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Prepositions after verbs

Confer on, by, with, upon, or from?

Confer has different meanings depending on the structure. Confer with means discuss something with someone, while confer on or upon means grant something.

Quick answer

Which prepositions are used with confer?

Use confer with for discussion. Use confer on or confer upon for granting an honour or benefit. From usually follows a noun after confer, not the verb directly. By is uncommon as a fixed pattern after confer.

The committee conferred with legal advisers.
The university conferred upon her an honorary degree.
Experience confers on applicants a clear advantage.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
confer with + person

Discussing or consulting

Use confer with when people exchange views or consult each other.

Doctors conferred with the patient’s family.
She conferred with her colleagues before replying.
2
confer on + person

Granting a benefit or honour

Confer on means officially giving something to someone.

The award conferred on him international recognition.
The law confers on citizens certain rights.
3
confer upon + person

Formal granting language

Confer upon is a more formal version of confer on.

The institution conferred upon her a fellowship.
The title was conferred upon the scientist.
4
benefit from + source after confer

Showing the source of a benefit

From may appear later in the sentence to show where a benefit comes from.

Students benefited from the opportunities conferred by the grant.
The region gained stability from powers conferred under the agreement.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
confer with
The managers conferred with staff.
discuss or consult
confer on
The prize conferred on her great prestige.
grant a benefit or honour
confer upon
The university conferred upon him a degree.
formal version of confer on
confer by
Rights conferred by law are protected.
by usually belongs to a passive modifier, not a fixed pattern after confer
confer from
The benefits stem from powers conferred under the treaty.
from is not a standard direct complement after confer

Common mistakes

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

Using confer with for granting

Confer with means discuss, not give an award or right.

✕ The university conferred with her a degree. ✓ The university conferred upon her a degree.

Using confer from directly after the verb

From is not normally the direct preposition after confer.

✕ The law confers from citizens new rights. ✓ The law confers on citizens new rights.

Treating by as a fixed complement

By usually introduces the source in passive expressions.

✓ The authority conferred by the constitution remains valid.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The board conferred ___ external advisers before making a decision.
2. The medal was conferred ___ the athlete at the ceremony.
3. The new law confers additional rights ___ workers.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between confer with and confer on?

Confer with means discuss or consult. Confer on means grant or bestow something.

Is confer upon more formal than confer on?

Yes. Confer upon is more formal and common in ceremonial or official language.

Can confer be followed by from?

Not usually as a direct complement. From normally introduces the source of a benefit elsewhere in the sentence.

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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