Глагол + to

talk / speak TO somebody (with также можно, но используется реже)

• Who was that man you were talking to?
  С кем ты разговаривала? (досл.: кто был тот человек/мужчина, с которым ты разговаривала?)

listen TO ...

• We spent the evening listening to music. (not listening music)
  Мы провели вечер, слушая музыку.

write (a letter) TO ...

• I wrote to the hotel complaining about the poor service we had received.
  Я написал в гостиницу жалобу на плохое обслуживание, которое мы получили.

apologise TO somebody (for ...)

• They apologised to me for what happened. (not They apologised me)
  Они извинились мне за то, что произошло.

explain something TO somebody

• Can you explain this word to me? (not explain me this word)
  Можешь объяснить мне это слово?

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

• I explained to them why I was worried. (not I explained them)
  Я объяснил им, почему я волновался.
• Let me describe to you what I saw. (not Let me describe you)
  Давай я опишу тебе то, что я видел.

Мы не используем to с этими глаголами:

phone / telephone / call somebody

• Did you phone your father yesterday? (not phone to your father)
  Ты звонил вчера своему отцу?

answer somebody/something

• He refused to answer my question. (not answer to my question)
  Он отказался отвечать на мой вопрос.

ask somebody

• Can I ask you a question? (not ask to you)
  Могу я задать тебе вопрос?

thank somebody (for something)

• He thanked me for helping him. (not He thanked to me)
  Он поблагодарил меня за то, что я ему помогла.

Глагол + at

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

• Why are you looking at me like that?
  Почему ты на меня так смотришь?

laugh AT ...

• I look stupid with this haircut. Everybody will laugh at me.
  Я выгляжу глупо с этой прической. Все смеются надо мной.

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

• Don’t point that knife at me. It’s dangerous.
  Не направляй этот нож на меня. Это опасно.
• We saw someone with a gun shooting at birds, but he didn’t hit any.
  Мы увидели кого-то с ружьем, стреляющего по птицам/в птиц, но он ни в одну не попал.

После некоторых глаголов могут следовать at или to, значение при этом меняется. Например:

shout AT somebody (когда вы сердитесь)

• He got very angry and started shouting at me.
  Он сильно разозлился и начал кричать на меня.

shout TO somebody (так, чтобы вас услышали)

• He shouted to me from the other side of the street.
  Он кричал мне с другой стороны улицы.

throw something AT somebody/something (чтобы в них попало)

• Somebody threw an egg at the minister.
  Кто-то бросил яйцо в министра.

throw something TO somebody (для того, чтобы кто-нибудь поймал)

• Lisa shouted ‘Catch!’ and threw the keys to me from the window.
  Лиза крикнула ‘Лови!’ и бросила мне ключи из окна.

Упражнения

1. Вы просите кого-нибудь, чтобы вам объяснили то, что вы не понимаете. Напишите вопросы, начиная с Can you explain ... ?

1. (I don’t understand this word.)
   
2. (I don’t understand what you mean.)
   
3. (I don’t understand this question.)
   
4. (I don’t understand the problem.)
   
5. (I don’t understand how this machine works.)
   
6. (I don’t understand what I have to do.)
   

2. Выберите to там, где необходимо, или оставьте поле пустым, если предложение уже закончено.

1. I know who she is, but I’ve never spoken her.
2. Why didn’t you answer my letter?
3. I like to listen to the radio while I’m having breakfast.
4. We’d better phone to the restaurant to reserve a table.
5. ‘Did Mike apologise to you?’ ‘Yes, he said he was very sorry.’
6. I explained to everybody the reasons for my decision.
7. I thanked to everybody for all the help they had given me.
8. Ask me what you like, and I’ll try and answer to your questions.
9. Mike described to me exactly what happened.
10. Karen won’t be able to help you, so there’s no point in asking to her.

3. Закончите предложения. Используйте следующие глаголы (в правильной форме) + правильный предлог:

explain glance laugh listen point speak throw throw

1. I look stupid with this haircut. Everybody will me.
2. I don’t understand this. Can you it me?
3. Sue and Kevin had an argument and now they’re not one another.
4. Be careful with those scissors! Don’t them me!
5. I my watch to see what the time was.
6. Please me! I’ve got something important to tell you.
7. Don’t stones the birds! It’s cruel.
8. If you don’t want that sandwich, it the birds. They’ll eat it.

4. Выберите to или at.

1. I wrote the hotel complaining about the poor service we had received.
2. Look to at these flowers. Aren’t they pretty?
3. Please don’t shout to at me! Try to calm down.
4. I saw Sue as I was cycling along the road. I shouted to at her, but she didn’t hear me.
5. Don’t listen to at what he says. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
6. What’s so funny? What are you laughing to at ?
7. Do you think I could have a look to at your magazine, please?
8. I’m a bit lonely. I need somebody to talk to at .
9. She was so angry she threw a book to at the wall.
10. The woman sitting opposite me on the train kept staring to at me.
11. Can I speak to at you a moment? There’s something I want to ask you.