Sign In Get Started
Prepositions with labour

How to use labour with prepositions

Labour is usually a noun or verb, not an adjective. Different prepositions are possible depending on the meaning and grammar of the sentence.

Quick answer

Labour changes meaning with different prepositions

Labour in, labour for, labour with, labour on, and labour to can all appear in English, but they are different structures. The verb labour commonly means work hard, struggle, or make a great effort.

Many people labour in difficult conditions.
They labour for social reform.
The engineer labour on the design for months.
She labour to explain the process clearly.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
labour in + place or conditions

Describing where or under what conditions work happens

Use labour in with environments, industries, or difficult conditions.

Workers labour in extreme heat.
Thousands labour in the agricultural sector.
2
labour for + goal or employer

Showing purpose or service

Use labour for to express the cause, organisation, or result someone works for.

Activists labour for equal rights.
He labour for a family-owned company.
3
labour on + project

Talking about extended work on something

Labour on emphasises long or difficult work on a task or project.

The team labour on the report all week.
She labour on her novel for years.
4
labour to + verb

Showing determined effort

Use labour to before a verb to describe difficult effort to achieve something.

They labour to reduce costs.
He labour to keep the business alive.
5
labour with + difficulty or person

Describing accompanying circumstances

With can introduce a difficulty, tool, or accompanying person. It is not a fixed verb-preposition combination.

She labour with severe back pain.
The artist labour with a small team of assistants.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
labour in
Many miners labour in dangerous conditions.
Work within a place, field, or situation.
labour for
They labour for political change.
Work in support of a goal or organisation.
labour with
He laboured with limited resources.
With introduces accompanying circumstances or tools.
labour on
She laboured on the translation for months.
Spend a long time working on something.
labour to
The staff laboured to meet the deadline.
Make a strong effort to achieve something.

Common mistakes

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

Treating labour as an adjective

Labour is mainly used as a noun or verb in these patterns.

✕ The labour on project was exhausting. ✓ They laboured on the project for months.

Using the wrong preposition for a project

Use labour on for tasks and projects.

✕ She laboured in the report all night. ✓ She laboured on the report all night.

Confusing labour for with work for

Labour for often sounds formal or literary when talking about employment.

✕ I labour for a bank downtown. ✓ I work for a bank downtown.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Researchers continue to ___ a cure.
2. The author ___ the manuscript for years.
3. Many employees ___ unsafe conditions.

Check your sentence in context

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

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is labour an adjective?

Usually no. Labour is mainly a noun or verb in modern English.

Can I say labour with?

Yes, but with usually introduces circumstances such as difficulties, tools, or companions rather than forming a fixed expression.

What is the difference between labour on and labour to?

Labour on focuses on the project being worked on, while labour to focuses on the effort to achieve a result.

"large in" or "large of"? "late in" or "late for"? lawful for, to, in, unto or under? "lax in", "lax on" or "lax about"? lazy in, about, with, to or for? "leading to" or "leading of"? leery of, about or over? left in, for, over, with or to? leftover from, of, for, in or after? "legal in" or "legal for"? "legitimate for" or "legitimate in"? lesser of, in, for, on or to?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account