Prepositions are often part of idioms--peculiarities in the language--and there are such vast numbers of them that memorization is difficult. Nevertheless, idioms often involve verbs and prepositions in combination. When proofreading, look closely at any verb followed by a preposition and read the sentence in question aloud. This practice will give you some measure of control and, perhaps, what you have absorbed by reading, writing, and speaking--what you don't yet know that you know--will emerge.
LARC plans to make an interactive glossary of prepositions available as part of its Electronic Writing Center. Once this "preposition finder" is in place, you will enter the verb and the glossary will tell you what choices are available. You can then make a choice that fits what you want to say.
Many sentence tangles that seem quite severe can be traced to a choice of preposition that doesn't agree with the English idiom. Below are some examples of how the choice of preposition can affect meaning.
Idiom Meaning Usage
set
about
to start
The maid set about cleaning the room.
set against
to be opposed to Iago's
slander set Othello against Desdemona.
set forth
to explain
The professor set forth his theory in great detail.
set out
to start (a journey) When will you set out
for home?
set up
to organize
The store set up my computer for me.
to trick
The gangster set up his victim.
settle
down
to calm
The teacher tried to settle the class down.
settle on
to choose
What flavor of ice cream did he settle on.
settle for
to except
The ballplayer settled for one million per year.
You can see that any glossary of verbs with prepositions will be lengthy, but once such a glossary is in an electronic format, the information will be easier for you to access.