Hello, dear readers! Listen to me, I know that prepositions in English can sometimes be a little confusing, but if you insist on practicing regularly, it will be a lot easier to learn. For that reason, today’s post will provide you with some useful English verbs and the prepositions that usually follow them. Remember that, for some languages, these verbs do not require a preposition, so it is important to be aware of that and not forget to use them in English when necessary. Let’s kick it off!

listen to (something/someone) 

• Good politicians always listen to what the people have to say 
• He never listens to me when he is watching soccer on TV 
• The FBI was listening to the Senator’s phone calls as part of the investigation 
• You should have listened to your teacher and paid more attention to class 

speak to (someone) 

• Why are you speaking to me like that? Please, be more respectful
• I ran into Claire last month, but I haven’t spoken to her since 
• Good morning, may I speak to Mr. Scott? 
• It is polite to try to speak to locals in their native language when you are abroad 

approve of (something/someone) 

• My parents don’t approve of my friends because are unemployed 
• The school does not approve of smoking and drinking alcohol in its premises 
• It is hard to approve of what the government has been doing in terms of immigration policies
• The father never approved of his daughter’s marriage to another woman 

provide (someone) with (something) 

• This app provides its users with free language lessons 
• Jane has three children, so she has to work hard to provide them with food, clothing and education
• The hotel provides its guests with free breakfast, wi-fi and 24-hour room service 

compare to (something/ someone) 

• Compared to the previous hotel in Barcelona, this one is definitely more upscale 
• Poland is a very safe country if compared to other nations in Eastern Europe
• Cristiano Ronaldo is such a great player that sports experts have been comparing him to soccer legends like Pelé or Garrincha 

insist on (something) 

• Although my grandmother is 80, she still insists on doing everything on her own 
• As a doctor, Jim insists on leading a very healthy lifestyle
• I felt like going to the movies alone, but Todd insisted on keeping me company
• All the reports were done in time, but the manager insisted on checking them all once more 

(Note: as you can see, if a verb follows insist on, it should be on the -ing form)

That’s it! Have a good one 🙂