Verb–preposition patterns: lexical government and clause architecture
CEFR B2
What you will learn
- Retrieve a governed preposition as part of the verb pattern rather than translating it independently.
- Distinguish verb meanings that change when a preposition is added or replaced.
- Carry the governed preposition before interrogatives and relative pronouns.
The idea
In “depender de”, de is not chosen because the following noun has a universal meaning. It is selected by this verbal sense and must travel with it into a question or relative clause: “¿De qué depende?” and “el factor del que depende”. Learn a usable entry: verb + preposition + meaning + one new noun. A bare translation often hides the required link.
A governed de remains before a noun or que-clause when the verb requires it: “Me alegro de que vengas.” A direct content clause after a verb such as creer does not acquire de: “Creo que funciona.”
The labels queísmo and dequeísmo describe missing or intrusive de, but the repair comes from recovering the actual predicate. Substitute a noun phrase or eso while preserving the sense: “me alegro de eso” supports de que; “creo eso” supports a direct que-clause without de.
Preposition plus relative forms
| antecedent | short form | explicit form | model |
|---|---|---|---|
| thing | preposition + que | preposition + el / la / los / las que | el tema del que hablamos |
| person | preposition + quien(es) | preposition + el / la / los / las que | la técnica en quien confiamos |
| thing or proposition | preposition + lo que | preposition + lo cual | la razón por la cual protestaron |
| place | en donde / donde | en el / la que | el barrio en el que viven |
Article choice agrees with the antecedent, not with the speaker or the verb. Register and the specific preposition influence which relative form is most natural.
How it sounds
- Se acordó de la clave.
- ¿Con quién sueñas trabajar?
- La medida en la que insistieron fue aceptada.
Your turn
Two or three, to check that the bit above landed.
Use the project and exactly two external toolboxes. Para terminar a tiempo, contamos ___ dos equipos externos.
con — The intended meaning is rely on or have available, so contar selects con. The noun is plural, but that does not change the governed preposition.
Use the prerequisite chain. ¿___ qué requisito depende el resultado? Supply the initial preposition with its capital letter.
De — Depender selects de. Spanish fronts the entire relation before interrogative qué, so the question begins ¿De qué...?.
Use the agreement repeatedly highlighted by the arrows. Ese es el acuerdo ___ el que insistió la directora.
en — Insistir selects en. The relative form el que keeps the governed preposition before it: en el que.
What your own language pushes you to say
Wrong ¿Qué depende el resultado de?
Right ¿De qué depende el resultado?
Spanish normally fronts the governed preposition together with the interrogative.
Once it makes sense
The present tense: three endings and you can talkSubjunctive in relative clauses: how the speaker commits to a referentVerbal periphrases: viewpoint on obligation, phase and duration