appeal to + person
Attracting or persuading someone
Use appeal to when something interests or attracts someone.
The flexible schedule appeals to many employees.
Appeal to, for, against, by or from
Appeal combines with different prepositions depending on meaning. Some combinations are standard verb patterns, while others are separate time or place phrases.
Quick answer
Which preposition goes with appeal?
Use appeal to for attracting interest or making a formal request to someone, appeal for when asking publicly for help, and appeal against for challenging a decision. Appeal by and appeal from are mainly used in legal or formal contexts.
The idea appeals to younger voters.
The charity appealed for donations.
They appealed against the ruling.
The charity appealed for donations.
They appealed against the ruling.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
appeal to + authority
Making a formal request
Appeal to can also mean asking an authority or group for help.
Residents appealed to the council for support.
appeal for + thing
Publicly asking for help
Use appeal for with money, information, or assistance.
Police appealed for witnesses.
appeal against + decision
Challenging a decision
Use appeal against for legal or official objections.
The company appealed against the fine.
appeal from + court
Showing the source of a legal case
Appeal from is mainly legal English describing the court or decision being challenged.
The appeal from the lower court was dismissed.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
appeal to
The message appeals to students.
Standard for attraction or requests directed at someone.
appeal for
The group appealed for calm.
Standard for public requests.
appeal against
She appealed against the ban.
Standard for legal or official challenges.
appeal by
An appeal by local residents delayed the project.
By here identifies who made the appeal, not a fixed verb-preposition pattern.
appeal from
The appeal from the district court was rejected.
Formal legal use showing the source of the appeal.
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Using appeal for a person
Use appeal to before the person receiving the request.
✕ They appealed for the mayor. ✓ They appealed to the mayor.Confusing appeal to and appeal for
Appeal to means direct a request or attract interest. Appeal for means ask publicly for something.
✕ The campaign appealed to donations. ✓ The campaign appealed for donations.Using appeal against for people
Appeal against is used for decisions, rulings, or actions.
✕ She appealed against the manager for help. ✓ She appealed to the manager for help.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. The advertisement appeals ___ young consumers.
2. The charity appealed ___ emergency supplies.
3. He appealed ___ the court decision.
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
Can appeal to mean attract?
Yes. Something can appeal to a person if they find it attractive or interesting.
Is appeal by correct?
It can be correct when by introduces the person making the appeal, but it is not a fixed verb-preposition pattern.
When is appeal from used?
Appeal from is mainly used in legal English to show the source court or decision.
Related preposition guides
Write with confidence in Linguix
Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.
