Nouns and prepositions

A. Groups of related nouns sharing prepositions

Sometimes groups of nouns with related meanings share the same prepositions.

nouns

preposition(s) example

book, article, essay,
lecture, dissertation,
project, assignment

about, on

In 1978, Da Silva published a book about

1

the history of emigration.

She wrote a dissertation on

2

teenage slang in New York.

research (see also B),
investigation, inquiry

into

Kelly (1969) conducted an investigation into the origins of
international terrorism.

analysis, examination,
exploration (see also
B), study

of

The article offers an analysis of the potential impact of the H5N I
Avian Flu virus.

problem, difficulty

of, with

He gave a lecture on the problem of global warming.
One difficulty with this approach is that a set of results may
allow different interpretations.

reason, motivation,
rationale (see also B)

for

Economists have recently questioned the rationale for
government spending.

1

and

2

about tends to be used for more general subjects; on is frequently used for more specific, detailed

works, although both may be found in both uses

B. Nouns commonly associated with particular prepositions

You can also learn the nouns which most frequently come before a particular preposition. Some
of these are in A above. The following examples are all titles of academic articles.

nouns

preposition

example

look, attempt, point, age a t

An attempt at integration of economic and psychological
theories of consumption

changes, differences,
increase, decrease

in

Gender differences in risk-taking in financial decision
making

insight, inquiry, research,
investigation

into

An investigation into sleep characteristics of children with
autism

work, research,
influence,
emphasis, effect

on

Genetic influence on smoking - a study of male twins

basis, idea, part, lack,
exploration, means

of

A computerised clinical decision support system as a means
of implementing depression guidelines

need, reason, basis, case,
preference

for

Assessing organisational culture: the case for multiple
methods

relation, approach,
response, attention

to

Communicating with strangers: an approach to intercultural
communication

attitude, tendency,
move, progress

to/towards Progress towards sustainable regional development

principle, rationale,
assumptions, logic

behind

Questioning the assumptions behind art criticism

relationship, difference,
distinction

between

The relationship between educational technology and
student achievement in mathematics