3/9/2015 AvoidCommonMistakesinEnglish:Examplesonusingwrongprepositions

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AvoidCommonMistakesinEnglish

Monday,December24,2012

ExamplesonusingwrongprepositionsDie

Ifanillnessordiseaseisthecauseofonesdeath,usuallytheverbdieisfollowedbytheprepositionof.Incorrect:Themandiedfromcholera.

Correct:Themandiedofcholera.

Note:Causeslikehungerandthirstarealsoprecededbythesamepreposition.

Forexample:Manypeoplediedofhungerduringthefamine.

Note:Thisverbmayalsobefollowedbyotherprepositions.

Manypassengersdiedfromtheirwounds.

Hemaydiefromoverwork.

Theydiedbyviolence.

Manysoldiersdiedinbattle/poverty.

Theydiedfortheircountry.

Thechilddiedthroughneglect.

Hediedonthescaffold.

3/9/2015 AvoidCommonMistakesinEnglish:Examplesonusingwrongprepositions

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Hediedatthestake.

Different

Incorrect:Mypenisdifferentwithyours.Correct:Mypenisdifferentfromyours.

Note:Thisadjectiveisoftenfollowedbythenorto.

Forexample:Thetwosisterarequitearedifferenttoeachother.

Hisdresswasdifferentthanmine.

Note:Thenoundifferenceisfollowedbybetween.

Incorrect:Thereisnodifferenceinthetwoboys.Correct:Thereisnodifferencebetweenthetwoboys.

Disappointed(=unhappy)

Thisadjectiveisfollowedbyseveralprepositions.

Forexample:Hewasdeeplydisappointedabout/atlosingthegame.

Myparentswillbedisappointedwith/inmeifIfailtheexam.

Incorrect:Iwasdisappointedbyhiswork.Correct:Iwasdisappointedat/inhiswork.

Incorrect:Weweredisappointedinourhopes.Correct:Weweredisappointedofourhopes.

3/9/2015 AvoidCommonMistakesinEnglish:Examplesonusingwrongprepositions

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Note:Wearedisappointedofathingwhenwefailtogetit.

Divide

Incorrect:Dividethecakeinfourparts.Correct:Dividethecakeintofourparts.

Note:Butathingmaybedividedinhalforintwo.

Incorrect:Hedividedtheappleintohalf.Correct:Hedividedtheappleinhalf.

Incorrect:Themoneywillbeequallydividedintothethreepeople.Correct:Themoneywillbeequallydividedbetween/amongthethreepeople.

Note:Whentwopeopleareinvolved,theprepositionamongcannotbeused.

Incorrect:15dividedwith3are5.Correct:15dividedby3is5.

Incorrect:Alowwalldividesourgardenwiththeir.Correct:Alowwalldividesourgardenfromtheirs.

Doubt

Incorrect:Ihavenodoubtforhishonesty.Correct:Ihavenodoubtof/abouthishonesty.

Note:Theadjectivedoubtfulalsotakestheprepositionaboutit.

Forexample:Iamdoubtfulaboutherabilitytopasstheexam.

3/9/2015 AvoidCommonMistakesinEnglish:Examplesonusingwrongprepositions

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Dressed

Incorrect:Thegirlwasdressedwithblack.Correct:Thegirlwasdressedinblack.

Note:InsteadofsayingShewasinblackdresswecanalsosayShewasinblack,Dresscanalsobeusedasaverb.

Forexample:Shealwaysdressesinblack.

Exception

Incorrect:Thisisanexceptionoftherule.Correct:Thisisanexceptiontotherule.

Note:Thereisaphase,namely'withtheexceptionof'tomean'except'.

Incorrect:IenjoyeverysubjectwiththeexceptiontoChemistry.Correct:Ienjoyeverysubjectwiththeexceptionof(=except)Chemistry.

Exchange(=giveandreceiveinreturn)

Incorrect:CanIexchangemydollarsbypounds?Correct:CanIexchangemydollarsforpounds?

Incorrect:IexchangedseatsforRakia.Correct:IexchangedseatswithRakia.

Note:Thenounexchangeisalsofollowedbyforinthephraseinexchangefor.

Forexample:Hegavemeanappleinexchangefortwobananas.

Fail

3/9/2015 AvoidCommonMistakesinEnglish:Examplesonusingwrongprepositions

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Incorrect:Hefailedattheexam.Correct:Hefailedintheexam.

Note:Failcanalsobeusedasatransitiveverb.

Forexample:Hefailedtheexamlastyear.

Full

Incorrect:Thejugisfullwith/formwater.Correct:Thejugisfullofwater.

Note:Buttheverbfillisfollowedbywith.

Incorrect:Shefilledthejugofwater.Correct:Shefilledthejugwithwater.

Incorrect:Hewasfilledbydread.Correct:Hewasfilledwithdread.

Getrid(=freeoneself)

Incorrect:Iamtryingtogetridfromher.Correct:Iamtryingtogetridofher.

