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Prepositions after verbs

Ban from, in, for, by or on?

Ban is commonly used with from and on, but they have different grammar and meanings. Other combinations are more limited or belong to separate sentence parts.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct after ban?

Use ban from to stop someone entering or participating. Use ban on before a noun naming the prohibited thing. Ban by introduces the authority creating the ban. Ban in and ban for are usually not fixed patterns after the verb.

The player was banned from the tournament
The city imposed a ban on fireworks
The measure was introduced by the government

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
ban from + place or activity

Preventing participation or entry

Use from after ban to show what someone cannot enter or do.

She was banned from driving for six months
2
ban on + noun

Naming the prohibited thing

Ban on is a noun pattern, not usually a verb pattern.

There is a ban on smoking indoors
3
ban by + authority

Showing who created the ban

By introduces the authority responsible for the ban.

The app was banned by several schools
4
ban for + reason or time

Giving a reason or duration

For may introduce the reason or length of a ban, not a fixed complement after ban.

He was banned from competition for two years

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
ban from
The athlete was banned from the league.
Standard verb pattern showing exclusion.
ban on
The country introduced a ban on imports.
Common noun pattern naming the prohibited thing.
ban by
The restriction was announced by the council.
Shows the authority responsible.
ban for
She was banned from racing for unsafe conduct.
For gives the reason or duration.
ban in
Smoking is banned in many offices.
In usually introduces the place, not a fixed pattern after ban.

Common mistakes

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

Using ban on directly after the verb

After the verb ban, from is usually needed for people and activities.

✕ They banned him on the platform. ✓ They banned him from the platform.

Confusing noun and verb structures

Ban on commonly follows the noun ban.

✕ The school banned on phones. ✓ The school imposed a ban on phones.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The student was banned ___ the library.
2. The country introduced a ban ___ plastic bags.
3. He was banned from playing ___ six months.

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Frequently asked questions

Is ban from the most common verb pattern?

Yes. Ban from is the standard pattern for excluding someone from a place or activity.

Can I say ban on after the verb ban?

Usually no. Ban on normally follows the noun ban, not the verb.

What does ban by mean?

It identifies the authority or organisation responsible for the ban.

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