ECG07 — Prepositions & Phrasal Verbs
📚 Chapter ECG07 · CDS Grammar Level
CDS Level
📌 CDS Focus: Prepositions and phrasal verbs appear in every CDS English section — Fill in the Blanks (which preposition follows this word?), Spotting Errors (wrong preposition after verb/adjective), and Sentence Improvement (wrong phrasal verb choice). This chapter covers: (A) basic preposition rules and confusable pairs, (B) the parts-of-speech dual role of common words, (C) all important fixed prepositions with verbs and adjectives, and (D) the most tested phrasal verb groups.
PART A — BASIC PREPOSITIONS & CONFUSABLE PAIRS
A1 at / in / on — Place & Time
Rule: The choice between at, in, on depends on the size or specificity of the place or time reference. Think of it as a funnel: in = large container; on = surface or specific day; at = precise point.
⚠ CDS traps with at/in/on:
✗ in the morning of Monday → ✓ on Monday morning
✗ at the end of the road (meaning the terminal point) → ✓ at the end of the road ✓ (point) but in the road (embedded)
✗ arrived to Delhi → ✓ arrived in Delhi (city) / arrived at the station (point)
A2 between / among — Two vs Many
between — exactly two (or individually distinct)
- ✓ The agreement is between India and Pakistan.
- ✓ Choose between the two routes.
- ✓ The land was divided between the three brothers. (each has a distinct share)
- ✗ among the two candidates
among — three or more (as a group)
- ✓ He distributed the rations among the soldiers.
- ✓ She is popular among her colleagues.
- ✓ Divide the work among the five platoons.
- ✗ between the many recruits
A3 beside / besides — Location vs Addition
beside = next to (physical position)
- ✓ He sat beside the CO during the briefing.
- ✓ The weapon was kept beside the bed.
besides = in addition to / apart from
- ✓ Besides being brave, he is also intelligent.
- ✓ Who else was present besides the officer?
A4 by / until — Action Completed Before vs Continuing Until
by = completed at or before a deadline
- ✓ Submit the form by Friday. (done before or on Friday)
- ✓ By 0800, the patrol had returned.
- Used with: submit, finish, complete, return, arrive
until/till = action continues up to that point
- ✓ Wait here until I return. (continuous action)
- ✓ He served till retirement.
- Used with: wait, stay, continue, keep, hold
A5 in / into & on / onto — Static vs Movement
in / on — static position (already there)
- ✓ He is in the room. (already inside)
- ✓ The map is on the table. (already on the surface)
into / onto — movement towards (entering/landing)
- ✓ He walked into the room. (entering)
- ✓ She climbed onto the platform. (movement onto)
- ✗ He walked in the room. (no movement sense)
A6 because of / due to / owing to — Cause Phrases
All three express cause but have different grammatical contexts. CDS tests this in Spotting Errors and Sentence Improvement.
Q1. (CDS 2024-II) Find the error: “(A) The prize was divided / (B) between the / (C) five best performers / (D) No error”
Answer: (B) Five performers = more than two, acting as a group → use “among”. “Between” is used for exactly two, or for individually distinct shares among more. Correct: The prize was divided among the five best performers.
Q2. (CDS 2025-I) Fill in the blank: “The match was cancelled ___ heavy rainfall throughout the day.”
- (a) due to
- (b) because of
- (c) owing to
- (d) both (b) and (c)
Answer: (d) both (b) and (c)
“Because of” and “owing to” are both preposition phrases that can follow a verb directly. “Due to” (a) requires a preceding “be” verb to be correct — “was cancelled due to” is contested in strict grammar because “due to” should follow “was” as an adjective: “The cancellation was due to rain” ✓.
Q3. (CDS 2023-I) Find the error: “(A) He arrived / (B) to the station / (C) just in time / (D) No error”
Answer: (B) “Arrive” takes “at” for a specific point/building (station, airport, office) and “in” for a city or country. Never “arrive to”. Correct: He arrived at the station.