Note:ridcanalsobeusedasaverbandthenalsoittakesthesameprepositionafterit.

Forexample:Onedayweshallbeabletoridtheworldofthisterribledisease.

Note:Thepastsimpleformofridisridorridded.Itspastparticipleformisridandpresentparticipleisridding.

3/9/2015 AvoidCommonMistakesinEnglish:Examplesonusingwrongprepositions

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Good

Incorrect:Heisverygoodinmathematics.Correct:Heisverygoodatmathematics.

Note:Theadjectivebad,clever,quickandslowarealsofollowedbyat.

Forexample:

Iambadatdrawing.

Heisverycleveratmakingthings.

Sheisquickatlearning.

Theboyisveryslowatlearning.

Buttheadjectiveweakisusuallyfollowedbyin.

Forexample:Incorrect:Heisweakatgrammar.Correct:Heisweakingrammar.

Guard

Incorrect:Youshouldguardfrombadhabits.Correct:Youshouldguardagainstbadhabits.

Incorrect:Thedogguardedthehouseforintruders.Correct:Thedogguardedthehouseagainstintruders.

Note:Whenguardisusedasanoun:

Incorrect:Beinyourguardagainstthieves.

3/9/2015 AvoidCommonMistakesinEnglish:Examplesonusingwrongprepositions

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Correct:Beonyourguardagainstthieves.

Guilty(=havingbrokenalowordisobeyedarules)

Incorrect:Thejuryfoundhimguiltyformurder.Correct:Thejuryfoundhimguiltyofmurder.

Note:Thiswordmayalsobeusedinthesenseofshowingafeelingofguiltyorshame.Inthatsenseitwillbefollowedbyabout.

Forexample:Incorrect:Ifeelguiltyofbreakingyourcup.

Correct:Ifeelguiltyaboutbreakingyourcup.

Independent

Incorrect:BangladeshbecameindependentfromPakistanin1971.Correct:BangladeshbecameindependentofPakistanin1971.

Note:Butthenounformofthewordtakesadifferentpreposition.

Incorrect:BangladeshgainedindependenceofPakistanin1971.Correct:BangladeshgainedindependencefromPakistanin1971.

Theantonymdependenttakesonafterit.

Forexample:Achildisalwaysdependentonhis/herparents.

Indifferent(=notinterestnotcaring)

Incorrect:Heisindifferentatpolitics.Correct:Heisindifferenttopolitics.

3/9/2015 AvoidCommonMistakesinEnglish:Examplesonusingwrongprepositions

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Incorrect:Iwastotallyindifferentwiththecold.Correct:Iwastotallyindifferentto/towardsthecold.

Note:Thenoun'indifference'alsotakesthesamepreposition.

Forexample:Heshowedcompleteindifferenceto/towardsme.

Theantonymofindifferenceisnotdifference.

Insist(=declarefirmly)

Incorrect:Heinsistedtohisinnocence.Correct:Heinsistedonhisinnocence.

Incorrect:Sheinsistedforgoingthere.Correct:Sheinsistedongoingthere.

Note:Butthewordpersistisdifferentfrominsistanditalsotakesadifferentpreposition.

Forexample:Incorrect:Hepersistedonhisfoolishideas.Correct:Hepersistedinhisfoolishideas.

Interested(=havingorshowinginterest)

Incorrect:Heisnotinterestedwith/forhiswork.Correct:Heisnotinterestedinhiswork.

Incorrect:Areyouinterestedtofootball?Correct:Areyouinterestedinfootball?

Note:Thenounforminteresttakesthesamepreposition.

3/9/2015 AvoidCommonMistakesinEnglish:Examplesonusingwrongprepositions

http://acme247.blogspot.in/2012/12/examplesonusingwrongprepositions_24.html?m=1 9/10

Forexample:

Ihavenointerestinpolitics.

Hetakesagreatinterestinmusic.

Jealous(=envious)

Incorrect:Heisveryjealouswithme.Correct:heisveryjealousofme.

Incorrect:Theyarejealousformysuccess.Correct:theyarejealousofmysuccess.

Leave(=togoaway)

Whenweleaveaplacetogotoanotherplace,weuseforbeforethegoal.

Incorrect:Wearenowleavingtotheparty.Correct:Wearenowleavingfortheparty.

Note:Wetakeleaveofsomeonetosaygoodbyetothem.

Inthatcase:Incorrect:Wetookleavefromhim.Correct:Wetookleaveofhim.

Live

Incorrect:Thecowlivesfromgrass.Correct:Thecowlivesongrass.

Note:Likelive,feedisalsofollowedbyon.

3/9/2015 AvoidCommonMistakesinEnglish:Examplesonusingwrongprepositions

http://acme247.blogspot.in/2012/12/examplesonusingwrongprepositions_24.html?m=1 10/10

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omerfaruqat7:48AM

Forexample:Somebirdsfeedoninsects.

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