Noun Preposition Combinations

REF	NOUN	NOTE	MEANING	EXAMPLE
NOUN + ABOUT
NP06	anxiety about/over sth	WORRY	fear about what might happen	Her anxiety about the pain of childbirth is understandable.
NP09	book about/on sth	TEXT	a long written literary composition	She has written a book about the island's rich history.
NP15	concern about sb/sth	WORRY	a worried or nervous feeling about sth	My main concern about moving to Rome is the cost of housing.
NP03	confusion about/over sth	UNCERTAINTY	uncertainty about what is happening	There is still confusion about who is responsible for the accident.
NP14	debate about/on sth	DISCUSSION	a formal discussion of an issue	This accident has sparked off an intense debate about road safety.
NP09	discussion about sb/sth	DEBATE	a conversation about sb/sth	We held a stormy discussion about this problem.
NP02	dispute about/over sth	ARGUMENT	a disagreement or argument	There was a dispute about what to do with the extra money.
NP09	opinion about/on sb/sth	VIEW	a thought or belief about sb/sth	They had a difference of opinion about their child's education.
NP05	preconception about sth	ASSUMPTION	a preconceived idea or prejudice	This book will challenge your preconceptions about rural life.
NP09	quarrel about/over sth	ARGUMENT	an angry argument or disagreement	We had a bitter quarrel about some money two weeks ago.
NP13	query about sth	QUESTION	a question for a piece of information	Have you got any queries about what you're supposed to do?
NP07	reservation about sb/sth	DOUBT	a feeling of doubt about sth	His only reservation about buying the bike was its high price.
NP02	revelation about/over sth	DISCLOSURE	surprising fact that is made known	The book includes many revelations about her personal life.
NP02	sketch about sth	SATIRE	a short, funny performance	The drama group did a sketch about a man buying a new house.
NP02	speculation about/on sth	GUESS	ideas about sth that is not known	This ends months of speculation about the firm's future.
NP02	uncertainty about sth	DOUBT	the state of being uncertain	They are facing some uncertainty about their jobs.
NOUN + AGAINST
NP16	campaign against sth	MOVEMENT	a planned set of activities	He led a successful campaign against the closure of the library.
NOUN + AT
NP05	attempt at sth	EFFORT	an act of trying to do something	They had to abandon any further attempt at negotiation.
NP03	attendance at sth	PRESENCE	the number of persons present	The team wants to double attendance at its games this season.
NP07	sorrow at/over sth	GRIEF	a feeling of immense sadness	Lucy expressed her sorrow at the news of his death.
NOUN + BETWEEN
NP10	choice between sth	ACT	an act or the possibility of choosing	It was a straight choice between my career or my family.
NP15	comparison between sth	CONTRAST	the act of examining resemblances	The article makes a comparison between the two poems.
NP14	difference between sb/sth	NOT THE SAME	the quality of being dissimilar	The difference between the two phones is negligible.
NP12	relationship between/and	CONNECTION	the state of being connected	There is a relationship between diet and cancer.
NOUN + FOR
NP05	aptitude for sth	TALENT	natural ability or skill at doing sth	At an early age Tony showed an aptitude for mathematics.
NP08	cheque for sth	MONEY	a form used to make a payment	I sent them my order, together with a cheque for £90.
NP01	craving for sth	DESIRE	a strong desire for something	Symptoms of PMS include a craving for sweet food.
NP17	cure for sth	MEDICINE	medical treatment that cures an illness	Researchers are hoping to find a cure for the disease.
NP10	demand for sth	REQUEST	a strong request	It is difficult to forecast the demand for the new train service.
NP15	desire for sth	WANT	a strong feeling that you want sth	He was motivated by a deep desire for money and fame.
NP01	distaste for sth	DISLIKE	a strong feeling of not liking sb or sth	She's developed a real distaste for paperwork.
NP08	excuse for sth	REASON	the cause of something	He had no valid excuse for not finishing his homework.
NP01	flair for sth	TALENT	a natural ability to do something well	He's a normal 10-year-old kid, but he has a flair for music.
NP17	inspiration for sb/sth	IDEAS	an inspiring agent or influence	The sea has provided an inspiration for many of her paintings.
NP13	need for sth	NECESSITY	a situation when sth is necessary	There is an urgent need for food and water.
NP17	pity for sb/sth	SYMPATHY	a feeling of sympathy and sadness	I felt such pity for that woman sitting alone on the bench.
