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Prepositions after adjectives

Close to, by, in, with or on?

Close is most commonly followed by to. Other prepositions may appear in the sentence for place or topic, but they usually are not selected by the adjective close.

Quick answer

The usual pattern is close to

Use close to for physical distance, emotional relationships, similarity, or approaching an amount or time. Close by is a fixed adverb phrase meaning nearby, not an adjective plus preposition pattern.

She lives close to the station.
We are close to our neighbours.
The result was close to perfect.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
close to + place/person

Showing distance or relationship

Use close to for physical or emotional closeness.

Their office is close to the airport.
2
close to + number/time

Showing an approximate amount

Close to can mean nearly or almost.

The project cost close to $1 million.
3
close by

Saying something is nearby

Close by is an adverb phrase, not close + preposition.

There is a pharmacy close by.
4
close with + person

Describing a friendly relationship

Close with is used in some varieties of English to describe personal relations, especially in conversation.

He is very close with his cousins.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
close to
The school is close to the park.
standard pattern for distance, relationship, or similarity
close by
A café is close by.
fixed adverb phrase meaning nearby
close in
The walls made the room feel close in.
different expression meaning enclosed or cramped
close with
She is close with her sister.
relationship-focused pattern used mainly informally

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using close on for relationships

Close on is not a standard complement after close for relationships or distance.

✕ She is close on her brother. ✓ She is close to her brother.

Confusing close by with close to

Close by does not take an object directly.

✕ The hotel is close by the station. ✓ The hotel is close to the station.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. We stayed ___ the city centre.
2. There is a supermarket ___.
3. He is very ___ his grandmother.

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Frequently asked questions

Is close by the same as close to?

Not exactly. Close by is an adverb phrase meaning nearby, while close to is followed by a noun.

Can I say close with someone?

Yes, especially in informal North American English, although close to is more universal.

Is close on correct?

Close on has other meanings such as time approaching, but it is not the normal pattern for relationships or distance.

calm, in, calm, for, calm, about "candid about" or "candid in"? capable of or in? careful about, with, of, in or on? careless about, with, in, of or on? caribbean in, for, with, to or on? "catastrophic for" or "catastrophic to"? "cautious about" or "cautious in"? celtic in, for, on, at or to? central to, in, for, at or of? "certain of" or "certain about"? "challenging for" or "challenging of"?

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