Mastering English prepositional usage is essential for writing accurate sentences, avoiding common grammar mistakes, and sounding natural. Welcome to Confused Prepositions: Part 5 on Confused Prepositions: Part 4, where we break down tricky verb-preposition and noun-preposition combinations from P to W with clear rules and examples.
What Are Confused Prepositions P Through W?
Advanced English syntax requires precise preposition choices. Using the wrong preposition can completely alter your intended meaning or make your sentence grammatically incorrect. Below is a comprehensive guide to mastering tricky prepositions starting from letter P.
81. Persist in vs. Persist with
To mean persisting or continuing firmly, both in and with can follow persist. However, in typically precedes a gerund, while with usually precedes a standard noun.
- They persisted in causing trouble.
- They persisted in / with their demands.
82. Pester for vs. Pester with
Pester means to annoy or bother someone. Use for before the thing being asked for, and use with before the action causing the annoyance.
- The beggar pestered me for some money.
- He pestered me with continual requests.
83. Plan on vs. Plan for
To express making advance arrangements, you can use both plan for and plan on interchangeably in many contexts.
- We planned for / on one hundred guests.
- We have planned on going to the cinema today.
84. Plead for vs. Plead with
When plead means to beg or implore, use for before the object requested, and use with before the person being addressed.
- The beggar pleaded for some money.
- Right: He pleaded with me for mercy. (Wrong: He pleaded to me for mercy.)
85. Ponder over vs. Ponder on
To think deeply about something, ponder can be followed by either over or on.
- They pondered over / on the matter before giving an answer.
86. Popular with (Not Popular to/among)
Although speakers often mistakenly use to or among, the correct preposition to use after popular when referring to admirers is with.
- Right: He is very popular with his students. (Wrong: He is very popular to/among his students.)
87. Prefer to (Not Prefer than)
To express liking one thing more than another, always use to after prefer, never than.
- Right: I prefer fish to meat. (Wrong: I prefer fish than meat.)
- As a noun, preference can take for or to depending on context: My preference is for the taller one; We always give preference to young and energetic people.
88. Present to vs. Present with
When formally giving a gift, present takes different prepositions depending on the object or recipient.
- Use to before the recipient: He presented a gold watch to me.
- Use with before the item given: He presented me with a gold watch.
89. Protest against vs. About vs. To
Protest can function transitively or intransitively. When intransitive, use against for the target of protest, about for the subject matter, and to for the recipient.
- People protested the war. / People protested against the war.
- They protested to the referee about his decision.
90. Provide for vs. Provide with
When meaning to supply, use for before the beneficiaries and with before the items supplied.
- They provided free books for us.
- They provided us with free books.
91. Qualify as vs. Qualify for
Use for when earning eligibility for a task or event, and use as when attaining a specific professional title.
- You have qualified for the job.
- He qualified as a doctor last year.
92. Quarrel with vs. About vs. Over
Use with when quarreling with a person, and use about or over for the subject of the dispute.
- Right: They quarrelled with me. (Wrong: They quarrelled against me.)
- Right: They are quarrelling about / over the price.
93. Read to vs. Read with
Use to when reading aloud to an audience. Use with when studying or reading alongside someone.
- I read the story to him.
- He reads with me.
94. Regret (Verb) vs. Regret at (Noun)
As a transitive verb, regret takes no preposition. As a noun, it takes at.
- Verb: I regret my delay.
- Noun: I feel no regret at my inability.
95. Remedy for vs. Remedy against
The standard preposition following remedy is for, though against is also acceptable in certain contexts.
- Sleep is a good remedy for headache.
- Can't we provide any remedy against these evils?
96. Resent (Verb) vs. Resentment at/against (Noun)
Resent is a transitive verb requiring no preposition, while the noun resentment is followed by at or against.
- Verb: I resented his delay.
- Noun: There is widespread resentment at/against his membership.
97. Revenge on vs. Revenge for
Use on before the person targeted for revenge, and use for before the offense committed.
- We took revenge on them.
- We took revenge for their attack.
98. Reward for vs. With vs. By
Use for to indicate the reason for a reward, with for the prize itself, and by for the person granting the reward in passive voice.
- He was rewarded for his sincerity.
- He was rewarded with a promotion.
- He was rewarded by his boss.
99. Ride on vs. Ride in
Use on when riding animals or on surfaces/backs, and use in when riding enclosed vehicles like cars.
