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Prepositions after adjectives

Disposed of, to or towards?

Disposed to and disposed towards are adjective patterns meaning inclined or willing. Disposed of is usually part of the verb dispose of, meaning get rid of.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with disposed?

Use disposed to or disposed towards to describe a tendency or attitude. Disposed of usually belongs to the verb phrase dispose of, not the adjective disposed.

She is disposed to agree with the proposal.
He felt kindly disposed towards his neighbours.
The company disposed of its old equipment.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
disposed to + verb

Showing willingness or tendency

Use disposed to followed by a base-form meaning expressed through an infinitive.

I'm disposed to support the plan.
She seems disposed to forgive him.
2
disposed towards + noun

Showing an attitude toward someone

Disposed towards describes feelings or attitudes toward people or things.

They were warmly disposed towards the visitors.
He is favourably disposed towards the idea.
3
disposed to + noun

Showing inclination toward something

Disposed to can also introduce a noun phrase in formal style.

She was strongly disposed to optimism.
4
dispose of + noun

Removing or getting rid of something

Dispose of is a verb phrase, not an adjective pattern with disposed.

The factory disposed of the waste safely.
They disposed of outdated files.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
disposed to
He is disposed to help.
Standard adjective pattern meaning willing or inclined.
disposed towards
She felt kindly disposed towards her colleagues.
Standard pattern describing attitude or feeling.
disposed of
They disposed of the broken furniture.
Part of the verb dispose of, meaning get rid of.
disposed toward
He is well disposed toward the proposal.
Toward is an accepted variant of towards in some varieties of English.

Common mistakes

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

Confusing disposed of with disposed to

Disposed of is usually a verb phrase about removing something.

✕ She was disposed of accept the offer. ✓ She was disposed to accept the offer.

Using towards before a verb

Use to before an infinitive.

✕ He is disposed towards help us. ✓ He is disposed to help us.

Forgetting the infinitive meaning

Disposed to is followed by an infinitive idea.

✓ They are disposed to cooperate.

Using dispose of as an adjective

Dispose of functions as a verb phrase.

✓ The company disposed of unused materials.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She seems disposed ___ cooperate.
2. They are kindly disposed ___ the new manager.
3. The business disposed ___ old computers.

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Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

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Frequently asked questions

What does disposed to mean?

It means willing, inclined, or likely to do something.

Is disposed of an adjective pattern?

Usually no. It is normally part of the verb phrase dispose of.

Can I use toward instead of towards?

Yes. Toward is common in American English, while towards is more common in British English.

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