Learning how to use nounswith prepositions is important in English grammar. We often see prepositions used with verbs to explain relations in TIME and PLACE.
“Let’s meet IN twenty minutes IN the conference room.”
The preposition IN tells us when (TIME) and where (PLACE) the meeting is happening.
When two nouns relate to each other we use prepositions to describe that relationship.
“There has been a recent rise INcustomer complaints.”
The preposition IN connects a recent rise (NOUN #1) and the number of customer complaints (NOUN #2).
In this blog post, you will learn lots of common examples whereprepositions are used with nouns. Understand the meaning with real example sentences. Keep reading.
The example sentences in this post will use Nouns (a person, place, or thing) Pronouns (it, this, that, him, her, etc.) and Noun phrases (disposable masks, energy problem, etc.)
The examples below are all written in natural English that you can modify (change) and use in your own conversations.
Prepositions with Nouns – examples
ABOUT = on the subject of somebody or something; in connection with
I’m reading a book about Steve Jobs now. It’s interesting.
A private investor wants to build luxury condos on the waterfront. I read an article about it in today’s newspaper.
My grandfather used to tell me stories about life when he was young.
a concern about
The school board has some concerns about class sizes this year. The teachers think the classes are too big but the school board thinks they could be bigger.
confusion about
There seems to be some confusion about the cause of this problem.
There’s still confusion about who is in charge.
AT – used to show the situation somebody or something is in, what somebody is doing or what is happening
an attempt at
The team will make a second attempt at the summit tomorrow. The weather is not good for climbing today, the wind is too strong.
Last season Andrew ran the 100-meter dash in 10.49 seconds. This season he wants to make an attempt at the school record of 10.22 seconds.
*The school record is a noun phrase.
BETWEEN – used to show the situation somebody or something is in, what somebody is doing or what is happening
an agreement between
There is finally an agreement between the local and national governments to help people whose jobs have been affected by the pandemic.
a connection between
Police couldn’t find any connection between the two crimes.
the difference between
A: What’s the difference between remote working and working from home? B: Working from home means exactly that, you work from your house. Remote working can be done from anywhere. From your home, a café, or even from another country.
FOR – used to show purpose or function about; in connection with somebody or something
an advertisement/a commercial for
They have advertisements for Starbucks all over the train cars.
I saw a commercial for the new Tesla truck today, it looks cool.
a cure for
I hope they find a cure for cancer in my lifetime.
The company that discovers the cure for baldness can make billions of dollars.
a demand for/a need for
There has been a demand/need for masks since the pandemic started. Manufacturers are struggling to make enough.
There’s a real need for qualified teachers this year.
an explanation for
There may be a scientific explanation for how pyramids were constructed.
This report should have been on my desk yesterday, but now the information is useless. Why wasn’t it finished on time? I demand an explanation for this!
a reason for
The virus is the reason for the shortage of disposable masks available in drugstores.
*The shortage of disposable masks is a noun phrase.
a receipt for
My Bluetooth keyboard broke after only 6 months. I will take it back to the store. I’m glad I kept the receipt for it.
If you use the self-checkout you need to show the receipt for your purchases before you leave the store. This prevents stealing.
respect for
Pauline has respect for her elders.
Some people have no respect for anyone.
room for
There is always room for improvement.
There is no more room at the table for more chairs so we set up an extra table.
a thirst for (to really want something)
This generation has a real thirst for knowledge. They want to learn as much as possible.
I feel a real thirst for change in the community.
a talent for
Many of the students have a real talent for singing and dancing. This year’s play is going to be fantastic.
Rebecca has a real talent for baking cookies. They’re always so delicious.
*Baking is a noun in the sentence. It’s the gerund form of the verb to bake. It’s part of the noun phrase baking cookies.
IN – used to show a state or condition used to describe something that is all around you contained within something or somebody
an increase/a decrease in
There has been an increase in people under 40 getting COVID-19 inJapan.
After widespread vaccination, we are seeing a decrease in new cases.
An increase or decrease IN something is talking about A NUMBER or AN AMOUNT of something. *The number of people under 40 *The number of new cases
a rise/a fall/a drop in
Analysts are sure that a rise in housing prices in Toronto is coming.
Experts are predicting a fall in foreign investments this year.
