5 exercises — prepositions are the hardest part of English grammar because they are largely idiomatic. These five collocations appear in every technical job posting, doc, and email.
Fixed preposition collocations in this set — memorise these
depend on — ✗ "depend of / from" — always on
integrated with — two systems working together; into = one absorbed into another
responsible for — ownership of a task or system — ✗ "responsible of / about"
familiar with — you know something well — ✗ "familiar about / of"
comply with — follow a regulation or policy — ✗ "comply to"
0 / 28 completed
1 / 28
A junior developer writes in a bug report:
"The response time depends ___ the number of concurrent users hitting the service."
Which preposition correctly completes this sentence?
"Depend on" — this is a fixed phrasal verb in English. The preposition is always on, never "of", "from", or "about". This is one of the most common preposition mistakes for Slavic and Romance language speakers: Ukrainian "залежить від" and Spanish "depende de" both use the equivalent of "from/of", which tempts non-natives to say "depends of" or "depends from" — both are incorrect.
Usage examples: • "The deployment time depends on the size of the build artefact." • "Whether we merge depends on the review result." • "Performance depends heavily on the database index strategy."
Related fixed expressions:rely on (we rely on Redis for caching), based on (the recommendation is based on the benchmark results).
2 / 28
A solution architect writes in a technical proposal:
"The new payment service is tightly integrated ___ the Stripe API and cannot be swapped out without significant rework."
Which preposition is correct?
"Integrated with" — the correct preposition when describing that two systems or components work together. You integrate your system with another system. This is the standard phrasing in technical documentation, RFCs, and architecture descriptions.
Usage examples: • "The app is integrated with Salesforce CRM." • "The logging module integrates seamlessly with ELK Stack." • "We integrate with third-party payment providers via webhooks."
Also correct: "integrated into" — but this means physically built-in or embedded: "the analytics are integrated into the dashboard" (they are part of it, not a separate service). "Integrated with" = two separate components working together. "Integrated into" = one component absorbed into another.
Wrong: "integrated to" and "integrated by" — both are non-native errors.
3 / 28
A job posting reads:
"The DevOps engineer will be responsible ___ the full CI/CD pipeline, environment provisioning, and production releases."
Which preposition is correct?
"Responsible for" — the only correct preposition with "responsible" when indicating ownership of a task, system, or outcome. This is a fixed collocation and a very common preposition trap for Slavic speakers (Ukrainian "відповідальний за" is close, but "за" maps to "for" here, not "about" or "of").
Usage examples: • "Who is responsible for this service in production?" • "Each team lead is responsible for their own deployment." • "The platform team is responsible for the shared infrastructure."
Raci matrix usage: "Responsible" (the person who does the work), "Accountable" (the person who owns the outcome), "Consulted", "Informed" — in all RACI contexts, "responsible for" is the standard phrasing.
"The contractor admitted they were not familiar ___ our CI/CD setup or the deployment runbooks."
Which preposition is correct?
"Familiar with" — the only correct preposition when expressing knowledge or acquaintance with something. Another fixed collocation that trips up non-native speakers at all levels.
Usage examples: • "Are you familiar with Kubernetes?" • "I'm not familiar with this part of the codebase yet." • "The candidate was familiar with our tech stack from day one."
Contrast with "familiar to": This is also grammatically possible but has a completely different meaning — "This error message is familiar to me" = I recognise it from before (the thing is known to me, the person). "I am familiar with X" = I know X well. The subject-object relationship is reversed. In IT contexts, "I am familiar with [technology]" is the standard phrasing you'll need 99% of the time.
Wrong: "familiar about" and "familiar of" — neither is used in standard English.
5 / 28
A compliance email states:
"All services handling EU user data must comply ___ GDPR by the time of the production launch in Q2."
Which preposition is correct?
"Comply with" — standard legal and regulatory language when expressing adherence to rules, standards, or regulations. The noun form is "compliance with" (GDPR compliance, compliance with regulations). This is fixed: you always comply with a regulation or standard.
Usage examples: • "The system must comply with SOC 2 Type II requirements." • "Ensure the API complies with our internal security policy." • "We are compliant with PCI DSS." • "Non-compliance with GDPR can result in fines up to 4% of annual global turnover."
The full regulatory English vocabulary: comply with / be compliant with / in compliance with / achieve compliance / pass an audit. All use "with" (not "to", "by", or "for").
Wrong: "comply to" — this is the most common non-native error, by analogy with "adhere to" or "conform to". While "adhere to" and "conform to" do use "to", "comply" takes "with".
6 / 28
PR Description: 'We've integrated the new authentication service with the existing user management system. The success of this integration depends heavily on the updated API endpoints being fully compatible with our legacy clients. We're familiar with the potential for compatibility issues, but want to track progress closely.' Which preposition best completes the description?