NP10	preference for sb/sth	LIKING	something or someone preferred	A teacher should not show preference for any one of his pupils.
NP11	punishment for sth	CRIME	the act of punishing someone	The actor was given a stiff punishment for using drugs.
NP01	quest for sth	SEARCH	a long search for something	Industries are still engaged in a quest for increased productivity.
NP08	reason for sth	EXPLANATION	a cause for sth that has happened	Is there a reason for your strange behaviour?
NP12	recipe for sth	FORMULA	a method or an idea	Low local taxes are not always a recipe for electoral success.
NP06	remedy for sth	SOLUTION	a way of solving a problem	Salt water is a good home remedy for a sore throat.
NP03	remorse for sth	DEEP REGRET	deep regret for a wrong committed	She felt no remorse for the crimes she had committed.
NP12	respect for sb/sth	ADMIRATION	polite behaviour towards somebody	In Japan you are taught great respect for your elders.
NP11	responsibility for sth	BLAME	blame for sth that has happened	Susan disclaimed any responsibility for the accident.
NP14	room for sb/sth	SPACE	the amount of space that sb/sth needs	Is there enough room for my car in your garage?
NP14	struggle for sth	EFFORT	a strenuous exertion or effort	Four teams are locked in a struggle for this year's title.
NP06	substitute for sb/sth	REPLACEMENT	a thing serving in place of another	Watching the film is a poor substitute for reading the book.
NP13	sympathy for sb	CARE	the feeling of being sorry for sb	I've got no sympathy for her, but I feel sorry for her husband.
NP08	talent for sth	APTITUDE	a natural ability to do sth well	He displayed his talent for music at the event.
NP04	triumph for sb	SUCCESS	a great success or achievement	Quitting alcohol was a personal triumph for Dave.
NP07	vacancy for sb/sth	JOB	a job that is available for sb to do	There is a vacancy for a shop assistant at weekends.
NOUN + FROM
NP03	abstinence from sth	ABSTAIN	the practice of abstaining from sth	The patient should practise total abstinence from alcohol.
NP04	deduction from sth	CONCLUSION	the act or process of deducting	All you can do is make deductions from the available facts.
NP09	departure from sth	LEAVING	an act of leaving a place	The time for my departure from China was drawing nearer.
NP02	deviation from sth	DIVERGENCE	departure from a standard or norm	Having juice instead of tea was a deviation from her usual routine.
NP09	escape from sth	FORGET	a way of forgetting sth unpleasant	For me, travel is an escape from the boredom of her everyday life.
NP02	extract from sth	EXCERPT	a short passage taken from a text, film	The anthology includes extracts from the works of several authors.
NP06	freedom from sth	NOT AFFECTED	the state of not being affected by sth	Freedom from tyranny is a principle we should always defend.
NP05	independence from sth	AUTONOMY	the state of being independent	Cuba gained independence from Spain in 1898.
NP09	passage from sth	PART	a portion or section of a written work	Anne quoted a short passage from the Bible.
NP10	protection from sth	GUARDING	the act of protecting sb/sth	The high walls give the garden protection from the wind.
NP09	relief from sth	HAPPINESS	the feeling of happiness	The holiday was a welcome relief from the pressure of work.
NP02	refuge from sb/sth	SHELTER	shelter or protection from danger	A lot of people crossed the border, seeking refuge from the war.
NP02	respite from sth	REST	a pause from sth unpleasant	For a brief time there was a nice respite from the conflict.
NP11	retirement from sth	CAREER	the state of being retired	Shortly after her defeat she announced her retirement from sport.
NP04	retreat from sth	POSITION	go away from a place or person	They passed through the city on its retreat from the battlefield.
NP02	transition from sth	CHANGE	a change from one state to another	The country made a transition from dictatorship to democracy.
NP07	withdrawal from/of sth	TAKING AWAY	an act of taking something away	The colonel authorised the withdrawal of troops from the fields.
NOUN +IN(TO)
NP08	confidence in sb/sth	CERTAINTY	a feeling that you can do sth well	The workers all have confidence in their foreman.
NP08	decrease in sth	REDUCTION	the act of becoming smaller	Studies report a recent decrease in traffic accidents.
NP06	deficiency in sth	SHORTAGE	a lack of something that is needed	Some elderly people suffer from iron deficiency in their diet.
NP08	delay in sth	WAIT	a period of time by which sth is late	There has been a delay in the record's publication.
NP01	delight in sth	PLEASURE	a feeling of great pleasure	Sarah seems to take great delight in teasing her brother.
