Complex Prepositional Phrases

Complex prepositional phrases — also called multi-word prepositions or compound prepositions — consist of two or more words that function together as a single preposition. Phrases like in spite of, with regard to, and on behalf of are staples of formal English writing. They allow writers to express nuanced relationships that simple one-word prepositions cannot capture.

What Makes a Prepositional Phrase "Complex"?

A complex prepositional phrase typically follows one of these structural patterns:

Structure	Examples
preposition + noun + preposition	in spite of, on behalf of, by means of, in terms of, in lieu of
preposition + noun	despite (historically "in despite of"), aboard, inside
adverb/adjective + preposition	prior to, due to, close to, apart from
preposition + noun + preposition + noun	in the event of, at the expense of, for the sake of

The defining characteristic is that the entire phrase acts as a single prepositional unit. You cannot remove or rearrange the parts without destroying the meaning.

Essential Complex Prepositions for Formal Writing

Concession and Contrast

These phrases introduce ideas that conflict with or qualify the main point:

In spite of / Despite

• In spite of the economic downturn, the company reported growth.
• Despite significant opposition, the policy was implemented.
• Note: "In spite of" and "despite" are interchangeable. "Despite" is slightly more concise; "in spite of" can feel more emphatic. Never write "despite of" — this is always incorrect.

Regardless of

• Regardless of the outcome, the research contributed valuable data.
• This phrase emphasizes that the main clause holds true no matter what follows.

Notwithstanding

• Notwithstanding these limitations, the findings are significant.
• Very formal; common in legal and academic texts. Can also appear after the noun: These limitations notwithstanding, the findings are significant.

Purpose and Cause

For the purpose of

• For the purpose of this analysis, we define "urban" as any area with a population exceeding 50,000.
• Formal alternative to "to" or "for." Often used to define scope.

For the sake of

• For the sake of clarity, the data has been presented in tabular form.
• Emphasizes the benefit or motivation behind an action.

On account of

• On account of the adverse weather conditions, the trial was postponed.
• Formal equivalent of "because of." More common in written than spoken English.

By virtue of

• By virtue of her seniority, she was appointed to lead the committee.
• Indicates that a quality or characteristic is the cause of something.

Reference and Relation

With regard to / With respect to / In regard to

• With regard to the second question, the data is inconclusive.
• With respect to timeline, the project remains on schedule.
• These three are largely interchangeable. Note: "In regards to" (with an 's') is considered nonstandard in formal writing. Use "in regard to" or "with regard to."

In terms of

• In terms of profitability, the new product line exceeded expectations.
• Extremely common in both spoken and written English. Useful but can be overused — consider whether a simpler preposition would work.

As for / As to

• As for the remaining issues, they will be addressed in the next meeting.
• As to whether this approach is viable, further testing is required.
• "As for" introduces a topic shift. "As to" introduces a question or area of uncertainty.

In the case of

• In the case of developing nations, the challenges are particularly acute.
• Sets up a specific instance within a broader discussion.

Representation and Substitution

On behalf of

• On behalf of the entire team, I would like to express our gratitude.
• Means "representing" or "in the interest of." Do not confuse with "on the part of" (which attributes an action to someone).

In lieu of

• In lieu of a formal report, the team submitted a summary memo.
• Means "instead of." Very formal; common in legal and business contexts.

In place of

• Solar panels were installed in place of the aging heating system.
• Similar to "in lieu of" but slightly less formal.

Addition and Inclusion

In addition to

• In addition to the primary findings, several secondary patterns emerged.
• Adds information. More formal than "besides" or "as well as."

Along with

• The report, along with the supporting documents, was submitted on Friday.
• Adds an accompanying element. Note: the verb agrees with the main subject, not the phrase introduced by "along with."

Apart from

• Apart from a few minor errors, the manuscript was well prepared.
• Can mean "except for" (exclusion) or "in addition to" (inclusion), depending on context.

Formality and Register

Complex prepositional phrases tend to raise the formality level of writing. This is useful in academic and professional contexts but can make casual writing feel stiff or pompous.