The key here is understanding that 'depends on' implies a causal relationship – success *relates* to compatibility. Options A and B are incorrect because they suggest a temporal or spatial dependency; 'on' can be used, but 'with' is more precise in this context of reliant operation. Option C, 'regarding,' is too formal for the informal tone of a PR description and doesn't convey the core meaning. It's important to use 'with' when describing integration where systems are working together.
7 / 28
Sarah (Senior Developer): "Hey team, just reviewing this PR. The performance bottleneck seems to depend heavily on the database schema. Specifically, queries against table 'user_profiles' seem to be taking significantly longer when the `users` table has a high cardinality. We need to investigate if there's an index missing or if the query execution plan needs optimization. Which preposition best describes this situation?"
The correct preposition here is 'on'. The performance *depends on* a specific element (the database schema and the 'user_profiles' table). A common mistake is using 'with' or 'for', which imply a relationship of accompaniment or purpose rather than dependency. Using 'into' would suggest a change *within* the schema, not the dependence itself. It highlights that the bottleneck's behavior hinges on the characteristics of that particular table.
8 / 28
During a Slack discussion about debugging a slow API endpoint, Mark (a mid-level developer) says: "The latency seems to depend on whether the microservice is integrated with our caching layer. We're familiar with this pattern, but we need to investigate if the cache key generation is optimized."
The correct preposition here is "with" because it indicates a dependency *based on* a specific component. 'On' implies location, 'within' suggests containment, and 'under' suggests being governed by something. Developers frequently use 'integrated with' to describe how systems rely on each other, particularly in microservice architectures – it's a common technical phrasing. It's crucial to understand this idiom when discussing system dependencies.
9 / 28
During a code review, David says: "The stability of the service depends on how well integrated our new logging system is with the existing monitoring dashboards. We're familiar with this type of integration, but we need to ensure that alerts are being triggered correctly based on the log data." Which preposition best completes this statement?
The key here is understanding 'integrated with'. It signifies a connection and operational relationship. 'On' suggests placement, 'about' is vague, and 'under' implies being contained – none of these accurately reflect the technical meaning in this context. "Integrated with" denotes that the logging system actively contributes to the monitoring process.
10 / 28
PR Description: 'We've integrated the new authentication service with the existing user management system. The success of this integration depends heavily on the updated API endpoints being fully compatible with our legacy clients. We're familiar with the potential for compatibility issues, but want to track progress closely.' Which preposition best completes the description?
The key here is understanding that 'depends on' implies a causal relationship – success *relates* to compatibility. Options A and B are incorrect because they suggest a temporal or spatial dependency; 'on' can be used, but 'with' is more precise in this context of reliant operation. Option C, 'regarding,' is too formal for the informal tone of a PR description and doesn't convey the core meaning. It's important to use 'with' when describing integration where systems are working together.
11 / 28
Sarah (Senior Developer): "Hey team, just reviewing this PR. The performance bottleneck seems to depend heavily on the database schema. Specifically, queries against table 'user_profiles' seem to be taking significantly longer when the `users` table has a high cardinality. We need to investigate if there's an index missing or if the query execution plan needs optimization. Which preposition best describes this situation?"
The correct preposition here is 'on'. The performance *depends on* a specific element (the database schema and the 'user_profiles' table). A common mistake is using 'with' or 'for', which imply a relationship of accompaniment or purpose rather than dependency. Using 'into' would suggest a change *within* the schema, not the dependence itself. It highlights that the bottleneck's behavior hinges on the characteristics of that particular table.
12 / 28
During a Slack discussion about debugging a slow API endpoint, Mark (a mid-level developer) says: "The latency seems to depend on whether the microservice is integrated with our caching layer. We're familiar with this pattern, but we need to investigate if the cache key generation is optimized."
The correct preposition here is "with" because it indicates a dependency *based on* a specific component. 'On' implies location, 'within' suggests containment, and 'under' suggests being governed by something. Developers frequently use 'integrated with' to describe how systems rely on each other, particularly in microservice architectures – it's a common technical phrasing. It's crucial to understand this idiom when discussing system dependencies.
13 / 28
During a code review, David says: "The stability of the service depends on how well integrated our new logging system is with the existing monitoring dashboards. We're familiar with this type of integration, but we need to ensure that alerts are being triggered correctly based on the log data." Which preposition best completes this statement?
The key here is understanding 'integrated with'. It signifies a connection and operational relationship. 'On' suggests placement, 'about' is vague, and 'under' implies being contained – none of these accurately reflect the technical meaning in this context. "Integrated with" denotes that the logging system actively contributes to the monitoring process.
14 / 28
PR Description: 'We've integrated the new authentication service with the existing user management system. The success of this integration depends heavily on the updated API endpoints being fully compatible with our legacy clients. We're familiar with the potential for compatibility issues, but want to track progress closely.' Which preposition best completes the description?