PART B — WORDS WITH DUAL PARTS OF SPEECH ROLES
B1 How to Identify the Role — The Core Test
Key Insight for CDS Parts of Speech Questions: Many common words function as prepositions, adverbs, conjunctions, or adjectives depending on their position in the sentence. The test to distinguish them is simple:
▶ Preposition = followed by a noun/pronoun (its object). It connects two parts of the sentence.
▶ Adverb = stands alone (no object after it). It modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
▶ Conjunction = connects two clauses (has a subject + verb after it).
▶ Adjective = placed before a noun to describe it.
B2 “before” — Preposition / Adverb / Conjunction
B3 “after” — Preposition / Adverb / Conjunction
B4 “since” — Preposition / Adverb / Conjunction
B5 More Dual-Role Words — CDS Parts of Speech Questions
💡 The quick test for CDS Parts of Speech questions:
1. Is there a noun/pronoun immediately after the word? → Preposition
2. Is there a full clause (subject + verb) after the word? → Conjunction
3. Does the word stand alone modifying a verb? → Adverb
4. Does the word come before a noun to describe it? → Adjective
He walked past [no object — adverb] vs He walked past the gate [gate = object — preposition]
Q4. (CDS 2025-I) Identify the part of speech of the underlined word: “He has not visited us since.”
- (a) Preposition
- (b) Conjunction
- (c) Adverb
- (d) Noun
Answer: (c) Adverb
There is no noun or clause after “since” — it stands alone at the end of the sentence, referring back to an earlier time. When “since” has no object and no clause after it, it functions as an adverb. Compare: “since 2015” (preposition) and “since he left” (conjunction).
Q5. (CDS 2024-I) Identify the part of speech of “before” in: “I have never seen such courage before.”
- (a) Preposition
- (b) Adverb
- (c) Conjunction
- (d) Adjective
Answer: (b) Adverb
No noun follows “before” — it modifies “seen” and has no grammatical object. It is functioning as an adverb of time. If it were “before the battle” (noun = object), it would be a preposition. If it were “before he arrived” (clause), it would be a conjunction.
Q6. (CDS 2023-II) Identify the role of “down” in each: (i) “He walked down the hill.” (ii) “The system broke down.”
(i) Preposition — “the hill” is the object of “down”; it connects “walked” with “the hill”.
(ii) Adverb — “down” has no object; it modifies “broke” and is part of the phrasal verb “broke down”. This is the exact CDS pattern: the same word changes role based on whether it has an object.
PART C — FIXED PREPOSITIONS WITH VERBS & ADJECTIVES
C1 Verb + Preposition — Fixed Combinations
These are non-negotiable. No rule governs them — they must be memorised. CDS Fill in the Blanks and Spotting Errors test these directly. The wrong preposition = the error.
Verbs taking “of” MOST TESTED
consist
of
The team consists of ten soldiers.
consist
in
Courage consists in facing fear. (= lies in)
approve
of
I approve of his decision.
dispose
of
Dispose of the waste carefully.
accuse
of
He was accused of misconduct.
suspect
of
He was suspected of leaking details.
boast
of/about
He boasts of/about his achievements.
complain
of/about
He complained of/about the conditions.
dream
of/about
She dreams of a career in the forces.
Verbs taking “to” VERY COMMON
agree
to
He agreed to the proposal. (agree with a person)
object
to
He objected to the new policy.
refer
to
Please refer to the manual.
attend
to
Attend to your duties. (not “attend on”)
resort
to
He resorted to drastic measures.
conform
to
You must conform to the rules.
amount
to
His behaviour amounted to insubordination.
subscribe
to
I subscribe to this view.
succumb
to
He succumbed to his injuries.
Verbs taking “on”
insist
on
He insisted on punctuality.
rely
on/upon
You can rely on him.
depend
on/upon
It depends on the weather.
congratulate
on
I congratulated him on his promotion.
embark
on
They embarked on a new mission.
comment
on
He commented on the situation.