Universities are experiencing a drop in student applications. Young people are finding tuition too expensive. The hope is that this will cause a drop in tuition.
OF – belonging to something; being part of something; relating to something relating to or showing somebody or something used after nouns formed from verbs
a cause of
A leaky pipe turned out to be the cause of the water damage.
Police have not found the cause of death yet.
an example of
I was writing a new CV this morning so I found a good example of a resume online and I used it as a model.
Derek’s behavior is a good example of what NOT to do.
a fear of
Wanda has a real fear of spiders. If she sees one she will scream.
I hate giving presentations. I have a real fear of public speaking.
knowledge of
Dylan’s knowledge of classic movies is impressive.
Knowledge of foreign languages looks great on a resume.
a love of
You can see he has a real love of cinema.
My friends took me to the beach last week. I rediscovered my love of the ocean.
a map of
I bought a map of the city so that I wouldn’t get lost.
Disney Sea is huge so I downloaded a map of the park to help me get around.
a picture/a drawing of
After the accident, Jeremy took a picture of the damage to his car. He will send the photo to his insurance company.
My daughter gave me a drawing of our family that she made in school. It is so cute.
an understanding of
Modern research has helped the understanding of advanced brain-body connections.
Huge space telescopes help improve our understanding of the universe.
a video/a recording of
I took a video of my baby’s first steps. It was very exciting.
I made a recording of my interview with the professor. I plan to turn this recording into a podcast.
ON – used with some nouns or adjectives to say who or what is affected by something about something or somebody
a ban on
My university has a ban on smartphones in the classroom.
All hospitals have a ban on smoking inside the building.
congratulations on
Congratulations on your promotion Hank!
a decision on
We have to make a decision on the color of the new family van.
The company will make a decision on the merger by Friday.
information on
Hey boss, I got the information on our competitors that you asked for.
I found lots of great information on building a birdhouse online.
a report on
I read a report on the cost of living in Costa Rica. It might be a nice place to move to now that I’m doing remote work.
The news will have a report on local businesses tonight.
a spin on
I don’t like this NEWS channel. They always put their own spin on the news.
*The noun spin means – a way of presenting information or a situation in a particular way, especially one that makes you or your ideas seem good.
TO – used to show a relationship between one person or thing and another directed towards; in connection with
an answer/a reply to
I need an answer to the question by Wednesday.
a contribution to
I want to thank Francis for his contribution to the project.
Many people talk about William Shakespeare’s contribution to the English language.
damage to
The flooding caused damage to homes beside the river.
It was a big storm, but luckily damage to local buildings was minimal.
a desire to
I have a strong desire to visit South Africa one day. My dream is to see real lions on a safari.
Zachary is clever and has a real desire to work with animals. He will be a great Zoo director.
an invitation to
I was happy when I got an invitation to Scott’s party.
a key to
One of the keys to our energy problem is to use more renewable sources of fuel.
Hard work is the key to success.
a reaction to
Fans had a mixed reaction to the new movie trailer. Some liked it but others thought it was too predictable, it wasn’t new or fresh.
I feel sick today. I think I’m having a reaction to the fish I ate last night.
resistance to
James has always had a resistance to authority.
The virus is mutating and building resistance to the current vaccines.
a solution to
If we work together we can find a solution to this problem.
Scientists have been working hard to find a solution to global warming.
a threat to
Global warming is a threat to everyone.
Introducing foreign animals to an area can be a threat to the animals already living there.
WITH – in the company or presence of somebody or something
an arrangement with
I have an arrangement with the property owner. I can park my car here on weekends for free if I teach his son English.
contact with
I haven’t seen Rick in almost two years. I don’t have any contact with him.
I’m in contact with many of my friends from high school on social media.
a deal with
I have a deal with my mom. If I clean my room every week I get $5.
The construction company made a deal with local Wildlife experts to protect the wild animals living near the building site.
a relationship with
It’s always suspicious when politicians have a relationship with big businesses.
My company has a policy against employees having romantic relationships with co-workers.
Nouns used with Prepositions – conclusion
We can see that nouns are commonly used with prepositions to show how they relate. Use these examples to help you make your own natural English sentences and to share your own stories with friends and coworkers.
I hope this blog post has helped take your English to the next level. Be sure to check out my other preposition blog posts, videos, and more.
