describing a skill or subject, not in.
7The company is responsible of the delay.What's wrong? Show the fix
The company is responsible for the delay.
'Responsible' always takes for, never of.
Practise
Write your own
Write a sentence of your own with common preposition mistakes: dependent prepositions, about you, your studies or your town.
Common preposition mistakes: dependent prepositions in IELTS
Speaking
- Part 3 discussion answers often need 'depend on' ('It depends on the person'); getting this single dependent preposition wrong is a very visible slip in an otherwise fluent answer.
- When describing your studies or job in Part 1, 'interested in', 'good at' and 'responsible for' come up constantly; rehearsing these as fixed phrases avoids hesitation mid-answer.
Writing
- Task 2 cause-and-effect paragraphs lean heavily on 'depend on' and 'the reason for'; mixing these up is a common accuracy error even in essays that are otherwise well-organised.
- In Task 1, describing similarity between two data series needs 'similar to', not 'similar with' or 'similar as', a small but noticeable accuracy point.