Unit 132. Verb + preposition 1. To and at
Unit 132; Part A

talk / speak TO somebody (with is also possible but less usual)
• Who was that man you were talking to?
listen TO ...
• We spent the evening listening to music.(not listening music)
write (a letter) TO ...
• I wrote to the hotel complaining about the poor service we had received.
apologise TO somebody (for ...)
• They apologised to me for what happened. (not They apologised me)
explain something TO somebody
• Can you explain this word to me? (not explain me this word)
explain / describe (to somebody) what/how/why ...
• I explained to them why I was worried. (not I explained them)
• Let me describe to you what I saw. (not Let me describe you)
Unit 132; Part B

phone / telephone / call somebody
• Did you phone your father yesterday? (not phone to your father)
answer somebody/something
• He refused to answer my question. (not answer to my question)
ask somebody
• Can I ask you a question? (not ask to you)
thank somebody (for something)
• He thanked me for helping him. (not He thanked to me)
Unit 132; Part C

look / stare / glance AT ... , have a look / take a look AT ...
• Why are you looking at me like that?
laugh AT ...
• I look stupid with this haircut. Everybody will laugh at me.
aim / point (something) AT ... , shoot / fire (a gun) AT ...
• Don't point that knife at me. It's dangerous.
• We saw someone with a gun shooting at birds, but he didn't hit any.
Unit 132; Part D

shout AT somebody (when you are angry)
• He got very angry and started shouting at me.
shout TO somebody (so that they can hear you)
• He shouted to me from the other side of the street.
throw something AT somebody/something (in order to hit them)
• Somebody threw an egg at the minister.
throw something TO somebody (for somebody to catch)
• Lisa shouted 'Catch!' and threw the keys to me from the window.
Exercises
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