1

YDS

PREPOSITION LIST abstain from

It is not clear why their government abstained from elections.

access to By 1880 European powers had access to most of the markets in Asia’s coastal regions.

account for It is really very hard to account for the political causes of the American Revolution.

accuse of Big coffee companies now stand accused of placing profits before people.

adapt to Many people find it difficult to adapt to a new time schedule.

add to Not only does non-compliance add to the cost of medical care, but it can worsen the quality of life.

adjust to They must adjust to the new system.

admiration for His writings show an increasing admiration for tribal customs.

advance in Even though there have been significant advances in modern medicine, health problems still abound.

advantage of / on The main advantages of electric traction on railways are that it is both pleasant and efficient.

affection for Despite her affection for him, she never trusted Mike.

agree on / over / with He doesn’t agree with the president on many national and international issues.

aim at Advertising does not always aim at making people spend.

airline ▬ on airline

There is a greater risk for cardiac stress on airline flights for people with obstructive sleep apnea. allocate to

They allocate a loaf of bread to everyone on a daily basis.

altitude ▬ at altitude It's well known that mountaineers may be affected by sickness at high altitudes.

amount of Events of September 11, 2001, led to a rapid decrease in the amount of air-travel in the world.

angry with You’re right to be angry with me but I won’t make the same mistake again.

2

annoyed with

He was annoyed with me as I was late.

anxious about I feel anxious about them since a great deal of mist has descended over the mountains.

apologize for She apologized for not telling the truth.

applicable to Thermal conductivity is a term that is only strictly applicable to homogeneous materials.

apply to / for The parents of a deaf child should apply to various local authorities for advice and support. She decided to apply for the job.

appreciation for I expressed my appreciation for his offer to lend me money. approval of

The new drug couldn’t get the approval of FDA.

approve of I don’t approve of his ideas, but he may be right on this occasion.

area ▬ in area They live in an area contaminated by chromium.

argue with / against / for This article argues against abortion. arise from

Metabolic diseases arise from inherited defects in enzymes involved in the production of energy.

ascribe to They ascribe high crime rate primarily to inadequate education. ask about / for

The manager asked about what was going on. Youngsters can’t be independent of their parents while they have to ask for money from them.

associate with In the past it was not clear whether proteins might be associated with membranes.

attach to Welsh people are deeply attached to their native tongue.

attempt at He attempted at filming the moon. attribute to

Obesity has been attributed to abnormally low basal metabolic rates (BMRs).

available to The archive will be free and available to everyone as long as they aren’t used for commercial purposes.

3

average ▬ on average

On average, men perform better than women at certain tasks.

aware of She isn’t aware of the danger she is facing. ban on / of The Supreme Court approved the ban on same-sex marriage. base on

The economic life of the early colonists in America was essentially based on the land.

basis ▬ on a basis The marital relationship is to be established on a basis of mutual understanding.

battle against Arctic explorers have to battle against the strong tidal pull on the ice.

begin with Economists claim that recessions often begin with positive GDP data. behalf ▬ on behalf She thanked him on behalf of female employees. belief in A patient’s belief in a treatment plays a significant role in its success.

believe in Many people believe in miracles. belong to

The earliest really high buildings belong to Chicago.

beneficial to This new technology will be beneficial to the environment.

benefit from / of Farmers with the best quality land benefit from all the government support. During the 1990s scientific research began to highlight the health benefits of wine.

best ▬ at one’s best Through biotechnology growers get vegetables and fruit into our homes at their best.

bias against She is biased against flying and is trying to encourage us to drive to London.

birth ▬ at birth Studies of twins separated at birth provide strong evidence for a substantial genetic influence.

bored with She is bored with doing the same things day after day. capable of

Recent research has established that liver tissue can be converted directly into tissue capable of making insulin.

careful about Obese women need to be careful about weight gain during pregnancy.

