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Words that take the prepositions to and for

May 6, 2014 pdf

Several verbs, adjectives and nouns are followed by prepositions. Most of these expressions are idiomatic. Here is a brief list of words taking the prepositions to and for.

The following words take the preposition to.

According to

He acted according to my advice.

Affectionate to

The old woman is affectionate to all.

Note that we say: affection for, not affection to.

He has great affection for his grandchildren.

Alternative to

The alternative to death was submission but that simply wasn’t acceptable to the brave soldiers.

Derogatory to

He will never do anything derogatory to his high position.

Take exception to

He took exception to my remarks.

Hindrance to

Illiteracy is a hindrance to progress.

Partial to

She is partial to her family.

Respectful to

You must be respectful to your seniors but you are not supposed to be servile.

Insensible to

He is insensible to pain and pleasure.

The following words take the preposition for.

Ambition for

His ambition for name and fame knows no bounds.

Desire for

She has no desire for fame.

Except for

Except for John, everyone else attended the function.

Fondness for

She has great fondness for children.

Infatuation for

His infatuation for his master’s daughter led him astray.

Prepared for

We are prepared for everything.

Qualified for

He is qualified for the job.

Respect for

I have great respect for him.

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