Choosing the Right Register

Informal	Neutral	Formal
because of	due to	on account of / by virtue of
about	regarding	with regard to / with respect to
except for	other than	with the exception of
instead of	rather than	in lieu of
also / and	as well as	in addition to
even though	although	notwithstanding / in spite of
before	prior to	in advance of
like	similar to	in a manner consistent with

The goal is not to always use the most formal option. The goal is to match the register of your text. In an academic paper, "with regard to" is appropriate. In a blog post, "about" is better.

Avoiding Overuse

A common mistake among advanced learners is packing sentences with complex prepositional phrases to sound "more academic." This produces bloated prose:

Overloaded: With regard to the implementation of the policy in terms of its effectiveness in the context of developing nations, in spite of the challenges associated with resource allocation, the outcomes were, in large part, in line with expectations.

Revised: Despite resource allocation challenges, the policy was largely effective in developing nations.

Use complex prepositional phrases when they genuinely improve precision or formality. Replace them with simpler alternatives when they add length without adding meaning.

Punctuation with Complex Prepositional Phrases

When a complex prepositional phrase introduces a sentence, follow it with a comma:

• In spite of the delays, the project was completed on time.
• With regard to the second proposal, the board has several concerns.
• In addition to cost savings, the new system improves efficiency.

When the phrase appears mid-sentence, commas depend on whether it is parenthetical:

• The project, in spite of the delays, was completed on time. (parenthetical — commas needed)
• The decision was made on the basis of the available evidence. (essential — no commas)

Common Errors with Complex Prepositional Phrases

Error	Correction	Explanation
despite of the rain	despite the rain	"Despite" does not take "of"
in regards to	in regard to	No 's' on "regard" in standard formal English
on the behalf of	on behalf of	No "the" in this fixed phrase
irregardless of	regardless of	"Irregardless" is nonstandard
in terms in quality	in terms of quality	The phrase requires "of"
in despite of	in spite of or despite	"In despite of" is archaic
for the purposes to	for the purpose of	The phrase requires "of" + gerund

Prepositional Verbs and Phrasal Verbs

Some of the most challenging aspects of advanced English involve verbs that combine with prepositions or particles. These combinations — prepositional verbs, phrasal verbs, and phrasal-prepositional verbs — behave differently in terms of meaning, grammar, and formality. Understanding the differences is critical for accurate, natural writing.

Three Types of Verb + Preposition/Particle Combinations

1. Prepositional Verbs

A prepositional verb is a verb followed by a preposition that cannot be separated from its object. The preposition keeps its core meaning, and the combination is relatively transparent.

• depend on — The outcome depends on several factors.
• consist of — The committee consists of twelve members.
• result in — The policy change resulted in a 15% cost reduction.
• account for — Exports account for 40% of the nation's GDP.
• refer to — The author refers to several earlier studies.
• belong to — This document belongs to the finance department.
• apply to — The same principle applies to all cases.
• contribute to — Several factors contributed to the outcome.

Key grammar rule: The preposition must stay directly before the object. You cannot separate them.

• Correct: The outcome depends on the data.
• Incorrect: The outcome depends the data on. (never possible)

2. Phrasal Verbs

A phrasal verb is a verb combined with a particle (a word that looks like a preposition but functions as part of the verb). The combination creates a new meaning that is often not predictable from the individual words.

• carry out — to perform or execute (The team carried out the experiment.)
• look into — to investigate (Management is looking into the complaint.)
• bring about — to cause (The reforms brought about significant change.)
• set up — to establish (The organization set up a new branch.)
• break down — to analyze into parts / to stop functioning (Let's break down the data by category.)
• point out — to draw attention to (The reviewer pointed out several inconsistencies.)
• put forward — to propose (She put forward an alternative explanation.)
• turn down — to reject (The committee turned down the proposal.)

Key grammar rule: With transitive phrasal verbs, the particle can be separated from the verb. When the object is a pronoun, separation is mandatory.

• The team carried out the experiment. (together — correct)
• The team carried the experiment out. (separated — correct)
• The team carried it out. (pronoun — separation is mandatory)
• The team carried out it. (pronoun unseparated — incorrect)

3. Phrasal-Prepositional Verbs

A phrasal-prepositional verb combines a verb with both a particle and a preposition. These are always inseparable.