Verbs taking “from”
recover
from
He recovered from his injuries.
suffer
from
She suffers from anxiety. (not “with”)
differ
from
This report differs from the earlier one.
refrain
from
Refrain from using phones.
abstain
from
He abstained from voting.
prevent
from
Rain prevented us from marching.
prohibit
from
Soldiers are prohibited from disclosing this.
result
from
Failure results from poor planning. (cause)
result
in
Poor planning results in failure. (effect)
Verbs taking “with”
agree
with
I agree with you. (agree to = a plan)
differ
with
He differs with me on this. (= disagrees)
charge
with
He was charged with desertion.
deal
with
He knows how to deal with pressure.
comply
with
You must comply with orders.
cope
with
She copes well with stress.
interfere
with/in
Don’t interfere with the equipment / in personal matters.
provide
with
They provided us with rations. (provide for = make provision)
compare
with/to
Compare this with that (two things). Compare a soldier to a lion (likening).
Verbs taking “in”
believe
in
He believes in discipline.
succeed
in
She succeeded in her mission.
persist
in
He persisted in his efforts.
excel
in/at
He excels in/at marksmanship.
engage
in
He was engaged in a discussion.
indulge
in
He should not indulge in gossip.
Verbs taking “for”
apologise
for / to
Apologise for the mistake / to the person.
punish
for
He was punished for insubordination.
blame
for
Don’t blame him for this. (not “blame on”)
search
for
They searched for survivors.
wait
for
He waited for orders. (not “wait on” informally)
long
for
He longed for peace.
C2 Adjective + Preposition — Fixed Combinations
Adjectives taking “of”
guilty
of
He was found guilty of negligence.
innocent
of
She is innocent of the charge.
capable
of
He is capable of great things.
afraid
of
He is not afraid of challenges.
proud
of
She is proud of her regiment.
tired
of
He is tired of waiting. (not “tired with”)
fond
of
She is fond of music.
aware
of
He was not aware of the risk.
ashamed
of
He should be ashamed of his conduct.
short
of
They were short of ammunition.
full
of
The hall was full of cadets.
worthy
of
He is worthy of this honour.
Adjectives taking “to”
loyal
to
He is loyal to the nation. (not “loyal with”)
faithful
to
He remained faithful to his duty.
dedicated
to
She is dedicated to her work.
accustomed
to
He is accustomed to hardship.
similar
to
This is similar to the earlier case.
equivalent
to
This rank is equivalent to Major.
relevant
to
Is this evidence relevant to the case?
addicted
to
He became addicted to exercise.
married
to
She is married to an officer. (not “married with”)
Adjectives taking “for”
responsible
for
He is responsible for logistics.
famous
for
The regiment is famous for its discipline.
grateful
for/to
Grateful for the help / to the person.
sorry
for/about
Sorry for the mistake / about the situation.
fit
for
He is fit for active duty.
eligible
for
She is eligible for promotion.
Adjectives taking “with / at / by / in”
angry
with (person)
He was angry with the recruit. (not “angry on”)
angry
at (thing)
He was angry at the decision.
disappointed
with/in
Disappointed with/in his performance.
surprised
at/by
Surprised at/by the news.
impressed
by/with
He was impressed by/with the demonstration.
interested
in
She is interested in strategy. (not “interested on”)
involved
in
He was involved in the operation.
absorbed
in
She was absorbed in her work.
good
at
He is good at navigation. (not “good in”)
different
from
This is different from what I expected. (not “different than” in British English)
confident
of/in
Confident of success / in his ability.
rich
in
The region is rich in minerals.
Q7. (CDS 2025-II) Find the error: “(A) He was charged / (B) for insubordination / (C) and dismissed from service / (D) No error”
Answer: (B) “Charge” takes the preposition “with”, not “for”. Correct: He was charged with insubordination. Compare: “punished for insubordination” — “punish” takes “for”; “charge” takes “with”.
Q8. (CDS 2024-I) Fill in the blank: “He is angry ___ his subordinate for disobeying orders.”
- (a) on
- (b) at
- (c) with
- (d) about
Answer: (c) with
“Angry with” is used when the target is a person. “Angry at” is used for things, situations, or actions. “His subordinate” is a person → “angry with”. “Angry on” is never correct in standard English.
