It is important in the study of prepositions to observe that there are certain words that are followed by certain prepositions. To change the preposition is to convey a different meaning from the one that the speaker intended, or to convey no meaning at all. A partial list of such words with their appropriate prepositions follows:
| accompanied | with | anything having no life |
| accompanied | by | anything having life |
| acquit | of |
| accuse | of |
| adapted | to | a thing |
| adapted | for | a course, because of one's nature |
| adapted | from | an author |
| agree | to | a plan or proposition |
| agree | with | a person |
| agree | upon | something that must be decided |
| angry | at | a thing |
| angry | with | a person |
| compare | with | to bring out similar qualities |
| compare | to | without analyzing |
| comply | with |
| confer | on | meaning to give to |
| confer | with | meaning to talk to |
| confide | in | meaning to put faith in |
| confide | to | meaning to commit to one's keeping |
| conform | to |
| correspond | to, with | a thing, denoting similarity |
| correspond | with | meaning to write to |
| different | from |
| dependent | on | a person |
| dependent | for | a thing |
| independent | of |
| disappointed | in |
| employed | at | a certain place or salary |
| employed | in | a certain kind of business |
| employed | by | a certain person or company |
| enter | upon | duties |
| enter | at | a door |
| followed | by |
| influence | over, upon |
| expect | of |
| participate | in |
| profit | by |
| remonstrate | against | a thing |
| remonstrate | with | a person |
Exercise 125
Insert the correct preposition in the following:
1. I shall comply —— your request.
2. The chairman came upon the platform accompanied —— the speaker.
3. He took a walk accompanied —— his dog.
4. The lecture will be accompanied —— stereopticon views.
5. Strikes are usually accompanied —— riots.
6. The years of prosperity were followed —— years of famine.