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Prepositions after verbs

“Blame for” vs. “blame on”

Use “blame someone for something” to identify responsibility. Use “blame something on someone” to say who or what caused a problem.

Quick answer

Which structure is correct?

Both are correct, but they follow different sentence patterns. “Blame someone for something” focuses on responsibility. “Blame something on someone” focuses on the cause assigned to a person or thing.

They blamed him for the delay
She blamed the delay on traffic
Don’t blame yourself for everything

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
blame + person + for + problem

Say who is responsible

Use this pattern to identify the person or group considered responsible.

blamed the manager for the mistake
2
blame + problem + on + person/thing

Say what caused a problem

Use this pattern when the problem comes first in the sentence.

blamed the crash on icy roads
3
blame + situation + on + circumstance

Explain causes

“Blame on” is common with events, conditions, and external causes.

He blamed his stress on work pressure
4
be blamed for + problem

Use the passive form

The passive focuses on the person receiving blame.

She was blamed for the confusion

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
blame someone for something
They blamed Alex for the error.
identify a responsible person
blame something on someone
They blamed the error on Alex.
assign a cause to someone
blame on
The coach put the blame on poor defence.
“Blame on” can also appear after the noun “blame”.
blame for
Who is to blame for the damage?
“Blame for” is also common after the noun or adjective forms.

Common mistakes

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

Mixing the two sentence patterns

The object changes position depending on the preposition.

✕ They blamed on Alex the mistake. ✓ They blamed the mistake on Alex.

Leaving out the object after “blame”

The verb usually needs a person or problem after it.

✕ She blamed for the accident. ✓ She blamed him for the accident.

Using “blame on” without a problem noun

After “blame on,” mention the thing being explained.

✕ They blamed on the weather. ✓ They blamed the delay on the weather.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. We ___ the power cut on the storm.
2. She blamed me ___ the misunderstanding.
3. The accident was blamed ___ poor visibility.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say “blame on” without a verb?

Yes. As a noun phrase, you can say “The blame is on management.”

Is “blame for” always negative?

Usually yes, because it refers to responsibility for a problem or mistake.

Which is more common: “blame someone for” or “blame something on”?

Both are standard and depend on whether the sentence focuses on the person or the problem.

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