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Prepositions after verbs

Cause by, to, in, for or as?

Cause is used in several patterns. Caused by and cause to are standard. Cause for is used in noun phrases. Cause in and cause as are uncommon or incorrect in most contexts.

Quick answer

How is cause used with prepositions?

Use caused by to name a reason. Use cause to before an action or result. Cause for appears in phrases like cause for concern. Cause in and cause as are usually not natural after the verb cause.

The delay was caused by heavy rain.
The news caused investors to panic.
There is cause for concern.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
caused by + reason

Naming the cause

Use caused by in passive structures to identify the reason for something.

The outage was caused by a software error.
2
cause + object + to + verb

Producing a result

Use cause to before an infinitive to show an effect or action.

The mistake caused the system to fail.
3
cause for + noun

Reason for a feeling or action

Cause for is common in noun phrases such as cause for concern or celebration.

The report gives cause for optimism.
4
cause + noun

Direct object after cause

Cause often takes a direct object without a preposition.

Smoking can cause serious illness.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
caused by
The fire was caused by faulty wiring.
standard passive pattern naming the reason
cause to
The announcement caused prices to rise.
standard pattern showing a result
cause for
There is little cause for alarm.
noun phrase meaning reason for
cause in
The changes caused confusion in the office.
In introduces place; it is not selected by cause.
cause as
They described stress as the main cause.
As belongs to describe, not to cause.

Common mistakes

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

Using cause by in active voice

Use caused by in passive constructions.

✕ Heavy rain caused by flooding. ✓ Heavy rain caused flooding.

Adding an unnecessary preposition

Cause usually takes a direct object.

✕ The policy caused for problems. ✓ The policy caused problems.

Using cause as after the verb

Cause is not normally followed directly by as.

✕ The noise caused as a distraction. ✓ The noise caused a distraction.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The damage was ___ a power surge.
2. The speech caused many people ___ their opinion.
3. There is no cause ___ panic.

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Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

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Frequently asked questions

Can cause be followed directly by a noun?

Yes. For example: Poor lighting can cause headaches.

Is cause for a verb pattern?

Usually no. It commonly appears in noun phrases such as cause for concern.

Why is caused by so common?

It is the standard passive structure for naming the source or reason of something.

calculate, by, calculate, in, calculate, from "call for" or "call on"? "campaign for" or "campaign against"? cancel by, due, at, in or for? capitulate to, in, like, by or after? captivate by, for, with, from or in? "capture by" or "capture in"? "care about" or "care for"? carry with, by, in, to or into? carve into, out, in, on or with? cast in, into, for, by or on? "catch in", "catch by" or "catch on"?

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