Fixed pairs the exam expects

Learning outcome

You can keep the preposition that this exam pairs with married, depend, good, angry, prefer, consist, afraid, and different.

Concepts and reasons

These are pairs, not a free choice. The verb or the adjective already chooses the preposition. married to a person. depend on a person or a thing. good at a skill. angry with a person. angry at a thing. She is angry with Ravi. She is angry at the delay. prefer A to B. consist of parts. afraid of. different from. prefer tea to coffee compares the two with to. than does not belong in this pair.

Worked examples

1. She is married to Ravi. The pair is married to, not married with.
2. He is good at drawing. A skill takes good at.
3. I prefer tea to coffee. The pair is prefer to, not prefer than.

Common traps

married with copies Hindi word order and fails this exam. Use married to. good in drawing is the form to reject for a skill. Use good at. depend of and different than are not the pairs. Use depend on and different from.

Practice questions

1. She is married ___ Ravi.
2. This machine consists ___ four parts.
3. Your answer is different ___ mine.

Answers and explanations

1. to. married to.
2. of. consist of.
3. from. different from.

Analogy

Each of these words has one hook. married hooks onto to. depend hooks onto on. You do not choose a nearby hook because it sounds close.

Quick reference

• married to. depend on. good at a skill.
• angry with a person. angry at a thing.
• prefer A to B. consist of. afraid of. different from.
• Reject married with, depend of, prefer than, and different than.