4

carve in / into / on

Greek and Latin inscriptions carved usually in stone are official records of treaties, of public expenditure or of decrees of a monarch.

cater to / for There are also special health services catering to the needs of mothers and young children. Japanese companies will be world leaders in catering for the elderly.

cause of It is really very hard to account for the political causes of the American Revolution.

change in

Psychoanalysis has brought about a radical change in the study of human behaviour and in the concepts of psychology.

change into / to Evaporation can be described as the process by which a liquid is changed into vapour by heat.

charge with He was charged with cooperating with the enemy.

cite as Most economists are content to cite Hong Kong and Thailand as proof of their favorite theories - whatever those theories may be.

coincide with In Central America, the drop in coffee prices has coincided with drought, causing untold misery to coffee growers.

collaborate with Many innocent people were accused of collaborating with the enemy.

combine against / with These elements need to be combined with others.

come in The results of the experiment have started to come in.

come into force Strict measures came into force to prevent the reappearance of malaria in Europe.

come to terms over After the days of discussion, the two countries finally came to terms over the main points of the agreement.

comment on

The book comments on innovation and change in the world's art.

commit to She says that singing alone does not interest her and that she is fully committed to the drama.

communicate with 60 trillion cells in the human body communicate with each other and keep the body as a whole in

balance.

compare with The sun is a medium-sized star compared with other stars in the universe. compatible with

Hydrogen peroxide is compatible with aluminium and so is usually stored in aluminium containers.

5

compensate for

The body’s loss of heat is compensated for by the generation of fresh heat.

compensation for The passengers want cash compensation for the delay.

comply with There are many reasons why some countries do not comply with this protocol.

compose of The body is composed of many different types of cells, each with its own structure and function.

concentrate on The results of the study concentrate on poverty in the county. concern about / over / of

The suicide attacks have heightened concern about the vulnerability of maritime traffic to terrorist attacks.

conducive to Working conditions in this factory are not conducive to productivity.

confide in He did not tell her about the subject because he doesn’t confide in her.

confidence in Many people lack confidence in the electoral system. conform to

Why does the adolescent feel a need to conform to peer culture?

consist of A healthy diet should consist of a certain fixed ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrates.

contact with Pathogens can enter the body in food or air, through damaged skin, or from contact with infected

organisms.

contribute to The research carried out at the University of Toronto contributed significantly to our understanding of cardiovascular disease.

controversy over The controversy over the use of cameras to stop speeding continues.

convert into / to Recent research has established that liver tissue can be converted into tissue capable of making insulin.

convince of He finally convinced several members of the advantages of the project.

cooperate with

Norway was reluctant to cooperate with foreign companies.

cope with A broken leg is difficult to cope with and you have to completely change your lifestyle to accommodate your injury.

6

correct in He said that he was correct in his decision. cost ▬ at cost They built seven new hospitals at a cost of £1.5bn.

cradle of The traditional idea that Asia was the cradle of primeval man has had to be modified.

critical of The public is highly critical of the president’s handling of economy. crucial to Scientists say biodiversity is crucial to ecosystem productivity. damage from / to

People using tanning booths risk burns, damage to the eyes and skin cancer. Japan spends a huge amount on its fire service but in return has extraordinary low rates of damage from fire.

danger ▬ in danger Many companies seem to be in danger of bankruptcy.

deal with The article discussed techniques and strategies for dealing with stress.

death ▬ at death Many people want to know what happens at death.

decrease in Events of September 11, 2001, led to a rapid decrease in the amount of air-travel in the world.

dedicate to The writer dedicated his book to his child. deduce from

There are many lessons to deduce from the epidemics of 1977 and 1987. deduct from

We cannot deduct from this report that extraterrestrial civilizations do not exist.

defence against The US has more than doubled its spending on defence against biological and chemical weapons.

defend against This county has a right to defend itself against terrorism. definition of There is no universally accepted definition of morality.

demand for The invention of the automobile created an irresistible demand for better roads.

depend on Economic growth closely depends on political stability. deprive of

People deprived of REM sleep one night will spend more time in that state on subsequent nights.

7

depth ▬ at depth Temperatures at that depth are expected to reach 275 F.

design for This software has been designed for the blind.

desire for She has a great desire for sugary food.

deter from

Tourists are deterred from holidays in this country owing to the ever-increasing violence.

detrimental to Artificial substances may be detrimental to health.

develop from / out of This life form developed out of a single cell. die of

Many children may die of this epidemic unless effective precautions are taken.

different from Many people believe that men are different from women in many ways. difficulty with / in

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs which leads to difficulty in breathing.

diminish in Platelet inhibition by aspirin is diminished in patients during carotid surgery.

disadvantage of He expressed the disadvantages of distance learning at the meeting. disagree on / over / with

He disagrees with the president on many national and international issues.

disappointed with Many students were disappointed with their test grades.

disapprove of Some students disapprove of the way the teacher handles the problems in the class.

display ▬ on display

Items on display in this museum largely belong to the Ottoman period. dispose of We have to find a good way to dispose of unused pills.

distinct from The first European to recognise the Pacific Ocean as distinct from the Atlantic Ocean was the

Spanish explorer Vasco de Balboa.

distinguish between / from There has always been a tendency to distinguish between ‘innate’ and ‘acquired’ behaviour. Whales have a clever way of distinguishing their own sounds from other sounds.

diverge from

Some people believe that orangutan diverged from the human evolutionary line in the past.

