Appropriate Prepositions

Natural to

Natural to means something that is a usual or expected quality in someone.

• Kindness is natural to her.

Necessity for, of, to

"Necessity for" means the need for something.

• What is the necessity for this extra rule?

"Necessity of" means the importance of something.

• The doctor explained the necessity of rest.

"Necessity to" means something essential to a person.

• A good education is a necessity to success.

Necessary for, to

Necessary for / to means something required for a purpose.

• Hard work is necessary for success.

• This book is necessary to my studies.

In Need of, Need for

"In need of" means requiring something; "need for" refers to a general necessity.

• I am in need of some advice.
• Is there any need for more supplies?

Neglect of, in; Neglectful of, Negligent of, in

"Neglect of" means failure to care for something.

• He was punished for neglect of his duties.

Object to

Object to means to disagree or disapprove of something.

• I object to loud music at night.

Objection to, against

"Objection to" means disapproval of something.

• I have no objection to your idea.

"Objection against" is used with people.

• He raised an objection against his boss.

Oblige (a person) with, by

Meaning: "Oblige with" means to help someone by providing something.

• She obliged me with a cup of tea.

"Oblige by" means helping through an action.

• He obliged me by lending me his book.

Obliged to (a person), for (a thing)

"Obliged to" means grateful to someone.

• I am obliged to my teacher for her guidance.

"Obliged for" refers to being thankful for something.

• I am obliged for your kindness.

Obstacle to

Obstacle to means something that prevents progress.

• Lack of money is an obstacle to success.

Occupied with (a business), in (doing a thing)

"Occupied with" means busy with something.

• He is occupied with his studies.

"Occupied in" means engaged in an action.

• She is occupied in writing a novel.

Occur to

Occurred to means an idea that comes into the mind.

• The solution suddenly occurred to me.

Offend against, Offended with, at, Offensive to

"Offend against" means to break a rule.

• He offended against the school rules.

"Offended with" means upset with a person.

• She was offended with him for ignoring her.

"Offended at" means upset about an action.

• He was offended at the rude comment.

"Offensive to" means causing discomfort.

• The smell of garbage is offensive to everyone.

Officiate for, in

"Officiate for" means to act as a substitute.

• He officiated for the principal at the meeting.

"Officiate in" means to perform a duty.

• She officiated in the wedding ceremony.

Open to

Open to means possible to be criticized or affected by something.

• Your plan is open to improvement.

Opportunity of, for

"Opportunity of" is used with verbs.

• He had the opportunity of meeting the president.

"Opportunity for" is used with actions.

• This is your opportunity for success.

Opposed to

Opposed to means against something.

• I am opposed to the new policy.

Opposite to

Opposite to means located or placed directly across from something.

• My house is opposite to the park.

Opposition to

Opposition to means disagreement with something.

• There was strong opposition to the new law.

Originate with, from, in

"Originate with (a person)" in / from (a place).

• This idea originated with my teacher.

• The fire originated in the kitchen.

Overcome with, by

"Overcome with" means deeply affected by a feeling.

• He was overcome with emotion.

"Overcome by" means defeated by something.

• She was overcome by exhaustion.

Overwhelmed with, at

"Overwhelmed with" means feeling an emotion strongly.

• He was overwhelmed with joy.

"Overwhelmed at" means deeply affected by an event.

• She was overwhelmed at the surprise party.

Owe to

Owe to (a person) means to be indebted for something.

• I owe my success to my parents.
• I owe to my parents for my success.

Parallel to

Parallel to means extending in the same direction without touching.

• The two roads are parallel to each other.

Parody on / Parody of (a poem)

A parody of something means an imitation of it, often to make fun of it.

• This is a parody of a famous poem by Milton. (This means the poem is imitating Milton’s poem in a humorous way.)

Part from / Part with

Part from is used when saying goodbye to a person.

• It is painful for a mother to part from her son. (Saying goodbye to her son is difficult.)

Part with is used when giving up something valuable or important.

• I cannot part with this book. (I don’t want to give up my book.)

Partake of

Partake of means to take a share of something, especially food.

• Let us partake of some food together. (Let’s share a meal.)

Partial to / Partiality for

Partial to means having a preference for something or someone.

• He is partial to his best friend. (He favors his best friend.)

Partiality for means the same; but is used more in a general sense.

• He has no partiality for his friend. (He does not have a special preference for his friend.)

Particular about

Particular about means being very careful or fussy about something.

• He is very particular about his diet. (He is careful about what he eats.)

