Unfortunately, there’s no reliable formula for determining which preposition to use with a particular combination of words. The best way to learn which prepositions go with which words is to read as much high-quality writing as you can and pay attention to which combinations sound right. Here are a few examples of the most common prepositions used in sentences.
I should rewrite the introduction of my essay.
Sam left his jacket in the car.
Did you send that letter to your mother?
We’re cooking for ten guests tonight.
Dani ate lunch with their boss.
You can also use tools like the Google Books Ngram Viewer to see which prepositions most commonly occur with particular words—but remember, this tool can’t explain the difference in meaning between different prepositional phrases like “pay for” (to purchase) and “pay off” (to bribe). For that, you may want to refer to a list of prepositions that includes the meanings of common combinations, which you can find online, or to a usage guide such as The Chicago Manual of Style, which includes a list of words that often give writers trouble along with the prepositions that go with them in different constructions.
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