Learn typical fixed combinations of nouns with specific prepositions. Learn why we say "reason for" or "interest in", to avoid incorrect calques from Polish.
Some nouns in English require specific prepositions (e.g. of, to, for, with, in, on) so that the sentence has the correct structure and meaning.
It's a bit like in Polish:
"influence on something"
"answer on question"
"contact with "someone"
In English - very similar, only they use specific ones prepositions.
Below is a table with the most useful combinations:
| Noun + Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| answer to | reply to | What's the answer to question 5? |
| reason for | the reason for something | What's the reason for your absence? |
| idea of / about | idea for / about | That’s a great idea about the party. |
| interest in | interest in something | He has a big interest in history. |
| effect on | influence on | The weather has an effect on my mood. |
| influence on | influence on | Her words had a strong influence on me. |
| invitation to | zaproszenie na / do | I got an invitation to the wedding. |
| reaction to | reaction to | What was his reaction to the news? |
| contact with | contact with | I have no contact with him. |
| relationship with / between | relationship with/between | Their relationship with their boss is good. |
| discussion about | discussion about | We had a discussion about money. |
| agreement on | agreement on the matter | We reached an agreement on the price. |
| connection with / between | relationship with/between | The police found a connection with the case. |
| knowledge of | knowing something | She has good knowledge of the subject. |
| respect for | szacunek do | I have great respect for teachers. |
| responsibility for | responsibility for | He has full responsibility for the project. |
| increase / decrease in | an increase/decrease in something | There’s a decrease in sales. |
| advantage / disadvantage of | advantage/disadvantage of something | The advantage of working from home is comfort. |
| Preposition | Often with nouns like |
|---|---|
| of | idea of, knowledge of, advantage of |
| to | answer to, reaction to, invitation to |
| in | interest in, decrease in, increase in |
| on | effect on, agreement on, decision on |
| with | contact with, relationship with, connection with |
| for | reason for, respect for, responsibility for |
| about | discussion about, idea about, argument about |
| between | relationship between, difference between |
Read the full lesson content and practice the material in interactive exercises designed for the lesson "Nouns + prepositions" (Nouns with prepositions) — make progress in your language skills!