NP03	diligence in sth	GREAT EFFORT	careful work or great effort	He showed great diligence in tracking down the story.
NP01	hesitation in sth	PAUSING	the act of pausing before doing sth	I had no hesitation in recommending her for the position.
NP11	increase in sth	RISE	a rise in the amount or size of sth	Priests have witnessed an increase in religious intolerance.
NP03	insight into sth	PERCEPTION	an understanding of what sth is like	We need to gain insight into the politics of the region.
NP08	interest in sth	INVOLVEMENT	a sense of curiosity about sb/sth	At university she developed an interest in astronomy.
NP13	investigation into sth	EXAMINATION	an official examination of the facts	The coroner ordered an investigation into the man's death.
NP10	partner in sth	OWNER	one of the owners of a company	He became a partner in the family firm.
NP16	pride in sth	SATISFACTION	a feeling of pleasure and satisfaction	We take great pride in offering the best service in town.
NP14	reduction in sth	DECREASE	the act of making smaller	The government is aiming at a 20% reduction in unemployment.
NP15	rise in sth	INCREASE	an increase in an amount	December has seen a large rise in the number of unemployed.
NP12	root(s) in sth	CAUSE	the cause of something bad	The unrest has roots in religious differences.
NP07	setback in sth	PROBLEM	an event that makes you lose progress	She has suffered a serious setback in her political career.
NP17	shift in sth	CHANGE	a change in position or direction	The war brought about a shift in the balance of power.
NP17	specialist in sth	EXPERT	an expert in a particular subject	This professor is a specialist in modern English literature.
NP17	success in sth	ACHIEVEMENT	the achieving of the results wanted	I admire him for his success in finding a job.
NP05	surge in sth	INCREASE	a sudden and great increase	There has been a surge in electric vehicle prices recently.
NP01	virtue in sth	ADVANTAGE	an advantage or good thing	Would there be any virtue in taking an earlier bus?
NOUN + OF
NP14	advantage of sth	EDGE	superiority of position	The advantage of the plan is its simplicity.
NP01	ally of sb	PARTNER	sb who helps and supports sb else	He is known to be a longtime ally of the Prime Minister.
NP01	avoidance of sth	NOT DOING	the act of avoiding sth or sb	Avoidance of hypoglycemia after exercise is important.
NP01	breach of sth	BROKEN RULE	an act of breaking a law, promise	Many people consider his decision to be a breach of trust.
NP13	cause of sth	REASON	the reason why sth happens	They are investigating the cause of the accident.
NP04	denial of sth	NOT TRUE	a statement saying that sth is not true	He issued a flat denial of the charges made against him.
NP09	description of sb/sth	DEPICTION	sth that tells you what sb/sth is like	The witness was unable to provide a description of the robber.
NP14	discovery of sth	FINDING	the act of finding sth for the first time	The discovery of oil acted as a stimulus to industrial development.
NP01	drawback of sth	DISADVANTAGE	something that causes problems	The only drawback of the plan is that it costs too much.
NP09	example of sth	TYPICAL CASE	a thing characteristic of its kind	Can you show me an example of what you mean?
NP03	exclusion of sth	EXCLUDING	the act or an instance of excluding	Exclusion of air creates a vacuum in the tank.
NP16	guarantee of sth	PROMISE	a promise or assurance	Career success is no guarantee of happiness.
NP12	intention of sth	AIM	sth that you want and plan to do	She had no intention of paying for the meal.
NP17	invasion of sth	INCURSION	the act of invading something	The Second World War began with the invasion of Poland.
NP09	lack of sth	SHORTAGE	the state of not having enough of sth	He was becoming increasingly impatient at her lack of interest.
NP01	mastery of sth	CONTROL	complete control of something	The allied bombers had total mastery of the skies.
NP05	mistrust of sb/sth	LACK OF TRUST	lack of trust or confidence	My grandmother has a profound mistrust of anything new.
NP16	neglect of sb/sth	LACK OF CARE	lack of care and attention	The official was dismissed for neglect of his duty.
NP12	origin of sth	BEGINNING	the beginning or cause of something	The origin of the word is something of a puzzle.
NP06	portent of sth	OMEN	a sign that sth bad is likely to happen	The event proved to be a portent of the disaster that was to come.
NP10	proof of sth	EVIDENCE	any factual evidence	His account gives us no concrete proof of her guilt.
NP04	recipient of sth	BENEFICIARY	a person who receives something	Throughout her life she would be the recipient of many awards.