The key here is understanding that 'depends on' implies a causal relationship – success *relates* to compatibility. Options A and B are incorrect because they suggest a temporal or spatial dependency; 'on' can be used, but 'with' is more precise in this context of reliant operation. Option C, 'regarding,' is too formal for the informal tone of a PR description and doesn't convey the core meaning. It's important to use 'with' when describing integration where systems are working together.
15 / 28
Sarah (Senior Developer): "Hey team, just reviewing this PR. The performance bottleneck seems to depend heavily on the database schema. Specifically, queries against table 'user_profiles' seem to be taking significantly longer when the `users` table has a high cardinality. We need to investigate if there's an index missing or if the query execution plan needs optimization. Which preposition best describes this situation?"
The correct preposition here is 'on'. The performance *depends on* a specific element (the database schema and the 'user_profiles' table). A common mistake is using 'with' or 'for', which imply a relationship of accompaniment or purpose rather than dependency. Using 'into' would suggest a change *within* the schema, not the dependence itself. It highlights that the bottleneck's behavior hinges on the characteristics of that particular table.
16 / 28
During a Slack discussion about debugging a slow API endpoint, Mark (a mid-level developer) says: "The latency seems to depend on whether the microservice is integrated with our caching layer. We're familiar with this pattern, but we need to investigate if the cache key generation is optimized."
The correct preposition here is "with" because it indicates a dependency *based on* a specific component. 'On' implies location, 'within' suggests containment, and 'under' suggests being governed by something. Developers frequently use 'integrated with' to describe how systems rely on each other, particularly in microservice architectures – it's a common technical phrasing. It's crucial to understand this idiom when discussing system dependencies.
17 / 28
During a code review, David says: "The stability of the service depends on how well integrated our new logging system is with the existing monitoring dashboards. We're familiar with this type of integration, but we need to ensure that alerts are being triggered correctly based on the log data." Which preposition best completes this statement?
The key here is understanding 'integrated with'. It signifies a connection and operational relationship. 'On' suggests placement, 'about' is vague, and 'under' implies being contained – none of these accurately reflect the technical meaning in this context. "Integrated with" denotes that the logging system actively contributes to the monitoring process.
18 / 28
PR Description: 'We've integrated the new authentication service with the existing user management system. The success of this integration depends heavily on the updated API endpoints being fully compatible with our legacy clients. We're familiar with the potential for compatibility issues, but want to track progress closely.' Which preposition best completes the description?
The key here is understanding that 'depends on' implies a causal relationship – success *relates* to compatibility. Options A and B are incorrect because they suggest a temporal or spatial dependency; 'on' can be used, but 'with' is more precise in this context of reliant operation. Option C, 'regarding,' is too formal for the informal tone of a PR description and doesn't convey the core meaning. It's important to use 'with' when describing integration where systems are working together.
19 / 28
Sarah (Senior Developer): "Hey team, just reviewing this PR. The performance bottleneck seems to depend heavily on the database schema. Specifically, queries against table 'user_profiles' seem to be taking significantly longer when the `users` table has a high cardinality. We need to investigate if there's an index missing or if the query execution plan needs optimization. Which preposition best describes this situation?"
The correct preposition here is 'on'. The performance *depends on* a specific element (the database schema and the 'user_profiles' table). A common mistake is using 'with' or 'for', which imply a relationship of accompaniment or purpose rather than dependency. Using 'into' would suggest a change *within* the schema, not the dependence itself. It highlights that the bottleneck's behavior hinges on the characteristics of that particular table.
20 / 28
During a Slack discussion about debugging a slow API endpoint, Mark (a mid-level developer) says: "The latency seems to depend on whether the microservice is integrated with our caching layer. We're familiar with this pattern, but we need to investigate if the cache key generation is optimized."
The correct preposition here is "with" because it indicates a dependency *based on* a specific component. 'On' implies location, 'within' suggests containment, and 'under' suggests being governed by something. Developers frequently use 'integrated with' to describe how systems rely on each other, particularly in microservice architectures – it's a common technical phrasing. It's crucial to understand this idiom when discussing system dependencies.
21 / 28
During a code review, David says: "The stability of the service depends on how well integrated our new logging system is with the existing monitoring dashboards. We're familiar with this type of integration, but we need to ensure that alerts are being triggered correctly based on the log data." Which preposition best completes this statement?
The key here is understanding 'integrated with'. It signifies a connection and operational relationship. 'On' suggests placement, 'about' is vague, and 'under' implies being contained – none of these accurately reflect the technical meaning in this context. "Integrated with" denotes that the logging system actively contributes to the monitoring process.
22 / 28
During a standup update, Alex (Junior Dev) says: "The new reporting module's integration with the data warehouse is dependent on whether it's fully integrated with our existing ETL processes. We're familiar with this kind of dependency…", which best describes his statement?
