Prepositions and Nouns
Prepositions and Nouns
Some nouns have to be followed by a preposition in order to show what they relate to. They cannot just stand by themselves. There is usually only one possibility of preposition which must be used after a particular noun. Occasionally alternatives are possible. But in either event it is a matter of learning which prepositions can be used with which nouns.
Here are some of the most common noun plus preposition combinations, but there is space here only for a few of them. If you are in doubt as to which preposition to use, always check with a good dictionary.
| Nouns which go with To | |
|---|---|
| access to | After the divorce he had access to his children every Sunday. |
| addiction to | Addiction to cigarettes is a major cause of health problems. |
| answer/response/reply to | The answer to my question was very helpful |
| contribution to | It was his contribution to physics won him the Nobel prize. |
| damage to | The damage caused to his house by the storm was colossal. |
| dedication to | His dedication to his work impressed everyone. |
| devotion to | Her devotion to her husband was amazing. |
| reaction to | Her reaction to the good news was understandable. |
| solution to | There is no solution to this problem. |
| Nouns which go with For | |
| admiration for | I have nothing but admiration for you |
| credit for | The General was given credit for the victory. |
| cure for | There is no known cure for this illness. |
| demand for | The demand for mobile phones cannot be satisfied. |
| fondness for | Her fondness for cream cakes causes her weight problems. |
| preference for | His preference for his mother tongue is very natural. |
| reason for | The reason for me learning English is to help me get a job. |
| recipe for | I have a wonderful recipe for bread. |
| reputation for | He has a reputation for making trouble when he drinks. |
| talent for | He has a talent for playing the piano. |
| trouble for | You will get into trouble for parking there. |
| Nouns which go with With | |
| dealings with | His dealings with the firm are being investigated. |
| date with | I’ve got a date with Susan on Saturday. |
| involvement with | I have no involvement with my family any more. |
| meeting with | I have a meeting with the bank manager this afternoon. |
| quarrel with | I have no quarrel with his teachers. |
| sympathy with | I have every sympathy with his family. |
| Nouns which go with Of | |
| advantage of | He took advantage of my inexperience. |
| disadvantage | The disadvantage of coal is the pollution. |
| fear of | I have never flown, I have a fear of flying. |
| habit of | She has a habit of going to the hair dressers every week. |
| knowledge of | His knowledge of the subject is admired by everyone. |
| memory of | The Albert Hall was built in memory of Prince Albert. |
| Nouns with a choice of Preposition | |
| agreement about/on | There was no agreement about/on the subject. |
| decision on/about | There was no decision on/about what to do next |
| difficulty with | I’m having difficulty with my boss. |
| difficulty in | I’m having difficulty in explaining things to my boss |
| love of/for | His love of/for music meant he went to a concert every week |