Combining Noun + Preposition in English: Noun Government
By Author Giljonnys Dias da Silva
In English grammar, noun + preposition combinations are a key aspect of what is called "noun government"—the way certain nouns govern or require specific prepositions to express complete and precise meanings. These structures are essential for fluency and correctness, especially in academic writing, formal communication, and natural conversation.
Just like with verbs, some nouns are commonly (and sometimes obligatorily) followed by prepositions to form meaningful phrases. These prepositions usually introduce more information about the noun, such as its cause, origin, purpose, or relation to something else.
She has access to new information.
Ela tem acesso à novas informações.
We took advantage of the opportunity.
Aproveitamos a oportunidade.
He has an interest in art.
Ele tem interesse em arte.
There is a need for more workers.
Há uma necessidade de mais trabalhadores.
She takes pride in her achievements.
Ela tem orgulho de suas conquistas.
She is responsible for the project.
Ela é responsável pelo projeto.
The company has a reputation for quality.
A empresa tem uma reputação de qualidade.
This is the solution to the problem.
Esta é a solução para o problema.
There's too much dependence on technology.
Há dependência demais da tecnologia.
She has a deep knowledge of history.
Ela tem um profundo conhecimento de história.
What Is Noun Government?
Noun government refers to the grammatical rule or tendency that a noun "governs" a specific preposition, depending on the meaning it expresses. The preposition acts as a bridge between the noun and its complement (often a noun or gerund), helping to clarify the relationship.
These constructions are often fixed collocations, meaning that changing the preposition can result in an incorrect or unnatural phrase.
The words somebody, something and some place were written in bold and italics because they are replaced in English sentence constructions.
abbreviation for something
abbreviation of something
abundance of something
access to something
addiction to something
admission to something
advantage in something
advantage of something
advantage over somebody
advantage to something
affection for somebody/something
agreement between something and something
agreement on something
agreement with somebody
allegiance to somebody/something
antonym for something
anxiety about something
anxiety for something
appetite for something
aptitude for something
arrival at some place
arrival in some place
arrival of something
assent to something
assurance about something
assurance of something
assurance to something
attack against somebody
attack by somebody/something
attack on somebody/something
attack upon somebody/something
attempt at something
attention of something
attention on something
attention to something
authority for something
authority on something
authority over somebody/something
authority to something
bargain for somebody/something
bargain with somebody/something
battle against somebody
battle between something and something
battle over something
battle with somebody
battle with somebody for something
belief in somebody/something
benevolence towards somebody
betrayal of something
betrayal in something
bias against somebody
bias in something
bias towards somebody/something
blindness to something
cause for something
cause of something
caution against something
comparison with somebody/something
compassion for somebody
compensation for something
complaint about somebody/something
complaint against somebody/something
complaint by somebody
complaint from somebody
complaint from somebody about something
complaint to somebody
concession for somebody
concession from somebody
concession of something
concession of something to somebody/something
concession to something
confidence in somebody/something
conformity to something
conformity with something
contempt for somebody/something
control of somebody/something
control over somebody/something
controls on something
conviction for something
conviction of something
correspondence with somebody
craving for something
decrease by something
decrease from something
decrease from something to something
decrease in something
decrease with something
dependence on somebody/something
dependence upon somebody/something
desire for somebody/something
difference among something
difference between something and something
difference in something
discrimination against somebody
discrimination by somebody
discrimination in favor of somebody
discrimination on the basis of something
discrimination on the grounds of something
disgust at something
disgust for somebody
disgust with something
dislike for somebody/something
dislike of somebody/something
dislike to somebody/something
disobedience to somebody/something
distaste at something
distaste for somebody/something
distrust of somebody/something
duty as somebody
duty of something
duty to somebody/something
eagerness for something
economy of something
enmity against something
enmity between something and something
enmity for something
enmity of somebody
enmity with something
envy at something
envy of somebody/something
equality between somebody and somebody
equality of something
equality with something
escape from somebody/something
esteem for something
excuse for something
experience as something
experience in something
experience of something
experience with something
exposure in something
exposure of something
exposure to something
failure as something
failure of something
faith in something
fear for somebody/something
fear of somebody/something
fluency in something
freedom from something
freedom of something
glance at somebody/something
gratitude for something
gratitude to somebody
gratitude to somebody for something
greed for something
grief at something
grief for somebody/something
grief over something
growth in something
growth of something
guess about something
guess as to something
guess at something
hate for somebody/something
hate of something
hatred for somebody/something
hatred of somebody/something
hatred towards somebody
hope for somebody/something
hope of something
identity as somebody/something
identity between something and something
identity of something
identity with somebody/something
increase from something
increase of something
increase of something on something
increase in something
increase on something
increase over something
indifference of somebody
indifference to somebody/something
indulgence in something
indulgence of something
inquiry from somebody
inquiry from somebody about something
inquiry into something
insight about something
insight into something
insight on something
interview about something
interview by somebody
interview for something
interview with somebody
interview with somebody/something for something
intimacy between something and something
intimacy with somebody
intrusion into something
intrusion on something
intrusion upon something
invitation for something
invitation from somebody/something