Passion for

Passion for means having a strong enthusiasm or love for something.

• She has a passion for painting. (She loves painting deeply.)

Patient under / Patient of / Patience with

Patient under is used when facing difficulties.

• Be patient under pressure. (Stay calm in tough times.)

Patient of is used when enduring suffering.

• He is patient of his sufferings. (He endures pain without complaining.)

Patience with means tolerating a person’s behavior.

• He lost all patience with his little brother. (He got annoyed with his brother.)

At peace with

At peace with means having a good relationship with someone.

• I want to live at peace with my neighbors. (I want a friendly relationship with them.)

Peculiar to

Peculiar to means unique to a person or thing.

• That style of singing is peculiar to him. (Only he sings that way.)

Penetrate through / into / to

Penetrate through means to go from one side to another.

Penetrate into means to enter deeply.

Penetrate to means to reach a certain point.

• The enemy penetrated through our defenses into the city. (They broke through the defense and entered the city.)

Penitent for

Penitent for means feeling sorry for one’s mistakes.

• He is penitent for his wrongdoing. (He regrets what he did.)

Permit of

Permit of means allow or justify something.

• Your behavior permits of no excuse. (Your behavior cannot be excused.)

Persevere in

Persevere in means to continue despite difficulties.

• He persevered in his studies and succeeded. (He kept studying even when it was hard.)

Persist in

Persist in means to continue doing something, even if others oppose it.

• He persisted in asking the same question. (He kept asking despite being told not to.)

Pity for

Pity for means feeling sorry for someone.

• Have pity for the homeless. (Feel sympathy for them.)

Play at / Play on / Play with

Play at is used for games.

• They are playing at chess. (They are playing the game of chess.)

Play on is used for musical instruments.

• She is playing on the piano. (She is playing music on the piano.)

Play with can mean playing together or treating something insincerely.

• I will not play with your emotions. (I won’t treat your feelings lightly.)

Plead with (a person) for / against (something)

Plead with means to beg or strongly request.

Plead for means in favor of something.

• He pleaded with the judge for mercy. (He begged for kindness.)

Plead against means opposing something.

• She pleaded with her parents against the punishment. (She asked them not to punish her.)

Pleased with / Pleased about / Pleased at

Pleased with is used for people.

• I am pleased with my teacher. (I am happy with my teacher.)

Pleased about is used for a situation.

• I am pleased about my success. (I am happy about my success.)

Pleased at is used before a verb.

• I am pleased at winning the prize. (I am happy that I won.)

Plunged in / Plunged into

Plunged in means deeply absorbed in thought.

• He was plunged in deep thought. (He was thinking deeply.)

Plunged into means jumping into water or an activity.

• She plunged into the swimming pool. (She jumped into the water.)

Point out / Point at / Point to

Point out means to identify something.

• He pointed out my mistake. (He showed my error.)

Point at means to aim at something.

• She pointed her finger at the thief. (She physically aimed her finger.)

Point to means to indicate or suggest something.

• The evidence points to his guilt. (The evidence suggests he is guilty.)

Polite in / Polite to

Polite in is used for manners.

• He is polite in his speech. (His speech is respectful.)

Polite to is used for people.

• She is always polite to strangers. (She treats strangers kindly.)

Ponder on / Ponder over

Ponder on and ponder over both mean to think carefully.

• Ponder over my words before making a decision. (Think carefully about what I said.)

Poor in (spirit)

Poor in spirit means lacking courage or confidence.

• Don’t be poor in spirit—believe in yourself! (Have confidence.)

Popular with / Popular for

Popular with means well-liked by people.

• He is popular with his classmates. (They like him.)

Popular for means well-known because of something.

• This restaurant is popular for its seafood. (People know it for its seafood.)

Possessed by / Possessed with / Possessed of

Possessed by/with means controlled by an idea or spirit.

• He is possessed with the idea of success. (He can’t stop thinking about success.)

Possessed of means owning something.

• She returned possessed of great wealth. (She came back rich.)

Precaution against

Precaution against means taking steps to prevent something bad.

• Take precaution against illness by washing your hands.

Prefer (one) to another / Preferable to

Prefer X to Y means liking X more than Y.

• I prefer tea to coffee. (I like tea more.)

Preferable to means better than something else.

• Walking is preferable to driving for short distances. (Walking is better.)

Preference to / over / for

Preference to / over means choosing one thing instead of another.

• I give preference to honesty over cleverness.

Preference for means a general liking.

• I have no preference for any brand.

