When a verb is followed by an object or gerund it is often accompanied by a preposition. The verb needs this preposition to express the meaning so we call these words dependent prepositions. There are similar cases with adjectives and nouns that use prepositions.
For example, we always say I looked at a picture (verb + object); I saved her from drowning (verb + gerund). The prepositions at and from are so essential that it is preferable to learn the verb together with its preposition as one lexical item. In the cases of adjectives and nouns, we say I am not frightened of spiders (adjective) and I dislike cruelty towards animals (noun). These dependent prepositions are often not intuitive so students need to read and listen a great deal to English to learn them.
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