invitation to somebody/something
judge of something
judgement about something
judgement on something
knowledge of something
lecture about something
lecture by somebody
lecture on something
lecture to something
likeness between somebody
likeness in something
likeness to somebody/something
liking for somebody/something
liking to somebody
limit of something
limit on something
limit to something
longing for somebody/something
look around something
look at somebody/something
look for somebody/something
look in something
look of something
look on something
look towards something
love for somebody/something
love of somebody/something
lust for somebody/something
meaning of something
need for somebody/something
need of something
obedience to somebody/something
objection from somebody
objection to somebody/something
obstruction in something
obstruction of something
obstruction on something
obstruction to something
offence against somebody/something
offence to somebody
passion for something
pity for somebody/something
pity on something
power of something
power over somebody/something
prejudice against somebody/something
prejudice in favor of somebody/something
preparation for something
preparation of something
pride in something
pride of something
proficiency in something
quarrel about something
quarrel between something and something
quarrel over something
quarrel with somebody
quarrel with somebody about something
quarrel with somebody over something
quarrel with something between something and something
question about something
question of something
question on something
question to somebody
regard for somebody/something
regard to something
regret about something
regret at something
regret for something
reply to somebody/something
reply with something
reputation as something
reputation for something
request for something
resemblance between something and something
resemblance to somebody/something
respect for somebody/something
respect for somebody/something
respect of something
revolt against something
search for somebody/something
search of something
search on something
sense of something
sin against something
sin to somebody
stain on something
submission to somebody/something
sympathy for somebody/something
sympathy with somebody/something
synonym for something
testimony of something
testimony to something
traitor to somebody/something
trust between something and something
trust in somebody/something
want of something
witness for something
witness of something
witness to something
wonder at something
wonder of something
yearning for somebody/something
zeal for something
zeal in something
zest for something
zest of something
Why Learn Noun + Preposition Combinations?
They are extremely common in written and spoken English.
They help you sound more natural and fluent.
They are often required in academic, legal, or professional English.
They can be tested in standardized exams like TOEFL, IELTS, and others.
Identifying noun + preposition combinations in English involves recognizing when a noun is followed by a preposition that connects it to another word or phrase, usually to provide more detail, show a relationship, or clarify meaning.
There is a clear advantage of using renewable energy.
Há uma clara vantagem de usar energia renovável.
There is a growing need for digital literacy.
Há uma crescente necessidade de alfabetização digital.
She has a strong interest in photography.
Ela tem um grande interesse em fotografia.
What is the reason for the delay?
Qual é a razão para o atraso?
Pollution has a negative effect on the environment.
A poluição tem um efeito negativo sobre o meio ambiente.
He has a lot of experience with international clients.
Ele tem muita experiência com clientes internacionais.
Her speech had a big influence on the audience.
O discurso dela teve grande influência sobre o público.
We must find a solution to this problem.
Precisamos encontrar uma solução para este problema.
Smoking is a leading cause of cancer.
O tabagismo é uma das principais causas de câncer.
Many people still lack access to clean water.
Muitas pessoas ainda não têm acesso a água potável.
There’s a problem with the software update.
Há um problema com a atualização do software.
He has a fear of flying.
Ele tem medo de voar.
The media has an obsession with celebrity culture.
A mídia tem uma obsessão por cultura de celebridades.
Thank you for your contribution to the project.
Obrigado por sua contribuição para o projeto.
The study explores the relationship between diet and health.
O estudo analisa a relação entre alimentação e saúde.
There has been an increase in fuel prices.
Houve um aumento no preço dos combustíveis.
Public awareness of climate change is growing.
A consciência sobre as mudanças climáticas está crescendo.
She had some difficulty in understanding the question.
Ela teve alguma dificuldade em entender a pergunta.
His attitude toward work has improved.
A atitude dele em relação ao trabalho melhorou.
We should have respect for different cultures.
Devemos ter respeito por diferentes culturas.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to combine nouns with the right prepositions is essential for expressing yourself clearly and accurately in English. These combinations are not always intuitive for learners, especially when translating from Portuguese, so it’s a good idea to learn them in context and practice regularly.
Bibliographic References
Huddleston, Rodney, and Pullum, Geoffrey K.
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge University Press, 2002.
This comprehensive grammar covers syntactic structures, including noun government and prepositional complementation.
Quirk, Randolph, et al. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language. Longman, 1985.
This book contains extensive discussion on noun complementation, especially how nouns govern prepositions.
Biber, Douglas, et al. Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English. Pearson Education Limited, 1999.
This book offers corpus-based insights into common noun-preposition patterns and government structures in contemporary usage.
Greenbaum, Sidney, and Randolph Quirk. A Student’s Grammar of the English Language.
Longman, 1990.
A more accessible version of the comprehensive grammar, with key points on noun-preposition constructions.
Collins Cobuild Grammar Patterns 2: Nouns and Adjectives. HarperCollins Publishers, 1998.
This book focuses specifically on patterns in which nouns (and adjectives) are followed by prepositions, useful for seeing real usage patterns.
Halliday, M.A.K., and Matthiessen, Christian M.I.M. An Introduction to Functional Grammar. 4th ed., Routledge, 2014.
This book discusses grammatical functions and processes including nominal groups and their syntactic roles with prepositions.
Francis, Gill, Hunston, Susan, and Manning, Elizabeth. Grammar Patterns 1: Verbs.
The University of Birmingham/COBUILD, 1996.
While focused on verbs, the approach to grammar patterns also informs noun government when paralleled with Grammar Patterns 2.