Prejudice against / Prejudicial to

Prejudice against means having an unfair dislike for something.

• I have no prejudice against online education. (I am not biased against it.)

Prejudicial to means harmful to something.

• Smoking is prejudicial to health. (Smoking harms health.)

Prepare for / Prepare against / Preparatory to

Prepare for means to get ready for something.

• She is preparing for her final exam. (Getting ready for the exam.)

Prepare against means to take precautions to avoid danger.

• We should prepare against storms by securing our homes. (Taking precautions.)

Preparatory to means something done before another event.

• He packed his bags preparatory to his journey. (Packing before leaving.)

Present (a thing) to (a person) / Present (a person) with (a thing)

Present something to someone means to give something formally.

• I presented the award to my teacher.

Present someone with something means to give them a gift.

• I presented my brother with a new watch.

Preside over / Preside at

Preside over means to lead a formal event or meeting.

• She presided over the annual conference.

Preside at is used when talking about a specific place.

• He presided at the head of the table during dinner.

Pretend to

Pretend to means to falsely claim something.

• He pretends to be an expert in history. (He falsely claims to know history.)

Pretext for

Pretext for means a false reason given to hide the true motive.

• What is your pretext for missing school today? (What excuse are you using?)

Prevail on / Prevail with / Prevail over / Prevail against

Prevail on someone means to persuade them.

• I prevailed on him to change his decision. (I persuaded him.)

Prevail with means to succeed in influencing someone.

• My arguments did not prevail with the jury. (My arguments didn’t convince them.)

Prevail over / against means to overcome something.

• She prevailed over all obstacles to achieve her goal. (She overcame difficulties.)

Prevent (one) from (doing something)

Prevent from means to stop someone from doing something.

• I prevented him from making a mistake. (I stopped him.)

Previous to

Previous to means before something happened.

• Previous to joining this job, I worked as a teacher. (Before this job.)

Prey to (noun) / Prey upon (verb)

Prey to means being a victim of something negative.

• He fell prey to depression. (He became a victim of it.)

Prey upon means to continuously harm or trouble someone.

• Worry preyed upon his mind for days. (Anxiety disturbed him.)

Pride in / Pride oneself on / Proud of

Pride in is used with a noun.

• He takes pride in his achievements.

Pride oneself on is used with an action.

• She prides herself on her honesty.

Proud of means feeling good about something.

• They are proud of their success.

Prior to

Prior to means before something happened.

• Prior to the meeting, I prepared my speech.

Proceed with / Proceed to / Proceed from / Proceed against

Proceed with means to continue something already started.

• He proceeded with his research. (Continued working on it.)

Proceed to means to start a new thing.

• After lunch, she proceeded to her next meeting. (Started the next thing.)

Proceed from means coming from a source.

• Light and heat proceed from the sun. (They come from the sun.)

Proceed against means to take legal action.

• The company will proceed against him for fraud. (Take legal action.)

Proficient in / Proficient at

Proficient in is used with subjects and skills.

• He is proficient in English.

Proficient at is used with specific tasks.

• She is proficient at solving puzzles.

Profit by

Profit by means to gain an advantage from something.

• We should profit by our mistakes. (Learn from them.)

Profitable to

Profitable to means beneficial for someone.

• This business is profitable to me. (It benefits me financially.)

Prohibit from

Prohibit from means to officially stop someone from doing something.

• The school prohibits students from using phones in class.

Prompt in / Prompt at

Prompt in means quick in doing something.

• He is prompt in answering questions.

Prompt at means quick with a skill.

• She is prompt at mental calculations.

Prone to

Prone to means likely to do something bad.

• He is prone to forgetting names.

Proportionate to

Proportionate to means equal in size or amount.

• The punishment should be proportionate to the crime.

Protect from / Protect against / Protection against

Protect from / against means to keep safe.

• I will protect you from harm.
• Wear warm clothes to protect against the cold.

Protection against is the noun form.

• This vaccine provides protection against the flu.

Provide against / Provide for / Provide (one) with (a thing)

Provide against means to prepare for future problems.

• Save money to provide against emergencies.

Provide for means to take care of someone’s needs.

• Parents work hard to provide for their children.

Provide (one) with (a thing) means to give something.

• I provided him with food and shelter.

Pry into

Pry into means to investigate someone’s private matters.

• I don’t like people prying into my personal life.

Pursuant to / (in) Pursuance of

Pursuant to / In pursuance of means following an order or rule.

• Pursuant to your request, I sent the documents.