8

divide into

A typical explosives factory is divided into two parts: the ‘non-danger’ and ‘danger’ areas.

ease ▬ at ease These people are less at ease in their homeland than they expected. eligible for She isn’t eligible for publicly funded health care.

embark on Following the outbreak of World War I, Germany embarked on an offensive war.

emerge from Michelangelo did not like to delegate work to the students, so no great artist emerged from Michelangelo’s studio.

emphasis on It seems that the writer puts emphasis on psychosocial and behavioural aspects of child development.

end ▬ in the end In the end diseases are likely to wipe out certain species in the world. enthusiasm for

The tournament stirred a wave of enthusiasm for golf.

equip with This car is equipped with award-winning features.

evidence for / of There is no conclusive evidence for any major climatic change in historic times.

exempt from

The foreigners were largely exempt from taxes.

experiment on The students at school conducted an experiment on melting point with wonderful success.

experience of This book deals with the children’s experiences of atomic bomb. expert in The firm is seeking a person who is an expert in web design. extent ▬ to an extent / to the extent / to such an extent / to some extent / to a large extent

Our social behaviour reflects to some extent what we feel about the people around us.

factor in Scientists have found out that an unknown bacteria may be a factor in sudden infant death

syndrome.

failure in The teacher is trying to find out the failure in the students’ exam performances.

fall in There has been a dramatic fall in violence in the region.

familiar with Doctors were not familiar with the disease and, not surprisingly, failed to recognize it.

9

familiarity with

The article discusses the preschool child's familiarity with rules and authority. famous for This actor is famous for playing heroic roles in films.

finance of Costs and finance of decreasing carbon emissions in the energy sector will be discussed at the

meeting.

fit in Autistic children generally find it difficult to fit in the society. focus on

European cinema focuses on issues such as violence, the psychology of marriage and racism.

free from These children are dreaming a world free from poverty and diseases. full of

Hospitals were full of injured soldiers after the war.

function in The results suggest that DC-SIGN has an important function in amplifying tuberculosis infection in the lung.

glance at A quick glance at his childhood may explain why he has a tendency for violence.

glance ▬ at a glance She could tell at a glance something was wrong with him.

globe ▬ around the globe The thermal blanket around the globe may cause the average temperature of the earth to rise.

hail as The firefighter was hailed as a hero for rescuing a baby from a burning house. history ▬ in / throughout history

Military forces and construction crews have been inactivated by malaria throughout history.

identical to Scientists have developed biofuels nearly identical to gasoline and diesel.

importance on / of This hospital places a high importance on patients’ needs.

In her speech she mentioned the importance of choosing the right partner in marriage.

impose on Taxes imposed on goods and services are called ‘indirect taxes’.

increase in Some doctors believe that increase in severe pneumonia in children may be caused by vaccines.

independent of Scientists have found that the development of coral reefs is independent of coral species diversity.

10

indifferent to

Unlike the Europeans, the Japanese are indifferent to their past. indigenous to

Hepatitis E is believed to be indigenous to economically developed countries.

indulge in The playwright indulged in metaphorical language.

indulgence in This illness is associated with indulgence in certain food. infect with Those infected with this virus are likely to die. infer from

It could be inferred from his remarks that he didn’t like the scheme.

inflict on Many people believe that researchers inflict excessive stresses on their study animals.

influence on The annual rainfall has a profound influence on the success or failure of agriculture.

information about This web site gives daily information about volcanic activity of the mountain.

insist on

He is insisting on investing in the shares of this company.

insure against She had her house insured against disasters. interact with

There is evidence that these animals rarely interact with other animals.

interaction with / of The article is on corrosive agents and their interaction with materials.

His research was into the interaction of external factors with human development.

interest in There has been a growing interest in the use of nuclear power in the world.

interfere in / with The chairman interferes in most of the affairs of the company.

intervene in The government is likely to intervene in domestic steel prices. invest in The firm has decided to invest a great deal of money in new technologies.

involve in / be involved in Scientists who are involved in the study of the universe object to his ideas.

involvement in The government fully supports the American involvement in Africa.

