More examples on using wrong prepositions

 Angry

Incorrect: My father was angry against me.

Correct: My father was angry with me.

Incorrect: He was angry with/for the weather.

Correct: He was angry at the weather.

Note: We become angry “with” a person, but “at” a thing. Like “angry”, some other adjectives also take “with” and “at” after them. For example:

She was annoyed with me.

She was annoyed at the rain.

I was vexed with her.

I was vexed at her rudeness.

He was indignant with the beggar.

He was indignant at my delay.

                            In each case, “with” is followed by a person and “at” is followed by a thing.

Anxious (=troubled)

Incorrect: She is anxious for her health.

Correct: She is anxious about her health.

Incorrect: Parents are anxious about their children’s success.

Correct: Parents are anxious for their children’s success.

Note: In the second example, ‘anxious’ means “wishing very much’.

 

Arrive (=to reach a place)

Incorrect: We arrived to the airport in time.

Correct: We arrived at the airport in time.

Incorrect: I arrived to/at London on Friday.

Correct: I arrived at London on Friday.

 

Note: ‘Arrive at’ is followed by a small place but ‘arrive in’ is followed by a country or large city.

 

 

Ashamed (= feeling shame or guilt)

Incorrect: Juli is ashamed for her conduct.

Correct: Juli is ashamed of her conduct.

Note: The adjectives ‘ashamed’ and ‘shy’ are not interchangeable. ‘Shy’ means ‘nervous in the company of others’.  For example:

The girl felt shy of me.

 

Believe (= to have faith)

Incorrect: Muslims believe at/to Allah.

Correct: Muslims believe in Allah.

Incorrect: I don’t believe at astrology.

Correct: I don’t believe in astrology.

Note: The verb ‘believe’ without any preposition means ‘to consider someone or something to be true’.

For example:

I don’t believe you.

I quite believe what you are saying.

This is a stative verb and so it is not used in progressive forms.

Incorrect: I am not believing you.

Correct: I do not believe you.

Benefit

This world can be used both as a noun and a verb.

Incorrect: She got a lot of benefit with this change.

Correct: She got a lot of benefit from this change.

Incorrect: Who is likely to benefit for his death?

Correct: Who is likely to benefit from/by his death?

 

Boast (= talk with unreasonable pride)

Incorrect: He boasts for his riches.

Correct: He boasts of/about his riches.

Incorrect: She’s always boasting with her children.

Correct: She’s always boasting about her children. 

 

Careful

Incorrect: You should be careful for your health.

Correct: You should be careful of your health.

Note: ‘Care’ can also be used as a noun.

For example: 

He takes care of his health.

Come/ Go

When we talk about how someone gets to place, we use the preposition ‘by’ for most methods of transport.

Incorrect: He came here with/through train.

Correct: He came here by train.

Incorrect: We went there with bus.

Correct: We went there by bus.

‘By’ is also used to indicate the way.

For example:

Incorrect: we came through land/sea/air.

Correct: we came by land/sea/air.

NOTE: when we walk, we use the phrase ‘on foot’.     

Incorrect: They go o school by foot.

Correct: they go to school on foot.

NOTE: When something happens while using a particular form of transport, either ‘on’ or ‘in’ is used.

Incorrect: I met him in the train/bus/boat.

Correct: I met him on the train/bus/boat.

Incorrect: I sat with her on the car.

 Correct: I sat with her in the car.

Incorrect: We met each other by the plane.

Correct: We met each other in/on the plane.