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Prepositions after verbs

Burn in, to, by, with, or at

Burn combines with several prepositions, but each one has a different meaning and grammar pattern.

Quick answer

Which preposition is used with burn?

Burn in often refers to being inside fire or becoming fixed on a screen. Burn to can describe destruction up to a state. Burn with describes strong emotion or fire. Burn at is used in some physical situations. Burn by is uncommon and usually means caused by something.

The papers burned in the fireplace.
The building burned to the ground.
She burned with anger.
He burned his hand at the stove.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
burn in + place/fire

Burn inside something

Use burn in for location inside a fire or enclosed space.

The logs burned in the furnace all night.
2
burn to + result

Reach a final destroyed state

Burn to often describes the final condition after burning.

The warehouse burned to ashes.
3
burn with + emotion/light

Show strong feeling or intensity

Burn with is common for emotions, desire, or bright light.

He burned with curiosity.
4
burn at + source/temperature

Describe contact or operating conditions

Burn at can refer to touching a hot object or functioning at a temperature.

The fuel burns at a high temperature.
5
burn by + cause

Mention the cause in passive use

Burned by is used in passive structures to identify the cause or agent.

The forest was burned by lightning.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
burn in
A message burned in the display.
become fixed or visible inside a surface or place
burn to
The cabin burned to the ground.
be destroyed completely
burn by
The fields were burned by the heat.
passive structure showing cause
burn with
She burned with excitement.
feel a strong emotion intensely
burn at
The engine burns fuel at a steady rate.
describe rate, temperature, or contact point

Common mistakes

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

Using burn to without a result

Burn to usually needs an end state.

✕ The wood burned to for hours. ✓ The wood burned for hours.

Confusing burn with and burn by

Burn with expresses emotion or intensity, not cause.

✕ The house burned with lightning. ✓ The house burned by lightning.

Using burn in for emotional meaning

Burn in is not used for emotions.

✕ She burned in anger. ✓ She burned with anger.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The old barn burned ___ the ground.
2. He burned ___ frustration after the meeting.
3. The image became burned ___ the screen.

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Frequently asked questions

What does burn to the ground mean?

It means something is completely destroyed by fire.

Can burn with describe emotions?

Yes. Burn with is common with anger, desire, curiosity, and similar feelings.

Is burn by common in active sentences?

No. Burned by is mainly used in passive structures to show cause.

back-by-away-out-in, up backfire on, in, as, at or with? backtrack on, to, in, after or by? "baffle by" or "baffle as"? "bake in" or "bake for"? balance by, in, on, with or between? ban from, in, for, by or on? "bang on" or "bang for"? "banish from" or "banish to"? baptize in, by, into, with or on? "bargain for" or "bargain with"? "bark at" or "bark in"?

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