Noun + preposition combinations

1. List of nouns and the prepositions normally used with them:
 
advantage of  advice on alternative to  application for 
benefit of  cause of  cheque for  cost of 
demand for  difference between example of  experience of, in 
fall in, of  increase/decrease in, of  invitation to  interest in 
lack of  matter with  need for  opinion of 
order for  price of  reason for  reply to 
request for  rise in, of  solution to  tax on 
trouble with      

 

2. Words referring to increases and decreases can be followed by in or of. In refers to something that has risen or fallen; of refer to a quantity or amount.

There has been a large fall in unemployment over the last few months.

There has been a fall of 9.7%.

 3. List of some common preposition and noun combinations:
 
at a good price  at a profit/loss  at cost price  at your convenience 
at short notice  by post  by hand  by return 
by cheque  by law  by car, bus, airmail  by mistake 
for sale  for lunch  in advance  in stock 
in writing  in general  in the end  in a hurry 
in my opinion  in bulk  in charge of  in debt 
on application  on sale  on loan  on holiday 
on business  on a trip  on hold  on the phone 
on television  on the whole  on order  on time
out of order  out of date  to my mind  under pressure 
with reference to      

Look at the following examples:

This matter is urgent. Please reply by return.

Could you please confirm your order in writing.

The traffic is so bad I usually get into the centre by taxi. (not: by the taxi.)


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1999. Compiled by Yuri Demchenko.
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