Friday, March 27, 2020
25 Words and Their Prepositional Pals
25 Words and Their Prepositional Pals 25 Words and Their Prepositional Pals 25 Words and Their Prepositional Pals By Mark Nichol You probably know a preposition a word that shows a relationship between two words or phrases by demonstrating place, time, or another quality when you see it, but thatââ¬â¢s grammar. What about usage? Which prepositions go with a given verb or adjective, and when? Some choices are no-brainers, but others can present a challenge. Hereââ¬â¢s a guide to various words that require writers to choose from more than one preposition depending on meaning and sentence construction: 1. Abide ââ¬Å"with us for a while,â⬠ââ¬Å"by the rulesâ⬠(or ââ¬Å"I canââ¬â¢t abide himâ⬠). 2. Answer ââ¬Å"to him for what youââ¬â¢ve done,â⬠ââ¬Å"for what youââ¬â¢ve done.â⬠3. Caution ââ¬Å"about unsafe conditions,â⬠ââ¬Å"against the rash proposal.â⬠4. Compare ââ¬Å"with other products that make the same claims,â⬠ââ¬Å"apples to oranges.â⬠5. Confide ââ¬Å"in her about my problems,â⬠ââ¬Å"to him what I really think.â⬠6. Conversant ââ¬Å"about climate change,â⬠ââ¬Å"in several languages,â⬠ââ¬Å"with aspects of technology.â⬠7. Differ ââ¬Å"from other species in their diet,â⬠ââ¬Å"with them about the cause of the companyââ¬â¢s failure,â⬠or ââ¬Å"about public policy,â⬠ââ¬Å"on public policy,â⬠or ââ¬Å"over public policy.â⬠8. Different ââ¬Å"from what he was used to,â⬠ââ¬Å"than he was used to.â⬠From is the preferred usage, but than substitutes for ââ¬Å"from what.â⬠(ââ¬Å"Different toâ⬠is a Britishism.) 9. Dissent ââ¬Å"against the status quo,â⬠ââ¬Å"from the majority opinion.â⬠(To or with are not considered standard usage.) 10. Dissimilar ââ¬Å"to her previous sculpture.â⬠(From is considered incorrect.) 11. Enamored ââ¬Å"of every woman he meets.â⬠(With is considered incorrect.) 12. Equivalent ââ¬Å"in amounts,â⬠ââ¬Å"to the earlier result.â⬠(With is not considered standard usage.) 13. Excerpt ââ¬Å"from their book was reprinted without their permission.â⬠(Of is considered incorrect.) 14. Forbid ââ¬Å"him from attending,â⬠ââ¬Å"him to attend.â⬠(To is considered the more correct of the two choices.) 15. Identical ââ¬Å"to the one she saw yesterday,â⬠ââ¬Å"with the one she saw yesterday.â⬠(Language purists consider with more correct, but use of to is significantly more common.) 16. Independent ââ¬Å"of the group, he protested the plan.â⬠(From, as in ââ¬Å"Independent from her family,â⬠is considered incorrect.) 17. Instilled ââ¬Å"instilled a few drops of the solution into the wound,â⬠ââ¬Å"in him a drive to succeed.â⬠(With, as in ââ¬Å"Instilled with a drive to succeed,â⬠is considered incorrect.) 18. Oblivious ââ¬Å"of the warning signs,â⬠ââ¬Å"to the noiseâ⬠; the choices are often interchangeable. (About is often used in association with oblivious, but itââ¬â¢s not considered standard usage.) 19. Vexed ââ¬Å"about her behavior,â⬠ââ¬Å"at her behavior.â⬠The correct preposition to use with the following words depends on whether the object is a person or a thing: 20. Comment ââ¬Å"about herâ⬠or ââ¬Å"to you about what happened,â⬠but ââ¬Å"on the issue.â⬠21. Impatient ââ¬Å"with him,â⬠but ââ¬Å"about the delay,â⬠ââ¬Å"at the delay,â⬠or ââ¬Å"with the delay.â⬠22. Inquired ââ¬Å"of him where he was goingâ⬠and ââ¬Å"after her whereabouts,â⬠but ââ¬Å"into their progressâ⬠or ââ¬Å"about the vacant apartment.â⬠23. Mastery ââ¬Å"over all other competitors,â⬠but ââ¬Å"of the skill.â⬠24. Reconcile ââ¬Å"with her boyfriend,â⬠but ââ¬Å"to the loss of her boyfriend.â⬠25. Succeed ââ¬Å"as a businessperson,â⬠but ââ¬Å"to the position.â⬠Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Fly, Flew, (has) FlownFlied?36 Poetry TermsThe 7 Types of Possessive Case
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