CDS English · Grammar
Words that take a fixed preposition
Many words always travel with one preposition: averse to, capable of, insist on, entry into. No rule predicts the pair, so you learn the pair, and then the pair can also tell you which word fits a blank.
Why this matters
This is the largest group of preposition items in the CDS paper. Some blanks ask for the preposition after a word; others give the preposition and ask for the word. Both are fast marks once the pairs are in your memory, and the lists below hold the pairs that past papers have asked.
Concept 1 of 5: Adjective + preposition
An adjective that describes a feeling or a duty usually points at something: annoyed with a person, responsible for a debt, polite to someone. The preposition is part of the word, the way a lid belongs to its box.
Definition
The terms:
- Collocation: words that native speakers put together by habit (averse to, fed up with). Another preposition may look logical but sounds wrong.
- Gerund: the -ing form of a verb used as a noun. A verb after a preposition takes this form: capable of winning, not capable of win.
The method:
- Find the adjective just before the blank.
- Recall its partner from the list below; say the pair aloud with the noun that follows.
- If a verb follows the preposition, check that it is in the -ing form.
| Pair | Example | Sitting |
|---|---|---|
| annoyed with (a person) | My teacher was annoyed with us for being late. | 2018 (II) annoyed with a person, annoyed about or at a thing or an event. |
| averse to | People who are averse to hard work do not succeed. | 2022 (I) |
| indebted to (a person) | He is indebted to his friend. | 2023 (I) |
| responsible for | held responsible for my spouse's debts | 2023 (I) |
| liable for (a debt or payment) | He is liable for his wife's debts. | 2022 (I) liable to + a penalty or a verb: liable to a fine, liable to break. |
| polite to (a person) | She has always been very polite to me. | 2024 (I) |
| fed up with | I'm fed up with you. | 2024 (I) |
| capable of + -ing | She is capable of winning the race. | 2024 (I) |
Learn each adjective with its preposition as one unit.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2022 · CDS (I) 2022 — English · Q94Easy
Example 1 · Grammar · Fixed Prepositions after Verbs, Adjectives and Nouns
Directions: choose correct preposition or determiner for the blank
People who are averse _______ hard work do not succeed in life.
With a person, about a thing
annoyed with / angry with a person; annoyed about / angry about a situation. If the object is a person (us, him, the driver), choose with.
Liable for or liable to?
liable for a debt or a payment (you must pay it). liable to a penalty, or + verb (likely to): liable to a fine, liable to change. Read what comes after the blank.
A preposition is followed by -ing, not the base verb
capable of winning, fond of reading, used to working. If an option gives 'capable to win', it is wrong twice: wrong preposition and wrong verb form.
Concept 2 of 5: Verb + preposition
Some verbs cannot reach their object without a preposition: we insist on, complain of, look for. The pair can also change meaning: you shout to a friend far away but shout at someone you are angry with.
Definition
The rules:
- Learn the verb with its preposition: insist on, blame someone for, take care of, enter into an agreement.
- Some verbs change meaning with the preposition: shout to (call out) vs shout at (in anger); connive with a person vs connive at a fault; work with colleagues vs work for someone's benefit.
- The preposition stays in the passive: they stared at me → I was stared at.
- The preposition stays when the object moves away: the man I was looking for.
- The table also lists the verbs that were tested the other way round, where the preposition was given and the verb was the blank (the next concept shows that method).
| Pair | Meaning or use | Sitting |
|---|---|---|
| shout to someone | call out to be heard, with no anger (shout at = in anger) | 2018 (II) |
| complain of a headache | complain of an illness or pain | 2018 (II) |
| insist on + -ing | my mother insists on going with my brother | 2018 (II) |
| blame someone for something | blame everyone for his mistakes | 2021 (I) |
| take care of | look after: I will take care of myself | 2021 (I) |
| connive with a person | secretly help someone do wrong (connive at a fault = ignore it) | 2022 (I) |
| aspire to / aspire for | aim for: aspire to distinction | 2022 (I) aspire to is the standard pair. When to is not among the options, aspire for is the one to choose. |
| stare at | the passive keeps it: being stared at | 2026 (II) |
| work with co-workers | together with them | 2025 (II) |
| work for the people | for their benefit | 2021 (II) |
| look for | search for: the man I have been looking for | 2021 (II) |
| enter into an agreement | make a formal agreement | 2022 (I), 2026 (I) |
| talk someone through something | explain it step by step | 2026 (II) |
| endow someone with a quality | nature has endowed them with a capacity | 2017 (II) |
| absolve someone of a crime | declare free from guilt | 2018 (I) |
| embark on a project | begin something big | 2024 (I) |
| result in unhappiness | have as its outcome (lead takes to) | 2021 (I) |
| be premised on a notion | be based on | 2023 (II) |
| differentiate the good from the bad | tell one from the other | 2017 (II) |
| precipitate eye issues | no preposition: it takes a direct object (contribute takes to) | 2024 (II) |
If the preposition changes the meaning, read the sentence before you choose.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2026 · CDS (II) 2026 — English · Q80Easy
Example 2 · Grammar · Fixed Prepositions after Verbs, Adjectives and Nouns
Directions: Each of the following sentences in this section has a blank space with four options. Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank and indicate your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.