NP15	result of sth	EFFECT	sth that is caused by sth else	Losing weight is an indirect result of smoking cigarettes.
NP11	risk of sth	POSSIBILITY	the possibility of sth bad happening	Smoking increases the risk of coronary heart disease.
NP07	scarcity of sth	SHORTAGE	a very small supply	There is a great scarcity of food in these areas.
NP09	smell of sth	AROMA	an act or instance of smelling	The smell of lavender lingered faintly in the room.
NP16	survivor of sth	ACCIDENT	someone who hasn't died	There was only one survivor of the plane crash.
NP15	taste of sth	FLAVOUR	the flavour of something	I like the taste of beer and enjoy trying different kinds.
NP13	trace of sb/sth	SIGN	a sign that something has happened	They had found no trace of the missing climbers.
NOUN + (UP)ON
NP08	advice on sth	OPINION	an opinion about what sb should do	I need some advice on which computer to buy.
NP08	attack (up)on sb/sth	VIOLENT ACT	a violent, harmful act against sb/sth	Her attack on the manager led to her instant dismissal.
NP02	authority on sth	EXPERT	an expert on a subject	He's a world authority on 17th-century French history.
NP02	ban on sth	PROHIBITION	an official or legal prohibition	Ecuador announced a ban on fishing for shrimps.
NP04	consensus on/about sth	AGREEMENT	a general agreement about sth	Can we reach a consensus on this matter? Let's take a vote.
NP02	expenditure on sth	COSTS	an amount of money spent	Our annual expenditure on training has been carefully budgeted.
NP10	expert on/in sth	SPECIALIST	a person with special knowledge	People on the tour will be escorted by an expert on archaeology.
NP08	effect (up)on sth	RESULT	the result of a particular influence	The experience has had a negative effect on Jimmy.
NP06	impact (up)on sth	EFFECT	a marked effect or influence	The stress of his job is having a negative impact on his health.
NP02	influence (up)on sb/sth	EFFECT	the power to affect sb or sth	She had considerable influence on younger musicians.
NP08	information on/about sth	DETAILS	facts or details about sth or sb	Do you have any information about bus times?
NP03	jinx on sb/sth	BAD LUCK	a person or thing that brings bad luck	There must be a jinx on our team - two of our players were sick.
NP05	onslaught on sb/sth	ATTACK	a strong or violent attack	The attackers launched another vicious onslaught on their victim.
NP07	outlook on sth	OPINION	a person's general attitude to life	The book totally changed his outlook on politics.
NP11	policy on sth	PLAN	a set of statements of principles	Britain is to adopt a more restrictive policy on arms sales.
NP15	remark on/about sb/sth	COMMENT	a written or spoken comment	They made rude remarks on the older woman.
NP16	strain on sth	PRESSURE	a feeling of stress and worry	Money problems have put a strain on their relationship.
NP02	verdict on sth	JUDGEMENT	a judgement or opinion about sth	Teenagers have issued a decisive verdict on their high schools.
NOUN + TO/TOWARDS
NP11	access to sth	REACH	a way of entering or reaching a place	There is no access to the street through that door.
NP06	allusion to sb/sth	REMARK	a brief or indirect reference	She made some allusion to the years they lived in Paris.
NP01	alternative to sth	OPTION	a choice or option	Disillusioned voters want an alternative to the two main parties.
NP08	answer to sth	SOLUTION	a solution to a problem	The police do not have an answer to rising crime.
NP11	attitude to(wards) sb/sth	OPINION	the way you think about sb/sth	The government has taken a positive attitude to this problem.
NP01	aversion to sb/sth	DISLIKE	a strong feeling of not liking sth	Some people have a deep aversion to modern technology.
NP13	cruelty to/towards sb	BRUTALITY	cruel behaviour or a cruel action	Nothing will excuse her cruelty to her children.
NP08	damage to sth	HARM	harm or injury	The storm had caused serious damage to the building.
NP04	devotion to sb/sth	LOYALTY	great love, care for sb/sth	Her devotion to her husband and family is touching.
NP17	engagement to sb	MARRIAGE	a formal agreement to get married	Paul announced his engagement to his long-time girlfriend.
NP03	exception to sth	RULES	a case where a rule does not apply	There are always many exceptions to grammar rules.
NP01	fidelity to sth	LOYALTY	the quality of being faithful	No one can doubt his fidelity to his wife.
NP17	heir to sth	SUCCESSOR	a person who inherits	He was the sole heir to the family fortune.
