Language of the Day: Verb + Preposition Collocations

English is full of verb + preposition combinations that don’t always follow logic. At an advanced level, these collocations become even more nuanced. Misusing them can make your writing sound awkward or change the meaning entirely.

Why Are These Collocations Important?

  • They appear in academic writing, business communication, and formal speech.

  • Many verbs take different prepositions depending on context.

  • They often carry idiomatic meanings that can’t be guessed from the individual words.

10 Advanced Collocations You Must Know

1. Account for

  • ✅ The manager had to account for the missing funds during the audit. Meaning: Explain or justify something. Common mistake: Using explain about instead of account for.

2. Confide in

  • ✅ She confided in her mentor when she faced a career dilemma. Meaning: Share secrets or trust someone with private information. Tip: Never say confide to someone—that’s incorrect.

3. Engage in

  • ✅ The committee engaged in lengthy negotiations before reaching an agreement. Meaning: Take part in an activity, often formal or organized.

4. Insist on

  • ✅ He insisted on reviewing every detail before signing the contract. Meaning: Demand something firmly. Mistake: Learners often drop the preposition (insist to review ❌).

5. Object to

  • ✅ Several employees objected to the new policy. Meaning: Express disapproval. Tip: Always use to, never object against.

6. Resort to

  • ✅ When all else failed, they resorted to legal action. Meaning: Use something as a last option, often negative.

7. Stem from

  • ✅ The misunderstanding stemmed from poor communication. Meaning: Originate or come from. Usage: Common in academic and analytical writing.

8. Subscribe to

  • ✅ I don’t subscribe to the idea that success is purely luck. Meaning: Agree with or support an idea (figurative use).

9. Vouch for

  • ✅ Can you vouch for his reliability? Meaning: Guarantee or confirm something about someone. Context: Common in professional references.

10. Refrain from

  • ✅ Please refrain from using your phone during the meeting. Meaning: Avoid doing something intentionally. Usage: Formal and polite instruction.

Real-Life Examples in Context

  • Business: The CEO had to account for the company’s losses during the press conference.

  • Academic: The theory stems from decades of research in cognitive science.

  • Social: She confided in her best friend about her fears before the big presentation.

  • Legal: The defendant resorted to hiring a new lawyer after the appeal was denied.

Common Pitfalls

  • Changing the preposition changes meaning:
    Think of (consider) vs. think about (reflect) vs. think over (review carefully).

  • Dropping the preposition:
    Insist paying ❌ → Insist on paying ✅.

Practice Exercises

A. Fill in the blanks

  1. The error ______ from a misunderstanding.

  2. She refused to ______ to their demands.

  3. We had to ______ to borrowing money.

  4. He always insists ______ doing things his way.

  5. Can you ______ for her honesty?

B. Correct the mistakes

  1. He objected against the new rules.

  2. They engaged to a heated argument.

  3. She confided to her colleague.

C. Discussion Prompt

  • Do you agree with the statement: “Success stems from hard work rather than luck”?
    Use at least two collocations in your answer.

Pro Tip

Learn these collocations in chunks and practice them in contextual sentences, not in isolation. Advanced English is all about subtlety.

Minju B