Q9. (CDS 2023-II) Find the error: “(A) She is married / (B) with an IAS officer / (C) and lives in Delhi / (D) No error”
Answer: (B) “Married” takes the preposition “to”, not “with”. This is one of the most repeated fixed preposition errors in CDS. Correct: She is married to an IAS officer.
Q10. (CDS 2024-II) Fill in the blank: “Poor leadership always results ___ poor outcomes.”
- (a) from
- (b) in
- (c) to
- (d) with
Answer: (b) in
“Result in” = to cause / to lead to (looking forward at the effect). “Result from” = to be caused by (looking back at the cause). Here, poor leadership is the cause and the sentence describes the effect → “results in”.
PART D — PHRASAL VERBS — GROUPED BY BASE VERB
D1 What Makes a Phrasal Verb — and Why It Matters for CDS
A phrasal verb = verb + particle (preposition or adverb). The combined meaning is different from the individual words. CDS tests them in Fill in the Blanks (complete the phrasal verb) and Sentence Improvement (choose the correct phrasal verb for the meaning). The particle here acts as an adverb (no object needed — see Part B) or a preposition (with an object).
BREAK
break + particle — 6 key combinations
break down — stop functioning; collapse emotionallyThe jeep broke down on the highway. / She broke down when she heard the news.
break out — escape; start suddenly (war, fire, disease)War broke out in 1939. / He broke out of prison.
break in / into — force entry; interrupt (speech)Thieves broke into the armoury. / He broke in while she was speaking.
break up — end a relationship; dissolve (a meeting)The meeting broke up at noon.
break off — stop suddenly; sever (relations)Diplomatic ties were broken off.
break through — overcome a barrier; achieve a breakthroughThe unit broke through the enemy lines.
CALL
call + particle — 5 key combinations
call off — cancel (a planned event)The exercise was called off due to rain.
call on — visit someone; request/urgeThe General called on the troops to stay alert.
call up — summon for military service; telephoneHe was called up for active duty.
call for — demand; require; collect someoneThe situation calls for immediate action.
call at — stop briefly at a place (vehicle/vessel)The train calls at Agra.
call in — ask to come; summonHe was called in for questioning.
CARRY
carry + particle — 4 key combinations
carry out — execute / perform (a task, order, plan)The patrol carried out a thorough search.
carry on — continue (despite difficulty)Carry on with the exercise despite the rain.
carry off — win a prize; succeed in a difficult taskShe carried off the best cadet award.
carry away — get too excited; lose self-controlDon’t get carried away by initial success.
GET
get + particle — 8 key combinations
get over — recover from; overcomeHe got over his injury quickly.
get through — pass (an exam); finish; make contactShe got through the written test easily.
get at — imply; reach; criticiseWhat exactly are you getting at?
get away with — escape punishment forHe cannot get away with such conduct.
get rid of — remove / dispose ofThey tried to get rid of the old equipment.
get along with — have a good relationship withHe gets along well with his team.
get by — manage with limited resourcesThey managed to get by on minimum supplies.
get across — communicate / convey an idea clearlyHe struggled to get his point across.
GIVE
give + particle — 5 key combinations
give up — stop trying; surrender; quitHe refused to give up despite the odds.
give away — reveal a secret; distribute for freeHis expression gave away his anxiety.
give in — surrender; yield to pressureHe finally gave in to the demands.
give out — distribute; become exhausted; announceThe officer gave out the assignments.
give back — return somethingHe gave back the borrowed equipment.
LOOK
look + particle — 7 key combinations
look after — take care ofHe looked after the wounded soldier.
look into — investigateThe board agreed to look into the matter.
look up — search for information; improveLook up the regulation in the manual. / Things are looking up.
look down on — consider inferior; be contemptuous ofHe never looked down on anyone.
look forward to — anticipate with pleasure (+ gerund)She looks forward to taking command.
look out for — be alert; watch carefully; bewareLook out for ambushes on this route.
look up to — admire; respectCadets look up to their instructors.
