Prepositions and dependent prepositions

The pairs TOEFL returns to: depend on, consist of, result in, result from, account for, focus on, rely on, refer to, contribute to, apply for, apply to, insist on, object to, succeed in, participate in, comply with, deal with, cope with, benefit from. Learn the verb and its preposition as one unit, because the preposition rarely translates.

These take a direct object with nothing between: discuss, enter, approach, answer, attend, emphasize, mention, lack, resemble, marry, reach, request, join, contact. The extra preposition comes straight from Portuguese and is the most common single error in this family. Note the contrast with enter into an agreement, which is a fixed phrase with a different meaning.

Fixed pairs again: interested in, capable of, responsible for, similar to, different from, aware of, concerned about, dependent on, familiar with, satisfied with, opposed to, accustomed to, superior to. Whatever follows the preposition must be a noun or a gerund, never an infinitive.

Movement in a quantity takes in: an increase in, a decline in, a rise in, a reduction in, a change in. Others to memorize: a solution to, a reason for, an effect on, an influence on, research on, an answer to, a demand for, an approach to.

Widest to narrowest. In for years, months, seasons, centuries and parts of the day: in 2019, in March, in the morning. On for days and dates: on Monday, on March 3. At for clock times and two fixed exceptions: at night, at the weekend. No preposition at all before last, next, this, every: last March, not in last March.

In for enclosed spaces and areas: in the building, in Curitiba, in a car. On for surfaces, floors, streets and transport lines: on the third floor, on the wall, on a bus. At for points and addresses: at the corner, at 40 Rua XV, at the station.

For takes a length of time, since takes a starting point, during takes a named period rather than a number: during the war, not during three years. By means at or before a deadline; until means the state continues up to that point. Submit it by Friday and wait until Friday say different things.

Between for two, or for items considered individually and named. Among for an undifferentiated group of three or more. Keep the pairs intact too: between X and Y, never between X to Y; and from 1990 to 2005, never from 1990 until 2005 in a date range.

Anything after a preposition is a noun or a gerund. The trap is the expressions where to is a preposition and not an infinitive marker: look forward to, be used to, get used to, object to, be accustomed to, in addition to, be committed to. Test it by substituting a noun \u2014 look forward to the results works, so the gerund is right.

Different from is the form TOEFL expects, though different than is common in spoken American English. Others in the comparison family: compared with or compared to, in contrast to, similar to, according to (never according with), the same as (never the same than).

The particle carries the meaning, so swapping it changes the verb entirely: carry out is to perform, carry on is to continue. Others worth drilling: point out, bring up, put off, set up, take on, look into, come across, turn down. Separable ones split around a pronoun: put it off, never put off it.

These have no logic to derive; they are memorized whole: in my opinion, in general, in fact, in addition, in particular, in contrast, on the whole, on the contrary, on the other hand, on purpose, on behalf of, at least, at first, at present, by contrast, by chance, for example. Note that on the contrary corrects a statement while on the other hand introduces a different side \u2014 they are not interchangeable.