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Prepositions after verbs

Afford to or afford by?

Afford is commonly followed by to plus a verb. Afford by is not a standard verb-preposition pattern in modern English.

Quick answer

Which form is correct after afford?

Use afford to before another verb: afford to buy, afford to travel, afford to wait. Afford by is not a standard construction. In passive contexts, afforded by can appear separately, meaning provided by.

We cannot afford to replace the equipment yet.
She can afford to study abroad next year.
The protection afforded by the law is important.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
afford to + verb

Talking about having enough money, time, or ability

Use afford to before an infinitive verb to express possibility or sufficient resources.

I cannot afford to miss another payment.
They can afford to hire more staff now.
2
cannot afford to + verb

Expressing risk or impossibility

Cannot afford to is often used for consequences, not only money.

We cannot afford to ignore the warning signs.
The team could not afford to lose another match.
3
afforded by + noun

Referring to something provided by another thing

Afforded by is a passive expression meaning provided by or given by. Here, by introduces the agent, not a fixed verb-preposition pattern.

The flexibility afforded by remote work helped many employees.
The security afforded by the system reduced risks.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
afford to
She can afford to travel this summer.
The standard pattern before another verb.
afford by
They afford by extra funding.
Nonstandard in modern English. Use afford or can afford instead.
afforded by
The opportunities afforded by technology are expanding.
A passive structure meaning provided by.
afford + noun
We cannot afford a new car right now.
Afford can also take a direct object without to.

Common mistakes

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

Using afford by as a verb pattern

Afford by is not standard after the active verb afford.

✕ She can afford by a loan. ✓ She can afford a loan.

Forgetting to before another verb

Use afford to plus the base form of a verb.

✕ We cannot afford wait longer. ✓ We cannot afford to wait longer.

Confusing afforded by with afford by

Afforded by is passive and means provided by.

✕ The system afford by strong encryption. ✓ The system is afforded strong protection by encryption.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. They cannot afford ___ another delay.
2. The comfort afforded ___ modern trains impressed the passengers.
3. Which sentence is standard English?

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Frequently asked questions

Is afford by ever correct?

Not as a normal active verb pattern. However, afforded by is correct in passive structures meaning provided by.

Can afford be used without to?

Yes. Afford can take a direct object, as in afford a house or afford the trip.

Does afford to only refer to money?

No. It can also refer to time, risk, opportunity, or consequences, as in cannot afford to fail.

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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