11

irrelevant to

Some scientists believe that emissions are irrelevant to future climate changes.

issue ▬ at issue At issue today is whether public schools should take an active role in providing pre-K services.

issue on / over / of The issue of mental fitness has been very popular recently.

join in / to A foreign professional rescue team will join in our country’s disaster teams to search for people under the collapsed building.

keen on The firm isn’t keen on investing in this part of the world. know of / about Very little is known about this part of the brain. lack of Some scientists claim that lack of sleep may be related to mental illness. lead to Worrying about family matters can lead to depression.

light ▬ in the light of Our knowledge of sharks has been modified in the light of new data from satellites.

limit on / to

I think parents put a strict limit on the amount of money children can spend. limitation on The city council has put a limitation on building height.

line of The study of cancer has always been a frustrating line of work.

link between Before allergic rhinitis and asthma became prevalent, the link between the two disorders was not suspected.

look at Doctors use special microscopes to look at inner parts of the eye.

make use of Teachers should make use of new technologies in their classrooms.

means of By capital we mean not just money but more especially a means of production.

meeting ▬ at meeting Some important decisions are expected to be taken at a meeting.

mission ▬ on mission Astronauts get used to zero gravity before setting off on a space mission. negotiate on / with

The government refused the claim that they had negotiated with the terrorists.

12

notorious for Busy cities are notorious for traffic congestion and pollution.

number of The number of students who majored in engineering has fallen in recent years.

object to The old lady objected to selling her land.

obtain from To obtain power from the sun's rays is to use nuclear power developed at no expense in a distant laboratory.

open up

This new system is claimed to open up new ways of recycling paper.

operate on They decided not to operate on him until they got the results of the tests.

parity with Mental health services have only recently gained parity with other medical conditions.

participate in For the last two centuries no kings have participated in the game, tennis.

participation in The teacher is trying to encourage participation in role playing in their classes.

peer into Scientists have peered into stem cells in live brain.

per cent of It is claimed that we use only 10 to 20 percent of our minds.

persist in A gender gap still persists both in wages and levels of advancement.

persistence in The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of wheezing and evaluate the risk factors for its persistence in children.

pertinent to

Here is a list of articles pertinent to the discussion topic.

point out Many scientists have pointed out that the rise in use of high-fructose corn syrup coincides with the obesity epidemic.

position of

The position of the stars are being observed through a giant telescope.

prejudice against Many people are prejudiced against flying.

premium on This software puts a high premium on security. prepare for

Canadian authorities were not prepared for such a disaster.

13

pressure on They are putting pressure on him to resign from the job.

prevent from Some bacteria often prevent harmful micro-organisms from flourishing.

pride in He takes pride in his father’s success.

prohibition on / of The government established a prohibition on use of Federal funds for any research involving non-registered human embryonic stem cell lines.

prone to Apnea sufferers are more prone to accidents during the day. proud of

These children didn’t have much, but they were very proud of what they had. provide with We need to provide our children with a sense of security and identity.

quantity of Establishments must hold documents which can be used to determine the quantity of milk processed during the previous year.

range from … to …

The problems range from global warming to the extinction of a whole species.

rate ▬ at this rate / at the rate of At the summit of the Greenland ice sheet the summer average temperature has decreased at the rate of 2.2 °C per decade since the beginning of the the 20th century.

rate of

The atomic bomb blasts at Hiroshima and Nagasaki created a higher rate of cancer than was expected.

ready for There are tens of millions of customers who aren't ready for the new technology.

reason ▬ for a variety of reasons / for this reason

For a variety of reasons, he dropped out of university in his second year. reason for

For some economists, the reason for the collapse of the communist economic system was that too few goods were produced at too high a price.

recognition ▬ beyond recognition Over the past hundred years, glaciers in the Alps have changed almost beyond recognition.

recommend to A polio vaccination is strongly recommended to travellers in the current polio risk areas in Africa and Asia.

recruit in / from 120 new caregivers have been recruited in national campaign.

