Here we organize verbs for which learners often incorrectly judge whether a preposition is needed based on the Japanese translation. These are frequently tested in entrance examinations and the Common Test.
Basic Rules
Transitive verbs（no preposition needed）: Japanese translations may use a prepositional expression such as “about” or “with,” but English takes a direct object.
- discuss（discuss something）“× discuss about → ○ discuss the plan”
- mention（mention something）“× mention about → ○ mention the problem”
- enter（enter something）“× enter into the room → ○ enter the room”（enter into has a different meaning, such as “enter into a contract”）
- marry（marry someone）“× marry with → ○ marry her”
- reach（reach something）“× reach to → ○ reach the station”
- approach（approach something）“× approach to → ○ approach the gate”
- attend（attend something）“× attend to a meeting → ○ attend a meeting”（attend to means “take care of”）
- resemble（resemble someone）“× resemble to → ○ resemble her mother”
Intransitive verbs（a preposition is needed）:
- apologize to someone for something “× apologize her → ○ apologize to her for the delay”
- agree with a person / to a proposal “I agree with you / I agree to the plan”
- complain about something / object to something / graduate from something
We discussed the proposal for two hours.（We discussed the proposal for two hours.）
She married a doctor last spring.（She married a doctor last spring.）
He apologized to her for being late.（He apologized to her for being late.）
I graduated from high school in March.（I graduated from high school in March.）
Points to Note
① The meaning may change with a preposition even when the verb is the same: “attend a meeting（be present at）” vs “attend to the patient（take care of）.”
② be married to someone expresses a state. Distinguish “marry someone = the action of getting married” from “be married to someone = the state of being married.”
③ Memorize intransitive verbs together with their prepositions: apologize to / agree with / complain about / graduate from / refer to / belong to.
④ Prepositions in the passive voice: “The accident was discussed thoroughly.”（The transitive verb discuss can be used in the passive voice.）“She is well respected by everyone.”（Some intransitive verbs with prepositions can also be used in the passive voice.）
- Transitive verbs（no preposition）: discuss / mention / enter / marry / reach / approach / attend / resemble
- Intransitive verbs（preposition needed）: apologize to / agree with / complain about / graduate from
- be married to someone: the state of being married
- Learn English verb usage instead of being misled by prepositions in Japanese translations
Practice
- Correct the error: She married with a famous actor.
- Translate “He did not mention anything about the plan” using mention.
- Translate “He apologized to me for being late” using apologize.