Expend is usually followed by on when referring to money, time, or effort spent on something. In is uncommon directly after expend.
Use expend on to show what money, effort, or energy is spent on. Expend in is not a standard complement pattern after expend, though in may appear in separate phrases about location or activity.
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
Use on with money, time, effort, or energy.
Expend can directly take an object such as energy, time, or funds.
In may introduce the area or activity where effort is used, but it is not the usual complement after expend.
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
On is the normal preposition after expend when naming the target of spending.
✕ The agency expended funds in advertising. ✓ The agency expended funds on advertising.Expend can directly take an object without a preposition.
✕ They expended on a lot of energy. ✓ They expended a lot of energy.Use in only when referring to the context or activity where the effort occurred.
✕ She expended effort on the laboratory. ✓ She expended effort in the laboratory.Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.
Yes. It is the standard pattern for money, effort, time, or energy spent on something.
Yes. You can say expend energy, expend resources, or expend funds.
It is uncommon as a direct complement. In is usually part of a separate phrase describing the activity or context.
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