PUT
put + particle — 6 key combinations
put off — postpone; discourageThe exercise was put off due to bad weather.
put up with — tolerate; endureA soldier must put up with hardship.
put forward — propose; suggestShe put forward a new strategy.
put out — extinguish (fire); inconvenienceThe fire was put out in minutes.
put across — communicate clearlyHe struggled to put his point across.
put down — suppress (a revolt); write down; humiliateThe rebellion was put down swiftly.
RUN
run + particle — 6 key combinations
run out of — exhaust supply ofThey ran out of ammunition.
run into — meet unexpectedly; collide withHe ran into an old colleague at the base.
run over — hit with a vehicle; review quicklyLet’s run over the plan once more.
run down — criticise unfairly; reduce; pursue until caughtDon’t run down your colleagues.
run after — chase; pursue eagerlyHe spent years running after recognition.
run up against — encounter unexpectedly (a difficulty)They ran up against strong resistance.
SET
set + particle — 6 key combinations
set up — establish; arrangeThey set up a forward operating base.
set off — begin a journey; cause to startThe patrol set off at dawn. / The blast set off an alarm.
set aside — reserve; ignore temporarilySet aside your differences for now.
set out — begin a journey; state clearlyThe report sets out the objectives clearly.
set back — delay progress; cost moneyThe injury set back his recovery by weeks.
set in — begin and become established (of a season, problem)Winter has set in early this year.
TAKE
take + particle — 7 key combinations
take up — begin a hobby/activity; occupy space/timeShe took up swimming to stay fit.
take off — leave the ground (aircraft); remove; become successfulThe aircraft took off at 0800. / His career took off after the award.
take over — assume control ofHe took over command from the retiring CO.
take after — resemble (a parent/relative)She takes after her father in discipline.
take in — deceive; absorb information; accommodateHe was taken in by the false report. / She took in all the briefing details.
take to — develop a liking for; begin a habitHe took to the new regime quickly.
take on — accept work/responsibility; compete againstThe unit took on the toughest assignment.
TURN
turn + particle — 7 key combinations
turn up — arrive (often unexpectedly); increase volumeHe turned up an hour late to the briefing.
turn down — reject; reduce volume/heatHis application was turned down.
turn out — result in a certain way; produce; attendThe operation turned out to be a success.
turn into — become; transformThe discussion turned into a heated argument.
turn over — hand to authority; flipHe turned over the documents to the board.
turn off — switch off; cause disgustTurn off all non-essential equipment.
turn away — refuse entry; look in another directionCivilians were turned away from the zone.
COME / GO
come + particle & go + particle — key combinations
come across — find/meet by chanceHe came across an old map in the archives.
come up with — produce an idea/solutionShe came up with an innovative solution.
come round/around — regain consciousness; change opinionHe came round after treatment.
come into — inherit; enter a stateShe came into a large inheritance.
go through — experience hardship; examine carefullyHe went through a difficult phase. / Go through the report carefully.
go off — explode; ring (alarm); go bad (food)The mine went off without warning.
go over — review; examineLet us go over the plan one more time.
go with — match; accompanyThis strategy goes with the overall plan.
MAKE
make + particle — 5 key combinations
make out — understand; manage to see/hear; claimHe could hardly make out the signal.
make up — invent (a story); constitute; reconcileHe made up the entire report. / Cadets make up 40% of the strength.
make for — head towards; contribute toThe patrol made for the high ground.
make off with — steal and escape withThe intruders made off with classified files.
make do with — manage with less than idealSoldiers often make do with limited resources.
make up for — compensate forHard work can make up for a late start.
Q11. (CDS 2025-II) Fill in the blank: “The exercise was ___ due to heavy snowfall in the region.”
- (a) called off
- (b) called on
- (c) called up
- (d) called for
Answer: (a) called off
“Call off” = cancel a planned event. “Called on” = visited or urged. “Called up” = summoned for military duty. “Called for” = demanded or required. Only “call off” means cancel.
Q12. (CDS 2024-I) Fill in the blank: “She had always looked ___ her elder sister with great admiration.”
- (a) up to
- (b) down on
- (c) after
- (d) into
Answer: (a) up to
“Look up to” = admire / respect. “Look down on” = consider inferior (opposite). “Look after” = take care of. “Look into” = investigate. The key word “admiration” confirms the answer is “look up to”.