This question tests understanding of 'depends on'. Alex correctly identifies a situation where one system relies on another. The other options misinterpret 'dependent' or use incorrect synonyms (e.g., 'integrated' suggests a positive outcome when it's about reliance.)
23 / 28
During a code review discussion about a complex data pipeline, Kevin (Mid-Level Dev) says: "The accuracy of the reporting depends on whether the data transformation logic is integrated with our data validation routines. We're familiar with this kind of integration…", what does Kevin most accurately describe?
Kevin uses 'depends on' to indicate a sequential dependency. Data transformation *must* happen before validation; otherwise, the reporting will be inaccurate. The other options misinterpret the phrase as a requirement for parallel execution or simply that the components are connected.
24 / 28
In a PR description for a new feature, Anya (a senior engineer) wrote: 'The successful integration of the payment gateway depends on whether the updated API endpoints are fully compatible with our legacy billing system.' What does Anya primarily mean?
'Depends on' here signifies a conditional relationship – the integration's success *requires* compatibility. Anya isn't suggesting direct connection (option A), nor is she advocating for a system overhaul (options C and D). She's highlighting the crucial requirement of data exchange between the two systems, a common concern in integrated deployments.
25 / 28
During a standup update, Ben (a developer) says: "The new microservice's integration with our CI/CD pipeline depends on whether the deployment scripts are fully integrated with our existing infrastructure automation tools. We're familiar with this type of dependency."
This question tests understanding of 'depends on' in a DevOps context. The correct answer highlights that successful deployment relies directly on automated scripts, which is a key aspect of integration. Options A and B are incorrect because they misinterpret the statement about deployment; option C assumes manual intervention is always sufficient, and D presents an irrelevant issue.
26 / 28
Sarah (Senior Developer) says: "The performance bottleneck seems to depend heavily on the database schema. Specifically, queries against table 'user_profiles' seem to be taking significantly longer than expected. We're familiar with this kind of dependency."
This question examines 'depends on' in a database context. The correct answer correctly identifies that an inefficient schema is a common cause of performance bottlenecks. Options A and C are incorrect assumptions; option D highlights a potential skill gap without addressing the core issue.
27 / 28
During a Slack discussion about troubleshooting intermittent errors in the user onboarding flow, Liam (a junior developer) typed: 'The error seems to depend on whether the new identity provider is integrated with our existing authentication server. We're familiar with this kind of dependency…', but what does he *really* mean?
Liam is using 'depends on' to indicate a relationship between two systems. He means that the integration quality – how well they communicate and share data – directly affects whether errors occur during onboarding. Option B accurately captures this nuance; options A, C, and D misinterpret the phrase's meaning.
28 / 28
During a standup update, David (a senior developer) said: 'The new API endpoint's performance depends heavily on how well integrated our rate limiting service is with the backend database. Specifically, queries against user sessions seem to be taking significantly longer than expected.' What does David mean by 'depends on' in this context?
David's phrasing indicates a dependency where one system (the rate limiting service) affects the performance of another (the API endpoint) through its interaction with the database. 'Depends on' implies a causal relationship – the rate limiter's actions directly influence how the database is accessed and used, which impacts query execution time.
What does the "Preposition Traps in IT English — depends on, integrated with, familiar with" exercise cover?Is this exercise free to use?
Yes. Every exercise on CoderSlingo, including this one, is free to use with no account, sign-up, or paywall.
How many questions are in "Preposition Traps in IT English — depends on, integrated with, familiar with"?
This exercise has 28 questions. Each one gives instant feedback with an explanation, so you can see exactly why an answer is right or wrong.
Do I need to create an account to save my progress?
No account is required. The progress bar and score are tracked in your browser for the current session -- the exercise is designed to be a quick, repeatable drill rather than something you resume later.
What happens if I get an answer wrong?
You'll see the correct answer highlighted immediately, along with a short explanation of why it's correct. Wrong answers aren't penalized beyond your score, and you can keep going through every question.
How is this exercise different from reading an article?
Articles explain vocabulary and concepts through prose, while exercises like this one are interactive drills -- multiple-choice questions -- that test and reinforce your recall of specific terms and phrasing.
Can I retry this exercise?
Yes -- use the "Try again" button on the results screen to reset your score and go through all the questions again from the start.
Where can I find more False Friends & Tricky Words exercises?
Browse the full False Friends & Tricky Words hub for related drills, or check the site-wide exercises index for other IT English topics.
Is this exercise suitable for beginners?
This exercise assumes basic familiarity with IT terminology. If a term feels unfamiliar, check the site Glossary for a plain-English definition before attempting the questions.
How often is new content like this published?
New exercises are added regularly across all categories, alongside new vocabulary sets and articles. Check back on the exercises hub to see what's new.