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Prepositions after adjectives

Proportionate to, in, with or for?

Proportionate normally takes to when describing balance or relative degree.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct with proportionate?

Use proportionate to for relationships between amount, size, or seriousness. Other prepositions may appear in surrounding phrases but are not usually fixed complements.

The punishment should be proportionate to the offence.
Costs are proportionate to demand.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
proportionate to + amount

Balanced or matching degree

Use to when comparing one quantity or level with another.

The response was proportionate to the risk involved.
2
wholly proportionate to + noun

Strong emphasis on balance

Adverbs often strengthen this structure.

The fee is wholly proportionate to the service provided.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
proportionate to
The salary is proportionate to experience.
Standard pattern expressing relative balance.
proportionate in
The rise was proportionate in every department.
In every department adds scope, not the adjective complement.
proportionate with
Proportionate with is uncommon in standard modern English.
Usually replaced by proportionate to.
proportionate for
The measures were proportionate for the situation.
Possible in limited contexts, but proportionate to is usually clearer.

Common mistakes

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

Using with instead of to

To is the standard complement after proportionate.

✕ The outcome was proportionate with the effort. ✓ The outcome was proportionate to the effort.

Using for where to is clearer

For may sound awkward in comparisons of degree.

✕ The penalty was proportionate for the crime. ✓ The penalty was proportionate to the crime.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The response must be proportionate ___ the threat.
2. The budget is proportionate ___ project size.
3. Which combination is generally uncommon in standard English?

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Frequently asked questions

Is proportionate to correct?

Yes. It is the normal and preferred construction.

What is the difference between proportionate and proportional?

Both relate to relative size or degree, though proportional is often more common in mathematics.

Can proportionate for ever be used?

It appears occasionally, but proportionate to is usually more natural and precise.

packed-with-to-in-on, into "paid for" or "paid up"? painful for, to, in, at or of? "palatable to" or "palatable for"? "pale in" or "pale of"? "pandemic of" or "pandemic in"? "paramount to" or "paramount in"? paranoid about, of, in, with or over? partial to, of, in, towards or for? participating in, of, on, at or for? "particular about" or "particular to"? part-time at, in, for, as or with?

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