Spanish Verbs, Nouns, and Adjectives with Required Prepositions

In this lesson, you will learn common prepositional patterns used in B2 argumentation, reports, and formal discussion. The preposition is part of the expression. Do not choose it by translating the English preposition word for word.

Verb + required preposition

— to depend on
— to trust / rely on
— to insist on
— to contribute to
— to consist of
— to lack

— The result depends on the quality of the data.

— We trust the team's experience.

— The report insists on the need to expand the sample.

— The new measure may contribute to reducing waiting times.

— The problem consists of a lack of coordination.

— The study lacks comparative data.

Noun + required preposition

— dependence on
— trust in
— contribution to
— access to
— need for

— Dependence on a single source increases the risk.

— Trust in the system has improved.

— His / her contribution to the project was important.

— Access to the information remains limited.

— There is a need for additional training.

Adjective + required preposition

— responsible for
— interested in
— willing to
— aware of
— capable of

— The team is responsible for reviewing the data.

— We are interested in expanding the service.

— The company is willing to negotiate.

— Everyone must be aware of the study's limitations.

— The system is capable of processing one thousand requests per hour.

Word families often preserve a relationship, but not always mechanically

Verb:

— to contribute to improving the service.

Noun:

— the contribution to improving the service.

The relation with a is preserved here.

Verb:

— to trust the team.

Noun:

— trust in the team.

Again, the preposition remains.

However, do not assume that every member of every word family keeps exactly the same construction. Learn frequent combinations as complete units.

Required complement versus place expression

Required complement:

— I trust Marta.

Here en belongs to .

Place:

— I work in Madrid.

Here en introduces location, not a complement selected by the verb trabajar.

Another contrast

Required complement:

— The report focuses on three problems.

Place expression:

— The report is on the table.

The same preposition can perform different functions.

Do not transfer the English preposition

English says depend on, but Spanish says:

— to depend on.

English says contribute to, and Spanish also uses a in this pattern:

— to contribute to.

The apparent match in one expression does not create a general translation rule.

Keep contractions

— It contributes to the development of the project.

+ el.

— It depends on the final result.

+ el.

A practical preposition method

Learn the verb, noun, or adjective together with its frequent preposition.
Check whether the following phrase is a required complement or merely a place or time expression.
Notice whether a related noun or adjective preserves the same relationship.
Do not assume every family member behaves identically.
Do not transfer the English preposition automatically.
Keep contractions such as al and del where required.

From Required Prepositions to Idiomatic Conversation

You can now build more accurate prepositional complements in formal and analytical Spanish. The next lesson teaches you to recognize common Spanish idioms in natural conversation.