A prepositional verb is a verb that is always followed by a specific preposition. In other words, it is a combination of a verb and a preposition that functions together as a single unit.

Some verbs require a particular preposition to form a grammatically correct sentence. The combination of such a verb and its required preposition is called a prepositional verb.

 Prepositional verb = verb + required preposition.

Examples.

• The kids were laughing at the joker. (correct).
• The kids were laughing on the joker. (wrong).
• He was accused of stealing the money. (correct).
• He was accused for stealing the money. (wrong).
• She was blamed for lying to the court. (correct).
• She was blamed of lying to the court.    (wrong).

In the above examples, each verb requires a specific preposition. Using a different preposition makes the sentence grammatically wrong. Such a combination of verb and its required preposition is called prepositional verb, e.g., laugh at, accuse of, blame for.

The specific preposition that must always follow a verb is called a dependent preposition. In the examples above, at, of, and for are dependent prepositions for the verbs laugh, accuse, and blame.

  Common examples of prepositional verbs include: listen to, look at, suffer from, apologize for, worry about, wait for, complain about, compare with, provide with, believe in, remind of, consist of, belong to, beg for, approve of, charge with, comply with, contribute to, insist on, hope for, prepare for, punish for, respond to, search for, etc.

Examples in Sentences:

• He is listening to music.
• She is suffering from a high fever.
• He apologized for his mistake.
• She was worryied about her exams.
• He responded to my email.
• She belongs to a rich family.
• He complained about the problem.
• I agree with you.
• I am waiting for my friend.
• The students were looking at the whiteboard.
• It is the responsibility of parents to look after their children.
• He insisted on giving me a gift, so I accepted his gift.
• Everyone should comply with the laws of the country.
• This picture reminded me of my childhood.
• An engine consists of three parts.
• He provided police with some information about the robbery.
• We believe in God.
• The government provided poor people with resources to start small businesses.

Some verbs can take different prepositions depending on the meaning. For example, the verb agree:

• agree with → when people share the same opinion
• agree to → when accepting an idea, proposal, or suggestion
• agree on → when agreeing on rules, terms, or conditions

Examples:

• He agrees with me that drinking too much coffee is bad for health.
• I agree with you that eating sugary foods causes weight gain.
• The prime minister agreed to the proposal presented by the cabinet members.
• The manager agreed to the recommendations submitted by the employees.
• Both the parties agreed on the terms and conditions to end the conflict.
• The tenant and the owner of the house agreed on the terms and conditions of tenancy.

Prepositional verbs usually have an object, which is a noun or pronoun. The object usually comes after the preposition but sometimes appears between the verb and preposition.

See the following examples where the blue word is the object, and the red words are the verb and the preposition.

• The dog is barking at a stranger.
• Don’t laugh at poor.
• He is listening to music.
• She provided us with some food.
• He is preparing himself for the exam.
• This picture reminded me of my childhood.