Preposition Study Lists

There follows lists of words with the prepositions that usually follow them, which it may be helpful for you to memorise. Most of the vocabulary has been selected because of its high frequency in academic English, based on the Academic Word List. For more information about the Academic Word List, and the work of Avril Coxhead in compiling it, follow this link to Sandra Haywood's website at the University of Nottingham Academic Vocabulary .

Important note: other prepositions may be possible with the words in the lists, sometimes with a different meaning e.g. "known to somebody" = for sb. to be aware of sth., but "known by somebody" = for sth. to be understood by/comprehended by sb.; sometimes when combined with a different kind of noun e.g. "by somebody"  =  the agent, but "for something/body" =  purpose and "of somebody"= possession ; or if a word is followed by a preposition before a noun e.g "in public" or "in class"; or a time expression e.g. "in the second semester", "for a fortnight" ; or is followed by a prepositional phrase e.g. "as a result of sth." For more comprehensive information about possible word and preposition combinations, it is necessary to look up the individual word in a good dictionary, such as The Macmillan Online Dictionary  (sb. = somebody and sth. = something).

                                                                                                                                     

BY	OF	TO	ON	AGAINST	FROM
(to be) allocated by sb. for sth.	an analysis of sth. by sb.	(to be) analogous to sth.	an authority on	to campaign/ a campaign against sb./sth.	(to be) exempt from sth.
an analysis by sb. of sth.	an awareness of sth.	a commitment to sth./sb.	an emphasis on sth.	to discriminate against  sb.	(to be) obtained from sb./sth.
(to be) collated by sb.	the commitment of sb. to sth./sb.	(to be) equivalent to sth.	to focus/a focus on sth./sb.	discrimination against sb. by sb.	(to be) sought from sb./sth.
(to be)  evaluated by sb. for sth/sb.	to consist of sth.	(to be) external to sth.	information on sth.	to offset (sth.) against sth.	an injury from
(to be)  followed by sb./sth.	the function of	(to be) fundamental to sth.	to impact / an impact on sth./sb. of sth.
(to be) implemented by sb.	the impact of sth. on sth./sb.	(to be) grateful to sb. for sth.	(to be) imposed on sth./sb. by sb.
(to be) known by sb.	an  implication of sth. for sth./sb.	(to be) identical to sth./sb.	to lecture/ a lecture on sth. by sb.
(to be) motivated by sb./sth.	the  independence of  sb./sth. from sb./sth.	(to be) inherent to sth.	a perspective on sth. of sb.
to offset (sth.) by sth.	the justification of sth./sb.	(to be) intrinsic to sth.	(to be) placed on sth./sb.
(to be) preceded by sb./sth.	the renovation of sth.	(to be) known to sb.	(to do) research [noun] on sth. (but,  to research [verb] sth. = no preposition).
a simulation by sb. of sth.	the role of	opposition to sth. by sb.	statistics on sth.
the survival by sb.	a simulation of sth. by sb.	(to be) significant to sb.	a thesis on sth.
(to be) triggered by sb./sth.	the status of sth./sb.	(to be) specific to sth. ("unique" to)
	the survival of sth./sb.
	the sustainability of sth.
	a theory of sth.
	the utilisation of sth. by sb.

                                                              
                                                      
 

WITH	IN	ABOUT	BETWEEN	FOR	AS
(to be) associated with sth./sb.	an improvement in sth.	a conference about sth.	a comparison between 2 or more things	(to be) appropriate for sb./sth.	(to be)  considered as
to coincide with sth.	(to be) inherent in sth.	data about sth.	a connection between 2 or more things	to campaign/ a campaign for sb./sth.	(to be) regarded  as
(to be) compared/  a comparison with sth.	to invest in sth./sb.	information about sth.	a contrast between 2 or more things	a capacity for sth.	(to be) perceived as
(to be) compatible with sth./sb.	(to be) involved in sth.	to know about sth.	differentiation between 2 or more things	compensation for sth./sb.	(to be) published as
(to be) concurrent with sth.	to occur in sth.	to lecture/a lecture  about sth. by sb.	to discriminate between 2 or more things	criterion/criteria for sth.
(to be) consistent with sth.	to participate in sth.	research [noun] about sth. (but to research [verb] sth. = no preposition )	a distinction between 2 or more things	data for sth.
(to be) familiar with sth.	proficiency in sth.	statistics about sth.	tension between 2 or more things	(to be) evaluated by sb. for sth/sb.
to interact with sth./sb.	(to be) resident [adjective] in a place. (but a resident [noun] of somewhere)	tension about sth.		an incentive for sb./sth.
to register with sth./sb.	a revolution in sth.	a theory about sth./sb.		justification for sth.
	(to be) significant in sth.	a thesis about sth.		statistics for sth.

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