- He gave me a ride on his back.
- We went for a ride in the car.
100. Rivalry with vs. Between
Use with when referring to a competitor, and use between when specifying two parties in a rivalry.
- Right: They have a rivalry with us.
- There is always a rivalry between the two neighbours.
101. Common Contexts for "Serve"
The verb serve adapts to multiple prepositions depending on the situational context:
- His son serves in the army.
- He served on the committee.
- His father served under British rule.
- He served that college as principal.
- The waiter served me with food.
102. Shy of (Not Shy with/to)
When feeling timid or bashful around someone, the only appropriate preposition to follow shy is of.
- Right: The girl was shy of me. (Wrong: The girl was shy with/to me.)
103. Similar to (Not Similar with)
To express likeness between things, always pair similar with to.
- Right: My opinion is similar to yours. (Wrong: My opinion is similar with yours.)
104. Smile at vs. Smile on
Smile at means to look at someone and smile pleasantly. Smile on means to bestow favor or good fortune.
- The girl smiled at me cordially.
- The weather smiled on us.
105. Solution to (Not Solution of)
When solving a problem, use to after solution. Use of strictly for chemical or liquid solutions.
- There is no solution to our problem.
- This is a solution of sugar and water.
106. Speak to vs. Speak with vs. Speak of/about
Speak to and speak with are generally interchangeable in modern English, though speak with often implies a longer, two-way conversation.
- Can I speak to / with you about the matter?
- Speak of is more formal than speak about.
107. Suffer for vs. Suffer from
Use suffer for when paying consequences for an action, and use suffer from when afflicted by an illness or chronic condition.
- He allowed the man to be his guest and he suffered for it.
- He is suffering from dysentery.
108. Supply to vs. Supply with
Use to before the recipient when supplying items, and use with before the goods provided.
- We supplied free medicine to them.
- We supplied them with free medicine.
109. Talk to vs. Talk with vs. Talk about
Similar to speak, talk to and talk with share overlapping usage, while about introduces the conversation topic.
- We talked to / with them about our plan of action.
110. Throw at vs. Throw to
Throw at implies throwing with aggressive intent to hit or harm, while throw to implies a friendly or playful toss.
- He threw a stone at the dog. (Intention to hit)
- He threw a ball to the dog. (Playful toss)
111. Tie with vs. Tie for
Use with when matching an opponent's score, and use for when tying for a specific rank or placement.
- I tied with him in the final exam.
- I tied with him for the second place.
112. Tolerant of vs. Tolerant towards
Both of and towards work interchangeably after tolerant when accepting diverse viewpoints.
- Right: You should be tolerant of / towards other people's views.
113. Translate from vs. Translate into
When converting languages, use from for the source language and into for the target language.
- He translated the book from English into Bengali. (Wrong: translated in/to Bengali)
114. Used to (Not Used with)
To express familiarity or habituation, always pair used with to, never with with.
- Right: We are used to spicy food. (Wrong: We are used with spicy food.)
115. Warn of vs. Warn against
Use warn of to alert someone to a potential danger, and use warn against to advise someone against taking a specific action.
- He warned us of the possible danger.
- He warned us against going there at night.
Comparison Table of Confused Prepositions (P-W)
| Target Word | Correct Preposition | Context / Usage Example |
|---|---|---|
| Popular | with | Popular with his students. |
| Prefer | to | Prefer fish to meat. |
| Solution | to (problem) / of (liquid) | Solution to our problem. |
| Translate | from ... into | Translated from English into Bengali. |
Key Takeaways
- Prepositions change based on grammatical class (verbs vs. nouns).
- Always use prefer to and similar to instead of incorrect alternatives like than or with.
- Mastering nuances like throw at versus throw to elevates your writing precision.
Quick Practice
Test your understanding! Choose the correct prepositions for these sentences and write your answers in the comments below:
- He is very popular ______ his classmates. (with / among)
- She translated the poem ______ English ______ French. (from/into / in/to)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do prepositions change when words shift from verbs to nouns?
Grammatical categories dictate how words govern subsequent phrases. For instance, the verb regret takes no preposition, but the noun regret requires at.
Is it correct to say "prefer fish than meat"?
No, the verb prefer must always be followed by the preposition to when comparing two things.
What is the difference between "throw at" and "throw to"?
Throw at implies throwing with hostile intent to hit a target, while throw to implies a friendly or playful toss.