• come up with — to devise (She came up with a solution.)
• look forward to — to anticipate (We look forward to your response.)
• put up with — to tolerate (The staff could no longer put up with the conditions.)
• keep up with — to maintain pace (It is difficult to keep up with technological advances.)
• get away with — to escape consequences (The company got away with minimal penalties.)
• look down on — to regard with contempt (The policy was seen as looking down on smaller firms.)

Prepositional Verbs vs. Phrasal Verbs: Key Differences

The distinction matters because it affects word order, formality, and meaning.

Feature	Prepositional Verb	Phrasal Verb
Separable?	Never	Usually (mandatory with pronouns)
Meaning	Often transparent	Often idiomatic
Formality	Neutral to formal	Often informal
Passive formation	Standard	Sometimes awkward
Example	rely on (clear meaning)	make up (meaning varies)

Testing the Difference

If you can place the object between the verb and the preposition/particle, it is a phrasal verb:

• look into the matter / look the matter into — separation possible = phrasal verb
• depend on the results / depend the results on — separation impossible = prepositional verb

If the meaning changes fundamentally when you remove the particle, it is a phrasal verb:

• carry out (execute) vs. carry (transport) — meaning changes = phrasal verb
• rely on (depend) vs. rely (rarely used alone) — preposition is obligatory = prepositional verb

Essential Prepositional Verbs for Academic and Professional Writing

Academic and professional texts strongly prefer prepositional verbs over phrasal verbs because they sound more formal and their meanings are more transparent.

Analysis and Research

Verb	Example
focus on	This study focuses on the relationship between diet and performance.
concentrate on	The analysis concentrates on three key variables.
elaborate on	The author elaborates on this point in Chapter 4.
comment on	Several critics have commented on the methodology.
reflect on	The discussion reflects on the implications of the findings.
speculate about	Researchers speculate about possible explanations.

Cause and Effect

Verb	Example
result in	The intervention resulted in improved outcomes.
result from	The improvement resulted from sustained effort.
lead to	Deforestation leads to soil erosion.
contribute to	Multiple factors contributed to the decline.
stem from	The problem stems from a fundamental design flaw.
give rise to	The discovery gave rise to a new field of research.

Quantity and Proportion

Verb	Example
account for	Renewable energy accounts for 30% of total production.
amount to	Total losses amounted to $2.5 million.
relate to	The increase relates to changes in consumer behavior.
correspond to	Each symbol corresponds to a specific data point.

Agreement and Conformity

Verb	Example
comply with	All participants must comply with the guidelines.
conform to	The results conform to the predicted pattern.
adhere to	The study adheres to established ethical standards.
align with	The findings align with previous research.

Replacing Phrasal Verbs in Formal Writing

In academic and professional contexts, phrasal verbs are generally replaced by more formal single-word verbs or prepositional verbs. This is not about avoiding phrasal verbs entirely — it is about choosing the appropriate register.

Phrasal Verb (Informal)	Formal Alternative
find out	discover, determine, ascertain
carry out	conduct, perform, execute
look into	investigate, examine, explore
bring about	cause, produce, generate
set up	establish, create, institute
point out	indicate, highlight, note
make up	constitute, comprise
go up	increase, rise
go down	decrease, decline
come up with	devise, develop, propose
put forward	propose, suggest, advance
turn down	reject, decline
break down	analyze, decompose, categorize
leave out	omit, exclude
take into account	consider

Important nuance: Phrasal verbs are not wrong in formal writing — they are simply less common. A well-placed phrasal verb can make academic prose feel more readable. The key is awareness: know when you are making a register choice.

Common Preposition Errors with Verbs

Many errors in advanced writing come from using the wrong preposition with a verb. These cannot be derived from rules — they must be learned as fixed combinations.

Error	Correction	Notes
depend of	depend on	Always "on"
consist in (when meaning "be made up of")	consist of	"Consist in" exists but means "have as essential feature"
result to	result in (cause) / result from (be caused by)	Direction matters
comply to	comply with	Always "with"
focus in	focus on	Always "on"
account on	account for	Always "for"
contribute for	contribute to	Always "to"
insist to	insist on	Always "on"
succeed to do	succeed in doing	Takes gerund, not infinitive

Advanced Preposition Reference

This section serves as a concentrated reference for advanced preposition usage in formal, academic, and professional writing. Use it as a quick-lookup resource when drafting or revising.

