Where it appears in the exam
What is it?
Verb + preposition collocations are fixed combinations where a verb requires a specific preposition: depend ON, suffer FROM, result IN. They cannot be deduced by logic — you know them or you get them wrong. In many languages, a single preposition covers dozens of verbs that in English require different prepositions.
Why it matters in the exam
Cambridge exploits them systematically in Part 1 (the preposition filters the vocabulary options) and Part 2 (you must produce the preposition without help). It is a universal blind spot for exam candidates: literal translation from the native language fails 80% of the time.
The cognitive trap
"The instinct: "depend of", "suffer of", "consist in" — translating prepositions from your native language."
Why your brain does this: your native language uses one or two 'wildcard' prepositions that cover most verb combinations. Your brain automatically applies the same preposition in English. And it almost never matches.
depend ON / suffer FROM / consist OF — never the preposition you expect
The English rule: each verb has its own fixed preposition. There is no wildcard. And it almost never matches what other languages use. How it matters in the exam: without options in Part 2, your native-language instinct writes the wrong preposition every time.
Semantic groups — learn by family, not one by one
"Success depends on preparation."
"You can rely on her."
"Concentrate on the task."
"She insisted on paying."
"I'm counting on you."
"Focus on what matters."
"Congratulated him on passing."
"She commented on the changes."
"He suffers from headaches."
"She recovered from the flu."
"Students benefit from practice."
"Rain prevented us from going."
"This differs from the original."
"He escaped from prison."
"She resigned from the board."
"She succeeded in passing."
"It resulted in complaints."
"I believe in hard work."
"She specialises in law."
"He participated in the event."
"They invested in new technology."
"She applied for the job."
"He apologised for being late."
"Don't blame me for this."
"They searched for the keys."
"This accounts for 40%."
"Forgive me for asking."
"Nobody complained about the noise."
"Don't worry about the exam."
"Think about what I said."
"She cares about the environment."
"Let's talk about the project."
"They argued about money."
"She dealt with the problem calmly."
"He can't cope with the pressure."
"I agree with your suggestion."
"They provided us with information."
"Compare this with the original."
"I associate summer with freedom."
"Please refer to page 45."
"This belongs to my sister."
"She objected to the plan."
"Exercise contributes to health."
"He responded to the email quickly."
"Stress can lead to illness."
One preposition changes everything
Observe directly
Visual attention
"Look at this photograph."
Search for
Lost object
"I'm looking for my keys."
Investigate
Formal, authorities
"The police are looking into it."
Take care of
People in your charge
"She looks after her grandmother."
Be composed of (composition)
Parts, ingredients
"The team consists of 5 people."
Lie in (essence)
Abstract definition
"Happiness consists in giving."
Cause (consequence)
Cause → effect
"The delay resulted in complaints."
Stem from (origin)
Effect ← cause
"The damage resulted from the storm."
The mistakes Cambridge exploits
"The outcome depends of how much effort you put in."
Translation of the native-language preposition. Cambridge marks it as an error even though the meaning is clear.
"The outcome depends on how much effort you put in."
Depend + ON. Always. No exceptions.
"She succeeded to pass the exam on her first attempt."
Error by analogy with 'managed to pass'. Succeed ALWAYS takes in + -ing.
"She succeeded in passing the exam on her first attempt."
Succeed + IN + -ing. Never 'succeed to'.
"The recipe consists in five simple ingredients."
Translation error. 'Consist in' exists but means 'lie in' — not composition.
"The recipe consists of five simple ingredients."
Consist + OF for composition. NEVER 'in' for listing parts.
Why your brain gets it wrong
The learner's short circuit
Analyse the trap by exam format
Others 2 from minor illness more slowly because they return to work before they are ready.
Your brain looks for a verb meaning 'get better'. Repair sounds logical. But recover from is the only collocation with 'from + illness'. The visible preposition is the filter.
The visible preposition after the gap is your clue
Cambridge leaves the preposition visible. The 4 verbs mean something similar, but only one forms a collocation with that preposition.
Strategy
Read AFTER the gap. If you see a preposition (from, on, in, of), ask yourself: which verb goes with it? That eliminates 2-3 options.
The success of the project depends ______ how much funding we receive.
Your brain translates the native-language preposition directly: 'depend of'. But depend in English ALWAYS takes ON.
depends
Verbs of dependency/focus → ON. Depend, rely, insist, concentrate, count.
→ on
Without options, your native-language instinct always wins
No options. If you don't know the collocation, your brain produces the direct translation of the preposition from your native language. And it fails.
Strategy
Memorise by group: verbs of dependency/focus = ON. Verbs of origin/separation = FROM. Verbs of result = IN.
Bad weather can put people ______ going out, and transport delays sometimes result _______ late arrivals.
Two gaps, two false translations. But 'put off' = discourage and 'result in' = cause. Each verb requires its own preposition.
put / result
'put ___ going' = discourage (off). 'result ___ late arrivals' = cause (in).
→ off / in
Each gap is independent — don't use the same pattern
Cambridge puts 2+ preposition gaps in the same text. Each verb has its own rule. You can't generalise from one to the other.
Strategy
Treat each gap as independent. Identify the verb, recall its fixed preposition.
Verb + Preposition Collocations is 1 of 82
The exam tests 82 grammar competencies across 19 families. Mastering one is the first step. Automating all 82 is passing.
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