Preposition ‘of’
| Noun
| Example
|
| advantage
| Can you tell us about the advantages of living in a small town?
|
| art
| He is a good a therapist trained in the art of healing.
|
| chance
| Is there any chance of getting tickets for tonight?
|
| habit
| He has the irritating habit of biting his nails.
|
| idea
| I like the idea of living on a boat.
|
| impression
| She gives the impression of being very busy
|
| opportunity
| At least give him the opportunity of explaining what happened.
|
| pleasure
| She had the pleasure of seeing him look surprised.
|
| pretext
| He left the party early on the pretext of having work to do.
|
| satisfaction
| He had the satisfaction of seeing his book become a best-seller.
|
| way
| I’m not happy with this way of working.
|
Preposition ‘at’
| Noun
| Example
|
| amazement
| The old lady couldn’t hide her amazement at seeing the boy’s delight.
|
| astonishment
| His astonishment at seeing me alive was genuine.
|
| attempt
| The couple made several unsuccessful attempts at achieving a compromise.
|
| delight
| The students’ delight at hearing the announced exam results was overwhelming.
|
| dismay
| She could not hide her dismay at finding her husband at home.
|
| genius
| He’s a genius at organizing people.
|
| irritation
| She couldn’t but show her irritation at learning that the letter had not been sent.
|
| pleasure
| The mother’s pleasure at finding her children safe and sound was immense.
|
| satisfaction
| The teacher’s satisfaction at giving his students good marks was clearly seen on his face.
|
| shyness
| The girl’s shyness at being introduced to the great scientist amazed everybody present.
|
| surprise
| They couldn’t conceal their surprise at seeing us together.
|
Preposition ‘for’
| Noun
| Example
|
| cause
| I had no cause for complaining.
|
| excuse
| His excuse for forgetting her birthday was that he had lost his diary.
|
| genius
| He had a genius for making people feel at home.
|
| gift
| He has the gift of making friends easily.
|
| ground
| What were his grounds for wanting a divorce?
|
| motive
| There seemed to be no motive for murdering that old man.
|
| opportunity
| There’ll be plenty of opportunity for relaxing once the work is done.
|
| passion
| The English have a passion for gardening.
|
| pretext
| His pretext for being late was lame.
|
| reason
| I have no particular reason for doubting him.
|
| reputation
| I’m aware of Mark’s reputation for being late.
|
| talent
| She showed considerable talent for getting what she wanted.
|
| obsession
| Rose Bower had an obsession for recording details about all the employees.
|
Preposition ‘in’
| Noun + preposition
| Example
|
| advantage
| Is there any advantage in getting there early?
|
| delight
| He takes great delight in proving others wrong.
|
| difficulty
| I had no difficulty (in) making myself understood.
|
| experience
| He is a doctor with experience in dealing with patients suffering from stress.
|
| harm
| There is no harm in window shopping, is there?
|
| hesitation
|
|
| pleasure
| She took pleasure in shocking her parents.
|
| point
| There is no point in waiting for him.
|
| sense
| There’s no sense in worrying about it now.
|
| skill
| What made him remarkable as a photographer was his skill in capturing the moment.
|
Miscellaneous Prepositions
| Noun
| Example
|
| fantasy about
| His childhood fantasies about becoming a famous football player came true.
|
| objection to
| I have no objection to him coming to stay.
|
| obsession with
| Her obsession with flying frightens her parents.
|
XII. Gerunds after prepositions
| Preposition
| Example
|
| about
| How about going for a walk?
|
| after
| After kissing the child good-bye, the mother went to work.
|
| against
| Do you have anything against our going to the mountains in July?
|
| before
| You should check the oil before starting your car.
|
| by
| We’ll do the job before the deadline by working 16 hours a day.
|
| despite
| Despite being very young he did the job very well.
|
| for
| She was punished for staying up late.
|
| in spite of
| In spite of being very young he did the job very well.
|
| instead of
| Why are you watching TV instead of doing your homework?
|
| without
| She used to sit in front of the window for hours without paying attention to anyone.
|