Formal Alternatives to Common Prepositions

Formal writing often demands more precise or elevated prepositions. The table below maps everyday prepositions to their formal equivalents.

Common Preposition	Formal Alternative	Example
about	regarding, concerning, with respect to, pertaining to	Regarding your inquiry, we can confirm the shipment date.
after	following, subsequent to	Following the presentation, questions were invited.
before	prior to, in advance of, preceding	Prior to the experiment, all instruments were calibrated.
because of	due to, owing to, on account of, as a result of	Due to unforeseen circumstances, the meeting has been rescheduled.
but / except	with the exception of, excluding, save for	All departments, with the exception of Finance, met their targets.
like	such as, similar to, analogous to	Countries such as Japan and Germany have aging populations.
about (approximately)	approximately, in the region of, on the order of	The project cost was in the region of $2 million.
through	by means of, via, through the medium of	Data was collected by means of structured interviews.
without	in the absence of, lacking	In the absence of conclusive evidence, no determination was made.
among	amongst (British formal), amid	Amid growing concern, the government issued a statement.

Usage Notes

• "Regarding" vs. "with regard to": Both are correct. "Regarding" is more concise; "with regard to" is more formal. Avoid "in regards to" (nonstandard).
• "Due to" vs. "owing to": Traditionally, "due to" modifies nouns and "owing to" modifies verbs: The delay was due to rain (modifies "delay") vs. The event was canceled owing to rain (modifies the clause). In modern usage, this distinction is fading, but careful writers still observe it.
• "Such as" vs. "like": In formal writing, "such as" introduces examples; "like" introduces comparisons. Countries such as Japan... (Japan is an example) vs. Countries like Japan... (countries similar to Japan). This distinction is strictly maintained in academic style guides.

Academic Preposition Patterns

Academic writing relies on a surprisingly small set of prepositional patterns. The following patterns appear across disciplines and are essential for writing research papers, reports, and formal essays.

Framing and Scope

These phrases define the boundaries of what is being discussed:

• In the context of — In the context of developing economies, the implications are significant.
• Within the framework of — Within the framework of cognitive theory, this behavior is predictable.
• In the field of — In the field of molecular biology, recent advances have been transformative.
• For the purposes of — For the purposes of this study, participants were divided into three groups.
• With a view to — The data was organized with a view to identifying patterns.
• In keeping with — In keeping with established methodology, a control group was used.

Evidence and Support

These phrases connect claims to evidence:

• On the basis of — On the basis of the results, the hypothesis was supported.
• In support of — Evidence in support of this claim is presented in Table 3.
• In accordance with — In accordance with ethical guidelines, informed consent was obtained.
• In line with — These findings are in line with previous research.
• On the grounds that — The application was rejected on the grounds that it lacked sufficient detail.
• In view of — In view of the evidence, the original conclusion must be revised.

Contrast and Comparison

These phrases set up analytical relationships:

• In contrast to / In contrast with — In contrast to the control group, the experimental group showed improvement.
• As opposed to — The study used qualitative methods as opposed to quantitative ones.
• In comparison with / Compared to — In comparison with the 2020 data, the 2023 figures show a 20% increase.
• As distinct from — This refers to organizational culture as distinct from organizational structure.
• Rather than — The team chose to revise the model rather than abandon it entirely.

Process and Method

These phrases describe how something was done:

• By means of — Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews.
• In the form of — Feedback was provided in the form of written comments.
• In terms of — In terms of statistical significance, the result was marginal.
• With reference to — With reference to Figure 2, the trend is clearly visible.
• On the part of — A lack of engagement on the part of stakeholders was noted.
• In response to — In response to the criticism, the authors clarified their methodology.

Preposition Collocations: A Quick-Reference Table

The following table lists common adjective + preposition and noun + preposition collocations that frequently cause errors in formal writing.

