Dependent Prepositions
The Dependent Prepositions is an essential English grammar topic for B1-B2 learners. This guide explains how to form and use the Dependent Prepositions, with clear examples, common mistakes, and Spanish support where helpful. After studying the explanation, you can practise with worksheets and interactive exercises.
Explanation
Dependent prepositions are prepositions that always follow specific adjectives, verbs, or nouns. There is no logic — you must memorize them. ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION: • interested IN (not 'about') • good/bad AT (not 'in') • afraid OF (not 'to') • responsible FOR (not 'of') • capable OF (not 'for') • concerned ABOUT (not 'with') • similar TO (not 'with') • different FROM (not 'than' in British English) • tired OF / tired FROM • famous FOR • angry WITH someone / angry ABOUT something VERB + PREPOSITION: • depend ON (not 'of') • rely ON • belong TO • suffer FROM • result IN (cause) • result FROM (be caused by) • insist ON • succeed IN • participate IN • apologize FOR NOUN + PREPOSITION: • reason FOR • cause OF • solution TO • increase/decrease IN • demand FOR • effect ON • relationship WITH • connection BETWEEN ⚠️ Spanish 'depender de' = depend ON (not 'depend of') ⚠️ Spanish 'pensar en' = think ABOUT (not 'think in') ⚠️ Spanish 'soñar con' = dream ABOUT (not 'dream with')
Examples
She is interested in learning French.
Ella está interesada en aprender francés.
He is responsible for the marketing department.
Él es responsable del departamento de marketing.
The success depends on your effort.
El éxito depende de tu esfuerzo.
They are capable of solving the problem.
Ellos son capaces de resolver el problema.
I apologized for being late.
Me disculpé por llegar tarde.
There is a connection between stress and health.
Hay una conexión entre el estrés y la salud.
Tips & Common Mistakes
- 1There is no logic to dependent prepositions — memorize them as chunks: 'interested in', 'responsible for', 'capable of'.
- 2Spanish 'de' can translate to 'of', 'from', or 'for' depending on the word — don't always use 'of'.
- 3Common exam trap: 'depend of' (wrong) → 'depend on' (correct).
- 4Some adjectives change meaning with different prepositions: 'angry with someone' vs 'angry about something'.