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Prepositions after verbs

Acquire by or acquire in?

Acquire commonly uses by to show method. In usually introduces a separate place, field, or period rather than a fixed verb pattern.

Quick answer

Use acquire by for method or means

Use acquire by when explaining how something was obtained: acquire by purchase, effort, or inheritance. Acquire in is not a standard fixed combination, but in can introduce context such as a place, field, or time.

She acquired the land by purchase.
He acquired experience in finance.
The museum acquired the painting by auction.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
acquire by + method

Showing how something is obtained

By introduces the method, process, or means of acquiring something.

They acquired the company by merger.
She acquired fluency by practice.
2
acquire + object in + field/place

Adding context with in

In can describe the area, place, or situation connected to what is acquired. It is not selected by acquire itself.

He acquired expertise in marketing.
The team acquired influence in the region.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
acquire by
She acquired citizenship by marriage.
Standard pattern for method or means.
acquire in
He acquired valuable contacts in college.
In introduces context or location, not a fixed verb-preposition combination.
acquire through
They acquired the data through research.
Alternative way to express means or process.

Common mistakes

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

Using in as if it meant method

Use by or through for the method of acquisition.

✕ She acquired the property in purchase. ✓ She acquired the property by purchase.

Confusing location with verb pattern

In can describe where something happened, not the object directly.

✕ The firm acquired in new technology. ✓ The firm acquired new technology.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She acquired the rights ___ negotiation.
2. He acquired experience ___ banking.
3. The company acquired the software ___ a licensing deal.

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Frequently asked questions

Is acquire by common in formal English?

Yes. It is standard when explaining the method or means of obtaining something.

Can I say acquire in?

Only when in introduces a separate context such as a place, field, or period: acquire experience in teaching.

What other prepositions work with acquire?

Through is also common for process or means, especially in formal writing.

abandon, by, abandon, in "abduct by", "abduct in" or "abduct from"? abide by, in, with, to or on? "abolish in" or "abolish by"? "abound in" or "abound with"? "absorb by", "absorb into" or "absorb in"? "accelerate by", "accelerate to" or "accelerate in"? accentuate by, with, in or under? accept by, in, as, for or into? "accommodate in", "accommodate for" or "accommodate to"? "accomplish by" or "accomplish in"? "accord to" or "accord with"?

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