Adjective + Preposition

Adjective	Preposition	Example
aware	of	aware of the risks
responsible	for	responsible for the oversight
consistent	with	consistent with prior findings
dependent	on	dependent on external funding
relevant	to	relevant to the discussion
capable	of	capable of sustained growth
sensitive	to	sensitive to environmental changes
subject	to	subject to regulatory approval
compatible	with	compatible with existing systems
conducive	to	conducive to learning
indicative	of	indicative of a broader trend
susceptible	to	susceptible to bias
analogous	to	analogous to the previous case
commensurate	with	commensurate with experience
tantamount	to	tantamount to an admission
inherent	in	inherent in the system
contingent	on/upon	contingent on funding approval
incumbent	on/upon	incumbent upon the institution to act

Noun + Preposition

Noun	Preposition	Example
basis	for	the basis for the decision
impact	on	the impact on performance
emphasis	on	greater emphasis on quality
influence	on	a significant influence on outcomes
approach	to	an innovative approach to problem-solving
response	to	the government's response to the crisis
contribution	to	a major contribution to the field
demand	for	growing demand for renewable energy
evidence	of / for	evidence of correlation / evidence for the theory
alternative	to	a viable alternative to surgery
barrier	to	a barrier to entry
threat	to	a threat to biodiversity
solution	to	a practical solution to the problem
increase / decrease	in	an increase in production
access	to	access to education
reliance	on	excessive reliance on fossil fuels

Common Errors in Formal Writing

The following errors appear frequently in academic papers, business reports, and professional correspondence. Each represents a pattern worth memorizing.

1. Wrong Preposition After a Verb

Error	Correct	Note
discuss about the issue	discuss the issue	"Discuss" is transitive — no preposition needed
emphasize on the point	emphasize the point	"Emphasize" is transitive — no preposition needed
comprise of five parts	comprise five parts	"Comprise" is transitive; "consist of" takes "of"
request for assistance (as a verb)	request assistance	"Request" as a verb is transitive
mention about the topic	mention the topic	"Mention" is transitive — no preposition needed

2. Missing Preposition

Error	Correct	Note
comply the rules	comply with the rules	Intransitive — requires "with"
respond the question	respond to the question	Intransitive — requires "to"
participate the project	participate in the project	Intransitive — requires "in"
subscribe the theory	subscribe to the theory	Intransitive — requires "to"

3. Preposition at End of Sentence

The old "rule" against ending a sentence with a preposition is a myth. In many cases, moving the preposition earlier creates awkward, stilted prose:

• Natural: This is the theory that the data is consistent with.
• Stilted: This is the theory with which the data is consistent.

Both are grammatically correct. In formal academic writing, the "fronted" version (preposition moved forward) is sometimes preferred. In all other registers, end-placement is natural and accepted. Winston Churchill's famous quip captures this well: "This is the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put."

4. Double Preposition Errors

Some errors involve inserting an unnecessary second preposition:

Error	Correct
inside of the building	inside the building (in formal writing)
outside of the scope	outside the scope (in formal writing)
off of the table	off the table
alongside of the road	alongside the road

Note: "Inside of" and "outside of" are acceptable in informal usage but should be avoided in formal writing.

Prepositions in Fixed Academic Expressions

Certain expressions in academic English use prepositions in ways that cannot be predicted by rules. These must be learned as complete units:

Expression	Meaning
at the outset	at the beginning
in the first instance	initially, first of all
at the forefront of	leading, most prominent in
on the whole	generally, overall
in the long run	eventually, over time
at this juncture	at this point in time
to this end	for this purpose
in this regard	concerning this matter
on these grounds	for these reasons
in its own right	independently, by itself
by and large	generally, mostly
for the most part	mostly, usually
at any rate	regardless, in any case
in the event of	if (something) happens
at the discretion of	decided by
on the grounds of	because of (formal)

Summary: A Decision Framework

When choosing prepositions in formal writing, ask yourself three questions:

1. Is there a fixed collocation? If the verb, adjective, or noun has a standard preposition partner, use it. Do not substitute.
2. What register am I writing in? Match the formality of the preposition to the formality of the text. "Regarding" for business letters; "about" for blog posts.
3. Am I adding unnecessary prepositions? Verbs like "discuss," "emphasize," and "comprise" do not need prepositions. Adding one is a common error that marks writing as non-native.

When in doubt, consult a learner's dictionary that marks preposition collocations explicitly, or search for the phrase in a corpus of published academic writing.