Prepositions · CEFR B1 · Independent

Verb + preposition — English prepositions

Some verbs cannot reach their object without a preposition, and Indian English drops exactly these ones.

The shape

listen TO · wait FOR · belong TO · agree WITH

Stop dropping the preposition after common verbs.

In Hindi

कुछ क्रियाएँ बिना preposition के अपने कर्म तक पहुँच ही नहीं सकतीं — और भारतीय अंग्रेज़ी यही छोड़ती है।

CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.

The mistake to fix first

The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.

Commonly saidCorrect English

I am waiting your reply.

I am waiting for your reply.

"Wait" always needs "for" before what you are waiting for.

Easy to confuse with

Close enough to be mixed up with this one. Knowing the difference is most of knowing either.

Questions people ask

What is the verb + preposition used for?
Some verbs cannot reach their object without a preposition, and Indian English drops exactly these ones. In practice: stop dropping the preposition after common verbs.
How do you form the verb + preposition?
listen TO · wait FOR · belong TO · agree WITH.
What is the most common mistake with the verb + preposition?
Saying “I am waiting your reply.” instead of “I am waiting for your reply.”. "Wait" always needs "for" before what you are waiting for.

Where verb + preposition fits

Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.

Verb + preposition is a CEFR B1 structure — the independent band — and it belongs to prepositions. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.

Reading it is not the same as saying it.

CoCap turns this page into practice: Hindi sentence in, English sentence out, corrected one thing at a time. Free, no card.

Practise the verb + preposition

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