14

reduction in

A general reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere may contribute to the development of ice ages.

refer to You must never refer to the matter or discuss it with other people.

refrain from She has refrained from telling us how much they paid for the new system.

regard as Until recently allergic rhinitis was regarded as a trivial problem.

regardless of Regardless of its advantages, the use of the system has not gained wide popularity.

related to

The research project he had undertaken was related to the problems of adolescence.

relationship between The passage is mainly concerned with the relationship between literature and life.

relevant to The committee may exclude the information if they consider that it is not relevant to the subject.

rely on

The country’s economy relies on multi-national giants, not on oil reserves. remain of Coal is formed from the remains of trees and other plants.

reply to The Chairman told members that he had replied to the Minister’s letter.

reputation for

The School has a reputation for excellence, and attracts students regionally, nationally and internationally.

research on / into The team has been carrying out research on volcanoes for years.

resort to As schizophrenia is now so prevalent, many psychiatrists are disposed to resort to quick, drastic methods of treatment.

result in / from Although the three reforms resulted in failure, they gave the chance to Chinese people to contact western ideas. The adviser thinks that these problems resulted from the inexperience of the students.

return ▬ in return / in return for Some unions provide optional benefits in return for higher contributions.

revolt against In recent months Latin America has witnessed a growing popular revolt against globalization and the free market.

rise in

The Gulf Stream causes an average ten percent rise in temperature in northern Europe throughout the winter.

15

risk ▬ at risk

The miners knew their lives were at risk from the presence of toxic gases.

role in A patient’s belief in a treatment plays a significant role in its success.

sample of A free sample of the product is available at stores.

satisfied with Government was satisfied with the results of national vaccination campaign.

scale ▬ on scale

The continuing slump in the price of raw coffee has caused hardship for growers on a scale unseen for decades.

search for The detectives had been searching for the murderer for a long time before they arrested him.

secrecy ▬ in secrecy It is difficult to carry out such experiments in secrecy. secret ▬ in secret

He told me in secret that he had a police record and had killed someone. sensitive to

Infants and children may be especially sensitive to health risks posed by pesticides. separate from

The poles froze during the last ice age and caused ocean levels to drop and the Mediterranean was separated from the Black Sea.

set up The government is planning to set up a wheat research centre in the area.

shortcut to This icon enables you a shortcut to the website.

shortage of The acute shortage of nursing staff in government hospitals has been reaffirmed by a survey conducted last month.

siege ▬ under siege / during the siege There was a shortage of food when the city was under siege.

similar to Ritalin is similar to cocaine and like cocaine it is a powerful stimulant that increases alertness and productivity.

sky ▬ across sky / in sky They saw some objects flashing across the sky. slump in The slump in the price of corn has caused hardship for growers. specialize in

At the World Bank she specialized in loans for economic aid programs for developing countries.

16

spend on

The US spends a great deal of money on defence against biological and chemical weapons.

statute ▬ under statute Under a recent statute, smoking in public places is banned.

stick to / with If you stick to the rules, there will not be any problems in the laboratory.

study into / on / of

The results of this new study on/into scholarly communication is quite controversial.

subject to Since the skin is the frontier between the patient and his environment, it is subject to influences from within and without.

suitable for According to the FDA this new diet drug may be not be suitable for some people.

superior to

A number of qualities make tigers physically superior to all other animals regardless of size. supply with / to

Small businesses in the region supplied local people with their needs.

surprise ▬ to the surprise of sb. / to sb.’s surprise To the surprise of the doctors, he has made significant improvement.

surprised at Even he himself was surprised at the result of the elections.

survey on The Foundation carried out a survey on working conditions in 12 countries.

susceptible to

Overweight people are more susceptible to fungal infections than are those of normal weight.

switch off / on Street lights in suburban areas are switched off after midnight as part of council plans to save energy. When they switched on the television news, they saw images of their neighborhood completely submerged.

take into consideration

A doctor should take into consideration the emotional and physical state of the patient.

talk of The new government is talking of sending man to the moon.

temperature ▬ at temperature(s) / at 50º c At room temperature, unsaturated fats, such as those found in oil, are usually liquid.

term ▬ under the term Any defective parts are replaced under the terms of this contract.

time ▬ on time They always completed the work on time and in a professional manner.

17

topic on Topics on deafness and hearing loss will be discussed at the meeting.

triumph over The book presents the ability of the human spirit to triumph over suffering.

turn into / to Matter can be turned into energy, and energy can be turned into matter.

turn out An apparently harmless invention may turn out to be harmful.

understanding of The research carried out at the University of Toronto contributed significantly to our understanding of cardiovascular disease.

use of The controversy over the use of cameras to stop speeding continues.

vision of This book lays the foundation for a new vision of democracy in Latin America.

vote for

In November, millions voted for the Democrats to protest the government and the war, and in hopes they would end it.

vulnerable to Coral reefs are all rich in marine species found only in small areas and therefore highly vulnerable to extinction.

way ▬ on sb.’s way NASA's Cassini spacecraft released the Huygens probe and sent it on its way to Saturn's largest moon, Titan.

worry about Worrying about family matters can lead to depression.