Sign In Get Started
Word combinations

Rearing with of, as, and on

Rearing is usually a noun. Different prepositions express the child, role, or environment involved.

Quick answer

Basic patterns

Use rearing of for the person or animal being raised, rearing as for a role or identity, and rearing on for food, values, or conditions.

the rearing of children
his rearing as a strict Catholic
They were rearing on fresh milk

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
rearing of + child/animal

Naming who is raised

Of introduces the person or animal receiving care.

The rearing of horses required patience.
2
rearing as + role

Describing upbringing in a tradition or identity

As introduces a social or cultural role.

Her rearing as an only child shaped her habits.
3
rearing on + food/values

Describing what someone grows up with

On refers to diet, stories, ideas, or conditions.

The children were rearing on farm produce.
4
child-rearing

Referring to the activity generally

This compound noun is very common.

child-rearing can be exhausting.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
rearing of
The rearing of livestock takes time.
Focuses on what is being raised.
rearing as
His rearing as a soldier's son influenced him.
Describes identity or role during upbringing.
rearing on
They believed in rearing children on healthy food.
Describes food, values, or influences.
raised on
She was raised on folk music.
A more common everyday alternative.

Common mistakes

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

Using as for the child itself

Use of to name who is raised.

✕ the rearing as children ✓ the rearing of children

Using on without a following influence

On needs a diet, value, or condition.

✕ They focused on rearing on. ✓ They focused on rearing on natural foods.

Confusing rearing and raising

Raising is more common in everyday English.

✕ They discussed rearing the budget. ✓ They discussed raising the budget.

Using rearing as an adjective

Rearing is mainly a noun or verb form.

✓ The rearing of animals is expensive.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The ___ cattle requires experience.
2. Her rearing ___ a religious household affected her views.
3. The children were reared ___ simple home cooking.

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 rearing mainly a noun?

Yes. It commonly refers to the process of raising children or animals.

Can I say rearing on?

Yes, especially for food, values, or influences during upbringing.

What is more common: rearing or raising?

Raising is more common in everyday modern English.

racist-in-against-for-to, towards "radical in" or "radical for"? rampant in, among, with, on or throughout? "rare in" or "rare for"? "rational for" or "rational in"? "raw in", "raw for" or "raw with"? reachable by, from, on, in or through? "reactive to", "reactive rather" or "reactive in"? ready for, to, in, at or by? "realistic about" or "realistic in"? "real to", "real for" or "real in"? "reasonable for" or "reasonable in"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

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

Create a free account