I don't like being stared __________ .
Do not drop the preposition in the passive
'People laughed at him' becomes 'He was laughed at', not 'He was laughed'. The same goes for looked after, spoken to, stared at. An option without the preposition is wrong.
Shout to or shout at?
shout to someone = call out so they can hear. shout at someone = shout in anger. A girl calling from the top of a house shouts to you.
Talk to someone about it, but talk someone through it
talk to / with a person about a topic. talk someone through a task = explain each step. In 'Talk me ___ your plans', 'me' is the object, so only through fits.
Concept 3 of 5: Noun + preposition
Nouns have partners too. A discussion is about a topic, a reason is for something, entry is into a place. Many nouns take the same preposition as their verb (enter into → entry into), but not all.
Definition
The rules:
- Learn the noun with its preposition: discussion about, reason for, entry into, meaning in.
- Some fixed phrases use of to describe a person: a man of means (a rich man), a man of courage.
- When the blank also holds the article, check both parts: about a person, not about person.
| Pair | Example | Sitting |
|---|---|---|
| a discussion about | We had a discussion about the project. | 2024 (I) |
| a man of means | a wealthy man | 2021 (II) |
| meaning in | There is no meaning in what you say. | 2021 (II) |
| choice of location for | my choice of location for the family visit | 2025 (I) |
| a biography is about a person's life | the blank needs the preposition and the article | 2021 (I) |
| entry into | Entry into the building was restricted. | 2022 (II) |
| in the estimation of | lowered him in the estimation of everyone (= in their opinion) | 2017 (II) |
A noun often borrows its verb's preposition: enter into, entry into.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2024 · CDS (I) 2024 — English · Q67Easy
Example 3 · Grammar · Fixed Prepositions after Verbs, Adjectives and Nouns
Directions: choose the preposition or determiner for the blank
We had a discussion _______ the project.
Check whether the article is part of the answer
When an option gives 'about' and another gives 'about a', read the noun after the blank. A singular countable noun like person needs an article: about a person's life.
A man of means is not a man with plans
means here = money, wealth. 'A man of means' = a rich man. It is a fixed phrase and takes of.
Entry into, not entry of
entry into a place (movement in). 'Entry of the building' sounds as if the building is entering something.
Concept 4 of 5: Let the preposition choose the word
Turn the pairs round. When the blank is the verb and the preposition is already printed after it, the preposition is your best clue. Often only one of the four verbs can take that preposition at all.
Definition
The terms:
- Transitive verb: takes its object directly, with no preposition (precipitate a crisis, cause a problem).
- Prepositional verb: needs a preposition to reach its object (contribute to, result in, embark on).
The method:
- Find the preposition after the blank, even if it is far away (endowed them with: the with comes at the end).
- Test each option with that preposition. Strike every verb that cannot take it.
- If no preposition follows, strike the verbs that need one (contributes needs to).
- Of the verbs left, choose the one whose meaning fits the sentence.
Pairs tested this way (all in the verb table above):
- endowed ... with (2017 II); absolve him of (2018 I); embarking on (2024 I); result in (2021 I)
- premised on (2023 II); differentiate the good from the bad (2017 II); entered into an agreement (2022 I)
- in the estimation of (2017 II); precipitates eye issues, with no preposition (2024 II)
Worked example
The quarrel ______ from a small misunderstanding. (a) caused (b) stemmed (c) produced (d) created
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2017 · CDS (II) 2017 — English · Q30Moderate
Example 4 · Grammar · Fixed Prepositions after Verbs, Adjectives and Nouns
Directions: pick the word fitting the blank
Democracy requires the equal right of all to the development of such capacity for good as nature has _______ them with.
Lead to, but result in
Both mean 'cause', but they take different prepositions. Greed leads to unhappiness; greed results in unhappiness. If the blank is followed by in, lead is wrong.
No preposition? Then a prepositional verb is wrong
'Working in dim light ___ eye issues': there is no preposition before 'eye issues', so contributes (which needs to) cannot fit. A transitive verb such as precipitates or causes is needed.
The preposition may be far from the blank
In 'such capacity as nature has ___ them with', the with sits at the end of the clause. Scan the whole clause for the preposition before you test the options.
Concept 5 of 5: When the blank is not a preposition: infinitive 'to' and articles
A blank inside a preposition question is not always a preposition. If a verb comes right after the blank, the blank is usually the to of the infinitive. If a noun comes after it and one option is an article, the blank may need a, an or the.
Definition
The terms:
- Infinitive marker to: the to before a base verb (to go, to achieve). It is not a preposition.
- Article: a, an (any one) or the (a particular one, already known).
The method:
- Look at the word right after the blank.
- A base verb (achieve, live, go) → the blank is to.
- A noun, with an article among the options → decide between a / an / the: is it any one, or a particular one?
- Only then think of prepositions such as for, in, on.