NP17	injury to sb/sth	WOUND	harm that is done or sustained	Neil sustained an injury to his spine when he fell off his horse.
NP14	insult to sb/sth	OFFENSIVE	an offensive remark or action	The questions were a real insult to our intelligence.
NP08	invitation to sth	EVENT	the act of inviting sb to go to an event	Thanks for the invitation to the Christmas Party.
NP14	key to sth	SECRET	a thing that makes achieve sth	The key to success is to be ready from the start.
NP16	objection to/against sth	DISAPPROVAL	an expression of disapproval	His objection to the plan is based on incorrect facts.
NP16	obligation to(wards) sb	DUTY	the fact that you are obliged to do sth	He is under an obligation to his adoptive mother.
NP01	prelude to sth	INTRODUCTION	a preliminary to an action, event	The dark clouds were a prelude to the hurricane.
NP13	reaction to sth	BEHAVIOUR	the act or process of reacting	There has been a mixed reaction to the changes.
NP05	reference to sb/sth	MENTION	a mention of something	There is no direct reference to his own childhood in the book.
NP15	relevance to sth	CONNECTION	the condition of being relevant	What Helen said has no direct relevance to the matter.
NP08	reply to sth	ANSWER	sth said, written, or done as an answer	She got some interesting replies to her post about cooking.
NP07	resemblance to sb/sth	LIKENESS	the state of looking like someone else	She bears a striking resemblance to her mother.
NP11	similarity to sb/sth	RESEMBLANCE	the state of being similar to sb/sth	The area bears a superficial similarity to south Dublin.
NP10	solution to sth	ANSWER	the answer to a problem	Her plan does not offer a real solution to the problem.
NP07	stimulus to sth	INCENTIVE	sth that causes growth or activity	Interest rates could fall soon and be a stimulus to industry.
NP13	thanks to sb/sth	BECAUSE OF	because of someone or something	Thanks to your help, we were successful.
NP12	threat to sb/sth	DANGER	sb/sth that could cause trouble, harm	Oil spills pose a serious threat to marine life.
NP12	transfer to sth	MOVE	an act or instance of transferring	She has asked for a transfer to the company's London branch.
NP05	tribute to sb/sth	PRAISE	showing the good effects of sb/sth	The pyramids are a remarkable tribute to Egyptian ingenuity.
NOUN + WITH
NP06	acquaintance with sb	FRIENDSHIP	slight friendship	I first met Helen in 2019 and struck up an acquaintance with her.
NP03	affinity with/for sb/sth	LIKING	a liking or sympathy for sb or sth	Sam was born in the country and had a deep affinity with nature.
NP13	agreement with sb	SAME OPINION	harmony in opinion or feeling	The theatre has reached an agreement with striking actors.
NP07	alliance with sb/sth	UNION	a group of people who work together	The Greens are now in alliance with the Social Democrats.
NP02	association with sb/sth	CONNECTION	a connection between things/people	He denied having any association with terrorists.
NP02	clash with sb	FIGHT	a fight or argument between people	Many protesters were injured in a recent clash with the police.
NP05	compliance with sth	OBEDIENCE	the act of obeying a law or rule	There has been a low rate of compliance with the new law.
NP09	connection with sth	LINK	sth that connects two facts, ideas	Her resignation must have some connection with the scandal.
NP02	encounter with sb/sth	MEETING	a meeting that is not planned	He had an alarming encounter with a wild dog.
NP14	harmony with sth	MATCH	a state of peaceful existence	Our actions were in harmony with our words.
NP15	interview with sb/sth	QUESTIONING	the questioning of a person	Did you hear the interview with her on the radio?
NP06	link with/to sb/sth	CONNECTION	a connection between people, things	The government has established trade links with other countries.
NP02	obsession with sb/sth	COMPULSION	the state of being obsessed with sth	His obsession with sports cars began two years ago.
NP10	patience with sb/sth	QUALITY	the quality of being patient	No wonder people have such little patience with new technology.
NP10	quarrel with sb	ARGUMENT	an angry argument or disagreement	Helen had a terrible quarrel with her younger sister.
NP09	relationship with sb	FRIENDSHIP	the way in which two people feel	She has a very good relationship with her mother-in-law.
NP02	solidarity with sb	UNITY	a feeling of unity between people	She voiced her solidarity with the weak and defenceless.
NP09	trouble with sb/sth	DIFFICULTIES	problems or difficulties	They've never had much trouble with vandals around here.

Noun + Preposition List