Verb + Preposition 3: about and of

Overview

Several common verbs change their meaning depending on whether you follow them with about or of. Picking the wrong preposition can confuse your listener or make your sentence sound unnatural. This lesson covers five verb groups where the choice matters: hear, think, dream, complain, and remind.

hear + about / of / from

These three prepositions give hear three different jobs.

Pattern	Meaning	Example
hear about	receive news or information	Did you hear about* the reorganisation in the sales department?*
hear of	know that something or someone exists	Have you ever heard of* that consulting firm? I can’t find anything online.*
hear from	receive a message or call from someone	I haven’t heard from* the supplier since last Monday.*

Watch out: when someone asks “Have you heard of him?”, they want to know if you recognise the name. If they ask “Have you heard from him?”, they want to know if he contacted you. Big difference in a work context.

think + about / of

Think about and think of overlap in some situations, but each one has a core job of its own.

Pattern	Core meaning	Example
think about	consider carefully, focus your mind on	I’ve thought about* your proposal, and I’d like to move forward.*
think of	come up with an idea, produce something mentally	We need a name for the project. Can you think of* one?*

Asking for opinions

When you ask someone what they think of something, you want their opinion.

What did you think of the presentation?
I didn’t think much of the new office layout. (= I didn’t like it)

When either works

If someone is on your mind and you are not making a decision or producing an idea, both prepositions are fine.

When I walk past that café, I always think of you. or … think about you.

The same goes for possible future plans:

She’s thinking of applying for the team lead role. or … thinking about applying …

dream + about / of

Pattern	Meaning	Example
dream about	see while sleeping	I dreamt about* the deadline all night — not a restful sleep.*
dream of / about + -ing	imagine, wish for	He dreams of* running his own startup one day.*

There is also a fixed negative expression: wouldn’t dream of doing something means you would absolutely never do it.

Share your salary details with a competitor? I wouldn’t dream of it.

complain + about / of

Pattern	Meaning	Example
complain (to someone) about	express dissatisfaction	Several clients complained to* the manager about the slow response times.*
complain of	report a symptom or pain	He left early because he was complaining of* a headache.*

In everyday office talk, complain about is far more common. You will mostly see complain of in medical or formal contexts.

remind + about / of

Pattern	Meaning	Example
remind someone about	tell someone so they don’t forget	Can you remind* me about the 3 p.m. call? I might lose track of time.*
remind someone of	make someone remember (by similarity)	This open-plan office reminds* me of the one we had in the old building.*

A helpful way to keep them apart: remind about looks forward (don’t forget this thing), while remind of looks backward (this brings back a memory).

Quick Self-Check

Question 1

A new intern just joined the team. — Really? I've never _____ her.

Select your answer:

Question 2

We need to cut costs. Can you _____ any ways to reduce the budget?

Select your answer:

Question 3

I _____ leaving the project, but I haven't decided yet.

Select your answer:

Question 4

Several employees _____ the manager _____ the broken air conditioning.

Select your answer:

Question 5

This building _____ me _____ the office I worked in five years ago.

Select your answer:

Overview

hear + about / of / from

think + about / of

Asking for opinions

When either works

dream + about / of

complain + about / of

remind + about / of

Quick Self-Check

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