Verb + preposition (to / at)

Verb + to

talk / speak TO somebody (with is also possible but less usual)

• O Who was that man you were talking to?

listen TO ...

• O We spent the evening listening to music. (not listening music)

write (a letter) TO ...

• O l wrote to the hotel complaining about the poor service we had received.

apologise TO some body (for ... )

• O They apologised to me for what happened. (not They apologised me)

explain something TO somebody

• O Can you explain this word to me? (not explain me this word)

explain / describe (to somebody) what/how/why ...

• O l explained to them why l was worried. (not l explained them)
  
• O Let me describe to you what l saw. (not Let me describe you)

We do not use to with these verbs:

phone / telephone / calI some body

• O Did you phone your father yesterday? (not phone to your father)

answer somebody/something

• O He refused to answer my question. (not answer to my question)

ask some body

• O Can l ask you a question? (not ask to you)

thank some body (for something)

• O He thanked me for helping him. (not He thanked to me)

Verb + at

look / stare / glanee AT ... , have a look / take a look AT ...

• O Why are you looking at me like that?

laugh AT ...

• O l look stupid with this haircut. Everybody willlaugh at me.

aim / point (something) AT ... , shoot / fire (a gun) AT ...

• O Don't point that knife at me. It's dangerous.
• O We saw someone with a gun shooting at birds, but he didn't hit any.

Some verbs can be followed by at or to, with a difference of meaning. For example:

shout AT somebody (when you are angry)

• O He got very angry and started shouting at me.

shout TO somebody (so that they can he ar you)

• O He shouted to me from the other side of the street.

throw something AT sornebody/something (in order to hit them)

• O Somebody threw an egg at the minister.

throw something TO somebody (for somebody to catch)

• O Lisa shouted 'Catch!' and threw the key s to me from the window.