Q13. (CDS 2023-II) Find the error: “(A) He refused to / (B) put up / (C) the rude behaviour of his subordinates / (D) No error”
Answer: (B) “Put up with” = tolerate — it requires “with” to complete the phrasal verb. “Put up” alone means to erect or accommodate. Correct: He refused to put up with the rude behaviour. The missing “with” is the error.
Q14. (CDS 2024-II) Fill in the blank: “After months of hardship, the situation finally seemed to be looking ___.”
- (a) after
- (b) into
- (c) up
- (d) out
Answer: (c) up
“Look up” = improve (in the sense of a situation getting better). “Look after” = take care of. “Look into” = investigate. “Look out” = be careful. The context (“after months of hardship” + “finally”) confirms improvement → “looking up”.
Q. Find all errors: “He is interested on military history and has always looked forward for working with intelligence units.”
Error 1: “interested on” → Fixed preposition: “interested” takes “in”. Correct: interested in military history.
Error 2: “looked forward for” → The phrasal verb is “look forward to” (not “for”) and is followed by a gerund. Correct: looked forward to working.
Corrected: He is interested in military history and has always looked forward to working with intelligence units.
Q. Identify the part of speech of “up” in each sentence: (i) “She climbed up the ladder.” (ii) “The price went up.” (iii) “The up trend continues.”
(i) Preposition — “up” is followed by “the ladder” (noun = object). It shows the direction of movement and connects “climbed” with “the ladder”.
(ii) Adverb — “up” has no object after it. It modifies the verb “went” and forms the phrasal verb “went up”.
(iii) Adjective — “up” is placed before the noun “trend” to describe it (= rising trend). This is the rarest role but appears in CDS parts-of-speech questions.
Q. Find the error: “He was accused for leaking information and charged of gross negligence.”
Error 1: “accused for” → “Accuse” takes “of”. Correct: accused of leaking information.
Error 2: “charged of” → “Charge” takes “with”. Correct: charged with gross negligence.
Corrected: He was accused of leaking information and charged with gross negligence.
📋 Quick Reference — Prepositions & Phrasal Verbs
① at / in / on (Place)
- at = precise point (at the gate, at home)
- in = enclosed space/city/country
- on = surface / specific floor
- arrive at (point) / arrive in (city)
② at / in / on (Time)
- at = clock time, festival (at noon, at Diwali)
- in = month, year, season (in July, in 2020)
- on = day, date (on Monday, on 15 Aug)
- on Monday morning (not “in the morning of Monday”)
③ between / among / beside / besides
- between = exactly two
- among = three or more (as group)
- beside = next to (position)
- besides = in addition to
④ Parts of Speech — Quick Test
- + noun/pronoun → Preposition
- + full clause (S+V) → Conjunction
- stands alone (no object) → Adverb
- before a noun (describes it) → Adjective
⑤ Dual-Role Words
- before / after / since / until → prep / adv / conj
- down / up / off / in / out → prep / adv
- past / near / round / along → prep / adv / adj
- about = prep (about the war) / adv (about to leave)
⑥ Key Verb + Preposition
- accuse OF / charge WITH / blame FOR
- agree TO (plan) / agree WITH (person)
- differ FROM (be unlike) / differ WITH (disagree)
- result IN (effect) / result FROM (cause)
⑦ Key Adjective + Preposition
- married TO / interested IN / good AT
- angry WITH (person) / angry AT (thing)
- guilty OF / responsible FOR / loyal TO
- different FROM (British) / similar TO
⑧ Key Phrasal Verbs (meanings)
- call off = cancel / carry out = execute
- put up with = tolerate / put off = postpone
- look into = investigate / look up to = admire
- get over = recover / run out of = exhaust
⚠ Top CDS Preposition Traps
- “married with” → WRONG (married to)
- “angry on” → WRONG (angry with/at)
- “interested on” → WRONG (interested in)
- “charged of” → WRONG (charged with)
- “accused for” → WRONG (accused of)
- “put up the noise” → WRONG (put up with)