Items tested this way:
- impossible to achieve (2022 I); good rules to live by (2021 II)
- a manifestation of the perfection already in man (2022 II)
Worked example
She has a lot of work ______ finish before Friday. (a) for (b) to (c) at (d) on
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2022 · CDS (I) 2022 — English · Q98Easy
Example 5 · Grammar · Fixed Prepositions after Verbs, Adjectives and Nouns
Directions: choose correct preposition or determiner for the blank
Few things are impossible _______ achieve with diligence and skill.
Find which word the blank replaces
'These are good rules ___ live by' needs to (the by is printed). 'These are the good rules to live ___' needs by. The same phrase can be tested at either word, so read what is already printed.
Impossible for someone, impossible to do
impossible for + a person (impossible for him). impossible to + a verb (impossible to achieve). If a verb follows, for is wrong.
An article can hide in a preposition set
When one option is a, the or some, check whether the noun after the blank needs an article. A famous quotation or a particular quality already known takes the.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
Adjective + preposition8 rows
| Pair | Example | Sitting |
|---|---|---|
| annoyed with (a person) | My teacher was annoyed with us for being late. | 2018 (II) annoyed with a person, annoyed about or at a thing or an event. |
| averse to | People who are averse to hard work do not succeed. | 2022 (I) |
| indebted to (a person) | He is indebted to his friend. | 2023 (I) |
| responsible for | held responsible for my spouse's debts | 2023 (I) |
| liable for (a debt or payment) | He is liable for his wife's debts. | 2022 (I) liable to + a penalty or a verb: liable to a fine, liable to break. |
| polite to (a person) | She has always been very polite to me. | 2024 (I) |
| fed up with | I'm fed up with you. | 2024 (I) |
| capable of + -ing | She is capable of winning the race. | 2024 (I) |
Learn each adjective with its preposition as one unit.
Verb + preposition20 rows
| Pair | Meaning or use | Sitting |
|---|---|---|
| shout to someone | call out to be heard, with no anger (shout at = in anger) | 2018 (II) |
| complain of a headache | complain of an illness or pain | 2018 (II) |
| insist on + -ing | my mother insists on going with my brother | 2018 (II) |
| blame someone for something | blame everyone for his mistakes | 2021 (I) |
| take care of | look after: I will take care of myself | 2021 (I) |
| connive with a person | secretly help someone do wrong (connive at a fault = ignore it) | 2022 (I) |
| aspire to / aspire for | aim for: aspire to distinction | 2022 (I) aspire to is the standard pair. When to is not among the options, aspire for is the one to choose. |
| stare at | the passive keeps it: being stared at | 2026 (II) |
| work with co-workers | together with them | 2025 (II) |
| work for the people | for their benefit | 2021 (II) |
| look for | search for: the man I have been looking for | 2021 (II) |
| enter into an agreement | make a formal agreement | 2022 (I), 2026 (I) |
| talk someone through something | explain it step by step | 2026 (II) |
| endow someone with a quality | nature has endowed them with a capacity | 2017 (II) |
| absolve someone of a crime | declare free from guilt | 2018 (I) |
| embark on a project | begin something big | 2024 (I) |
| result in unhappiness | have as its outcome (lead takes to) | 2021 (I) |
| be premised on a notion | be based on | 2023 (II) |
| differentiate the good from the bad | tell one from the other | 2017 (II) |
| precipitate eye issues | no preposition: it takes a direct object (contribute takes to) | 2024 (II) |
If the preposition changes the meaning, read the sentence before you choose.
Noun + preposition7 rows
| Pair | Example | Sitting |
|---|---|---|
| a discussion about | We had a discussion about the project. | 2024 (I) |
| a man of means | a wealthy man | 2021 (II) |
| meaning in | There is no meaning in what you say. | 2021 (II) |
| choice of location for | my choice of location for the family visit | 2025 (I) |
| a biography is about a person's life | the blank needs the preposition and the article | 2021 (I) |
| entry into | Entry into the building was restricted. | 2022 (II) |
| in the estimation of | lowered him in the estimation of everyone (= in their opinion) | 2017 (II) |
A noun often borrows its verb's preposition: enter into, entry into.
Watch out for (15)
- With a person, about a thing→ Adjective + preposition
- Liable for or liable to?→ Adjective + preposition
- A preposition is followed by -ing, not the base verb→ Adjective + preposition
- Do not drop the preposition in the passive→ Verb + preposition
- Shout to or shout at?→ Verb + preposition
- Talk to someone about it, but talk someone through it→ Verb + preposition
- Check whether the article is part of the answer→ Noun + preposition
- A man of means is not a man with plans→ Noun + preposition
- Entry into, not entry of→ Noun + preposition
- Lead to, but result in→ Let the preposition choose the word
- No preposition? Then a prepositional verb is wrong→ Let the preposition choose the word
- The preposition may be far from the blank→ Let the preposition choose the word
- Find which word the blank replaces→ When the blank is not a preposition: infinitive 'to' and articles
- Impossible for someone, impossible to do→ When the blank is not a preposition: infinitive 'to' and articles
- An article can hide in a preposition set→ When the blank is not a preposition: infinitive 'to' and articles
Test yourself on Grammar
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