Verb + preposition (1) at and
to
A. Verb + at
look/have a look/stare/glance
(etc.) AT ...:
* Why are you looking at me
like that?
laugh/smile AT ...:
* I look stupid with this
haircut. Everybody will laugh at me.
aim/point (something) AT...,
shoot/fire (a gun) AT... (='in the direction of'):
* Don't point that knife at
me. It's dangerous.
* We saw some people with guns
shooting at birds.
B. Verb + to
talk/speak TO (somebody)
('with' is also possible but less usual):
* Who was that man you were
talking to?
* Can I speak to Jane, please?
listen TO ...:
* We spent the evening
listening to music. (not 'listening music')
write (a letter) TO ...:
* Sorry I haven't written to
you for such a long time.
but phone/telephone somebody
(no preposition):
* Did you phone your father
yesterday? (not 'phone to your father')
invite (somebody) TO (a
party/a wedding etc.):
* They only invited a few
people to their wedding.
C. Some verbs can be followed
by at or to, with a difference of meaning. For example:
shout AT somebody (when you
are angry):
* She got very angry and
started shouting at me.
shout TO somebody (so that
they can bear you):
* She shouted to me from the
other side of the street.
throw something AT
somebody/something (in order to bit them):
* Somebody threw an egg at the
minister.
throw something TO somebody
(for somebody to catch):
* Judy shouted 'Catch!' and
threw the keys to me from the window.
D. Explain/describe/apologize
We say explain something (TO
somebody):
* Can you explain this word to
me? (not 'explain me this word')
also: 'explain (to somebody)
that/what/how/why ...':
* I explained to them what I
wanted them to do. (not 'I explained them')
Describe is similar:
* Let me describe to you what
I saw.
Note that we say 'apologize TO
somebody (for ...)':
* He apologized to me. (not
'He apologized me')
but 'thank somebody (for
something)', 'ask somebody (for something)':
* He asked me for money. (not
'He asked to me')
