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Prepositions after verbs

administer by or administer to?

Administer to is used for giving treatment or managing care for someone. By usually introduces the method or agent separately.

Quick answer

Which preposition follows administer?

Use administer to when giving medicine, treatment, or support to someone. By is not usually selected by administer, but it can describe method or agency.

The nurse administered the vaccine to the patient.
Relief was administered to the victims.
The drug was administered by injection.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
administer to + person

Give medicine or treatment

Use administer to for the recipient of treatment or aid.

The doctor administered oxygen to the child.
2
administer + object

Manage or supervise something

Administer can take a direct object such as a test, program, or estate.

She administers the training programme.
3
administer by + method

Describe method or agent separately

By can introduce the method of administration or the person performing it.

The medication is administered by mouth.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
administer to
They administered first aid to the injured driver.
give treatment or support to someone
administer by
The medicine was administered by a specialist.
by introduces the agent or method
administer + object
The university administers the exam.
manage or conduct something

Common mistakes

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

Using by for the recipient

Use to for the person receiving medicine or treatment.

✕ The nurse administered the drug by the patient. ✓ The nurse administered the drug to the patient.

Adding unnecessary to

Some meanings of administer take a direct object only.

✕ She administers to the programme. ✓ She administers the programme.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The doctor administered the treatment ___ the patient.
2. The vaccine was administered ___ injection.
3. They administer ___ final examination every June.

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Frequently asked questions

What does administer to mean?

It usually means give medicine, treatment, or care to someone.

Can administer be used without a preposition?

Yes. You can administer a test, programme, or estate.

Is administer by correct?

Only when by introduces a method or agent, not as the main complement of the verb.

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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