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Prepositions after verbs

Demand for, of, from, by, or in

Demand commonly appears with for, of, and from. By and in are usually used in other sentence roles, not fixed verb combinations.

Quick answer

Which prepositions are used with demand?

Use demand for with needs in the market, demand from for the source of requests, and demand of when asking something from someone formally. By and in are usually not standard complements after demand.

There is strong demand for electric cars.
Workers demanded from management a clear answer.
The job demands of employees great patience.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
demand for + thing

Need or desire for something

Use demand for to describe market or public need.

Global demand for energy is rising.
There is little demand for printed maps now.
2
demand something from + person/group

Requesting forcefully

Use demand from to show the source from whom something is requested.

Citizens demanded from officials more transparency.
She demanded from the supplier a refund.
3
demand of + person

Requiring something from someone

Demand of is formal and often describes expectations or requirements.

The role demands of candidates excellent communication skills.
Success demands of us constant effort.
4
demand by + group

Showing who made the demand

By often introduces the person or group making the demand in a noun phrase.

The demand by workers was rejected.
A demand by residents led to changes.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
demand for
Demand for housing has increased.
need or desire for something
demand from
They demanded answers from the company.
request something from a source
demand of
The situation demands of us quick action.
require something from someone
demand by
The demand by staff was reasonable.
by identifies who made the demand in a noun phrase
demand in
Demand in urban areas is growing.
in urban areas expresses location, not a fixed combination with demand

Common mistakes

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

Using demand for with people

Demand for refers to the thing wanted, not the person asked.

✕ They demanded for the manager an explanation. ✓ They demanded an explanation from the manager.

Confusing demand of and demand from

Both are possible, but demand from is more common for direct requests.

✕ She demanded of the bank her money back in casual conversation. ✓ She demanded her money back from the bank.

Treating demand in as a fixed pattern

In usually adds location or context.

✕ We demand in better services. ✓ We demand better services.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. There is growing ___ renewable energy.
2. Customers demanded refunds ___ the airline.
3. The position demands ___ applicants strong technical skills.

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Frequently asked questions

Is demand of formal?

Yes. Demand of is more formal than demand from in many contexts.

Can demand be a noun and a verb?

Yes. Demand for is common with the noun, while demand something from someone is common with the verb.

Is demand in correct?

It can appear with places or fields, such as demand in cities, but in is not a standard complement selected by demand.

dabble, in, dabble, with "damage to" or "damage by"? dance to, with, on, in or for? "dangle from" or "dangle in"? dare to, for, on, as or at? dash to, into, out, from or on? daydream about, for, in, of or on? "debate in", "debate on" or "debate with"? deceive by, in, into, on or about? "decide on", "decide to" or "decide by"? declare in, by, on, to or as? decline in, by, from, to or for?

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