What should you retain when you learn a new expression?
ETS associates grammatical and lexical precision with clear communication in Writing. To practice this precision, expand your vocabulary notebook: after each expression, note where the recipient, object, or reason goes. The goal is not just to recognize a collocation but to build a complete request.
Compare our examples “The team depends on a shared server” and “The team relies on a shared server.” The verbs differ, but each takes “on” here, followed by a noun phrase naming the resource. A note that says only “depend = dépendre” would leave you choosing the preposition by translation. The complete sentence preserves the meaning, structure, and a reusable context.
Why does a verb not always take only one preposition?
The British Council gives examples such as “agree with” and “agree on.” It also uses “apologise to” for the person and “apologise for” for the reason. Consider our examples: “I apologise to the coordinator for the missing attachment” and “The researchers agreed on a method.” The complements play different roles.
Draw a simple structure instead of making a list: who is apologizing, to whom, and for what? You can then shorten or expand the message without moving words at random. “We apologise for the delay” omits the recipient because the context may make it clear; adding a person means rebuilding the phrase. These choices affect how the message is phrased, not just its length.
The student council agreed ___ a revised timetable, but two members still disagreed ___ the chair about the room allocation. Choose the pair that completes both constructions.
Choose an answer.
The solution, step by step
B: “agreed on a revised timetable” and “disagreed with the chair.”
The method in action
- The first complement gives the topic on which the agreement was reached. The second names the person the two members disagree with; “about the room allocation” then specifies the point of disagreement.
- Check both blanks together. A does not form the expected pattern for disagreeing with a person. C and D do not form the required patterns.
How do you add an action after the preposition?
In the patterns illustrated by the British Council, an action can follow the preposition in the -ing form, as in “apologise for being late.” Starting from our sentence “The assistant apologised for the error,” you can expand the action: “The assistant apologised for entering the wrong code.” The complement then explains what the person did.
Do not simply replace “error” with an infinitive. Check the full pattern and who performed the action. In the example, the assistant apologizes for entering the wrong code. If someone else was responsible, make that clear with a different phrasing instead of leaving the relationship ambiguous.
The internship office apologised for ___ the placement confirmation to the wrong address. Choose the grammatical form after “for” in this sentence.
Choose an answer.
The solution, step by step
D: “for sending the placement confirmation.”
The method in action
- “Sending” forms the action complement after “for.” The sentence attributes the incorrect mailing to the office that is apologizing.
- “Send,” “to send,” and “sent” do not complete this preposition in the given structure. Then compare “The office apologised to the student for sending the confirmation to the wrong address”: the recipient of the apology and the destination address have separate roles.
How can you adapt a pattern without learning it all over again?
Choose a campus sentence and change just one complement. “The deadline depends on the equipment delivery” becomes “The deadline depends on the weather.” In both cases, identify what determines the deadline. This substitution keeps the pattern stable while checking that you understand the relationship instead of reciting one sentence.
Then move from reading to production. Hide the model and explain why a meeting must wait or why a group is apologizing. Review the preposition with the word that calls for it, then check its complement. In your error notebook, distinguish a wrongly chosen preposition from an incorrectly formed action after it; the correction you reuse will differ.
The pitfall
Turning a learned pattern into a universal rule
A preposition that is correct in one sentence is not required in every use of the same word. The British Council recommends learning verbs with their patterns; this does not mean reducing every verb to a single pairing. Read the complement and identify the precise meaning before making a correction.
When you are unsure, consult a dictionary example that matches what you mean. Keep one sentence whose roles you can explain instead of ten context-free pairings. The exercises above are for practice: answering them correctly checks the patterns practiced, but does not predict a score or tell you which expressions will appear on the TOEFL.
Key takeaways
- Learn the verb, preposition, and role of the complement together.
- Distinguish the person, the topic of an agreement, and the reason for an action.
- Check the grammatical form of an action that follows a preposition.
- Reuse a pattern in a different context, then review its complements.