- accord with (neuter)
- accord to (active)
- accused of crime
- acquit persons of
- adapted to or between
- adapted to a thing for a purpose
- affinity to or between
- agreeable to
- agree with persons, to things, among ourselves
- amuse with, at, in
- angry with (a person) at (a thing)
- anxious for, about, sometimes on
- attend to (listen)
- attend upon (wait)
- averse from, when describing an act or state.
- averse to, when describing feeling
- bestow upon
- boast of
- call on
- change for
- compliance with
- confer on (give), with (converse)
- confide in, when intransitive
- confide it to, when transitive
- conform to
- conformable to
- consonant to, sometimes with
- convenient to or for
- conversant with persons; in or of affairs; about subjects
- correspond with (by letter), to (similar things)
- dependent on, upon
- derogate from
- derogatory to a person or thing
- die of or by
- differ from or with
- difference with a person
- difference between things
- difficulty in
- diminution of
- disappointed of a purpose; and in a matter if it fails to meet our expectations.
- disapprove of
- discouragement to
- dissent from
- distinguished for, from, sometimes by
- eager in
- entertain by (a person), with (a thing)
- exception is taken to statements; sometimes against
- expert at or in
- fall under
- free from
- frightened at
- glad of something gained, and of or at what befalls another
- grieve at, for
- independent of
- insist upon
- made of, for, from, with
- marry to
- martyr for a cause, to a disease.
- need of
- notice of
- observance of
- prejudiced against
- prejudicial to
- profit by
- provide for
- reconcile to
- recreant to, from
- reduce to a state; under subjection
- regard to or for
- replete with
- resemblance to
- resolve on
- respect for
- smile at, upon
- swerve from
- taste of what is actually enjoyed; for what we have the capacity of enjoying.
- think of or on
- thirst for, after
- true of (predicable)
- true to (faithful)
- wait on (serve), at (a place), for (await)
- worthy of
present is to be distinguished from introduce. Introduction takes place among equals, but a presentation takes place by act of grace. Then the favored person is brought into the presence of some superior or other persons, be it lady or celebrity, who is graciously pleased to grant the privilege, which however does not permit the subsequent familiarity of an introduction. A man may be presented at court or to a reigning beauty, but he is merely introduced to the man who may afterwards become a college chum.
pretend is so commonly used in a bad sense that it becomes improper to use it (even in the sense of claim) for profess; for a profession is made only of what one is happy or proud to profess. Therefore say, “I profess (not I pretend to) skill in surgery.”
pretty as an adverb may properly be used to signify moderately, tolerably, fairly, somewhat (extensively), but the expression lacks elegance and definitiveness, as is shown by the following sentence: “He is a pretty sick man, but is pretty sure to recover, being at all times pretty fortunate.”
prevail: In the sense of “triumph,” this word is usually followed by the prepositions over or against; as, “We have prevailed over our enemies”; “None can prevail against us.” In the sense of “to have effectual influence,” follow it with on, upon or with; as, “He prevailed on me to go.” In the sense “to have general vogue, currency or acceptance,” it should be followed by through or throughout; as, “Mohammedanism prevails throughout Northern Africa.”
preventive is preferable to preventative, which is a corruption of the former, has been described as a “barbarism,” and is said to stamp any one using it as lacking in common education.
previous: In higher literature, the adverbial use of previous with to, in the sense of “prior to” is not favored. The adverb previously or the expression prior to is preferred.
prey. Compare [PRAY].
principle, principal: Exercise care in the use of these homophones. Principle is a source or cause from which a thing proceeds: principal, first or highest in rank. Note the difference in spelling.