Words followed by the preposition to

Some verbs, adjectives and nouns are followed by the preposition to. For example, we say object to, not object for. Note that the preposition to should be followed by an –ing form, not an infinitive.

• He has taken a fancy to collecting stamps. (NOT He has taken a fancy to collect stamps.)
• She objected to my entering her room. (NOT She objected to my enter her room.)

Here is a list of common words followed by the preposition to.

Accede to

I am sorry I can’t accede to your request.

Acceptable to

We rejected the offer because it was not acceptable to us.

Access to

People living in many parts of the world still do not have access to electricity.

Adapt to

You must know how to adapt yourself to changing circumstances.

Addicted to

He is addicted to gambling.

Adjacent to

The hotel is adjacent to the post office.

Admit to

He has been admitted to the medical college.

Affiliate to

This institution is affiliated to the University of Mumbai.

Allotted to

Have you performed the task allotted to you?

Anxious to

She is anxious to hear from her sister.

Apologize to

You must apologize to him for your rudeness.

Appeal to

She appealed to the passersby for help.

Appoint to

The best candidate should be appointed to the post.

Beneficial to

Regular exercise is beneficial to health.

Blind to

The indulgent mother is blind to her children’s faults.

Close to

His house is close to the market.

Confine to

He was confined to his bed by illness.

Consent to

I cannot consent to your proposal.

Deaf to

He was deaf to our requests.

Disgrace to

He is a disgrace to his family.

Due to

The delay was due to an engine problem.

Engaged to

She is engaged to a young businessman.

Fancy to

He has taken a fancy to growing vegetables.

Heir to

She is heir to a huge business empire.

Hostile to

He has been hostile to me right from the beginning.

Indifferent to

The stoic is indifferent to pleasure and pain.

Invite to

We have invited them to dinner.

Jump to

Don’t jump to any conclusion before verifying the facts.

Keep to

Keep to the right.