Prepositions with nouns
Nouns
1. Nouns and prepositions
In English it can be complicated to know which preposition is placed before or after a noun.
You will receive the order by post.
We'll soon come up with a solution to this problem.
2. Noun + preposition
There is no rule that tells us which preposition we have to use after a noun, so they should be learned by heart. In many cases the same noun can use different prepositions depending on the context. Here are some of the most common ones:
Noun + preposition | Examples |
---|---|
Answer to | What is the answer to the first question? |
Reason for | You will soon know the reason for my visit. |
Effect of...on | Have you studied the effects of this drug on humans? |
Tax on | What is the tax on lottery winnings? |
Smell of | I hate the smell of nail polish. |
Advice on / about | I need some advice on how to be successful in a job interview. |
Delay in | There is a delay in the delivery of the shoes I bought on the internet. |
Delay of (duration) | The people are impatient. There is a delay of about two hours. |
Taste in | My taste in clothes has changed over the last years. |
Taste of | I hate the taste of this medicine. |
Increase in | We've had a sharp increase in tourism in the town. |
Advantage of | What are the advantages of having a pet at home? |
3. Preposition + noun
Many nouns are preceded by a specific preposition. Some of them are:
Preposition + noun | Examples |
---|---|
By post | The items I buy on the internet arrive by post. |
By mistake | Sorry, I've deleted a file by mistake. |
By chance | We met by chance at the cinema while we were queuing. |
On a trip | Laura is not at home. She's away on a trip. |
On a diet | Don't show me those chocolates. I'm on a diet. |
On strike | The workers have been on strike for the whole week. |
On purpose | I know you did it on purpose. |
On the market | The new car model will be on the market next month. |
On fire | Is the factory still on fire? |
In advance | If we book the tickets in advance they might be cheaper. |
In danger | As a firefighter, I've been in danger many times. |
For sale | Our neighbours’ house is for sale. |
Remember!
In English it can be difficult to know which preposition is placed before or after nouns. They have to be learned by heart.
Noun + preposition | Preposition + noun | ||
---|---|---|---|
Answer to | Delay in | By post | On purpose |
Reason for | Delay of (duration) | By mistake | On the market |
Effect of...on | Taste in | By chance | On fire |
Tax on | Taste of | On a trip | In advance |
Smell of | Increase in | On a diet | In danger |
Advice on / about | Advantage of | On strike | For sale |