50 Common Noun + Preposition Collocations

Master the combinations that make you sound like a proper native speaker!

🎯 What Are Noun + Preposition Collocations?

These are fixed combinations of nouns and prepositions that native speakers use automatically. You can't just guess which preposition goes with which noun - you have to bloody learn them! But don't worry, once you know these 50, you'll sound much more natural.

🔍 Search & Filter Collocations

😊 Emotions & Feelings

  • fear of
    "I have a fear of spiders."
  • love for
    "Her love for music is obvious."
  • hatred of
    "His hatred of injustice drives him."
  • anger at/about
    "There's anger about the decision."
  • excitement about
    "The excitement about the trip is building."
  • disappointment with
    "My disappointment with the result was huge."
  • sympathy for
    "I have sympathy for your situation."
  • jealousy of
    "Her jealousy of her sister is obvious."

👥 Relationships & People

  • relationship with
    "My relationship with my boss is good."
  • friendship with
    "Our friendship with them goes back years."
  • marriage to
    "Her marriage to John was happy."
  • divorce from
    "The divorce from her husband was messy."
  • argument with
    "I had an argument with my neighbor."
  • conversation with
    "The conversation with the manager was useful."
  • contact with
    "We lost contact with our old friends."
  • connection between
    "There's a connection between these events."

💼 Work & Business

  • application for
    "My application for the job was successful."
  • interview for
    "I have an interview for a new position."
  • responsibility for
    "He has responsibility for the project."
  • experience in
    "She has experience in marketing."
  • expertise in
    "His expertise in technology is valuable."
  • knowledge of
    "Her knowledge of languages is impressive."
  • skill in
    "His skill in negotiation is well-known."
  • training in
    "I need training in the new software."

⚠️ Problems & Solutions

  • problem with
    "There's a problem with the computer."
  • solution to
    "We need a solution to this issue."
  • answer to
    "I don't know the answer to that question."
  • difficulty with
    "I'm having difficulty with this task."
  • trouble with
    "We're having trouble with the car."
  • damage to
    "The storm caused damage to the roof."
  • threat to
    "Climate change is a threat to our future."
  • danger of
    "There's a danger of flooding."

🧠 Abstract Concepts

  • reason for
    "What's the reason for the delay?"
  • cause of
    "The cause of the accident is unknown."
  • effect on
    "The effect on the environment is serious."
  • influence on
    "Parents have influence on their children."
  • impact on
    "The impact on sales was significant."
  • advantage of
    "The advantage of this method is speed."
  • disadvantage of
    "The disadvantage of living here is the noise."
  • benefit of
    "The benefit of exercise is well-known."

🎲 Miscellaneous

  • interest in
    "She has an interest in photography."
  • need for
    "There's a need for better communication."
  • demand for
    "The demand for organic food is growing."
  • lack of
    "The lack of information is frustrating."
  • increase in
    "There's been an increase in prices."
  • decrease in
    "We saw a decrease in sales last month."
  • difference between
    "What's the difference between these two?"
  • similarity to
    "The similarity to her mother is striking."
  • attitude to/towards
    "His attitude towards work has changed."
  • approach to
    "We need a new approach to this problem."

💡 Learning Tips

📚 Learn in Context

Don't just memorize the combinations - learn them in full sentences so you understand how they're used naturally.

🔄 Practice Daily

Try to use 3-5 new collocations every day in your speaking or writing. Repetition is key to making them automatic.

📝 Keep a Notebook

Write down new collocations you encounter. Group them by topic or preposition to help you remember patterns.

🎯 Focus on Common Ones

Start with the most frequent collocations in your field of work or study. These will give you the biggest impact.

🧠 Quick Collocation Quiz

1. I have a lot of experience _____ teaching English.

in
with
of
for

2. What's the reason _____ the delay?

of
for
about
to

3. She has a fear _____ flying.

for
about
of
with

4. We need a solution _____ this problem.

for
to
of
with

5. His attitude _____ work has improved.

for
of
towards
about

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