Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after verbs

Identify with, as, or by

Identify commonly takes with, as, or by depending on the meaning. Identify in and identify for are usually used for other sentence roles, not as direct verb-preposition combinations.

Quick answer

Which preposition is used after identify?

Use identify with for feeling connection or sympathy, identify as for describing a role or identity, and identify by for the method or feature used to recognise someone or something. Identify in and identify for are not standard verb-preposition combinations in this meaning, though in and for may appear as separate parts of a sentence.

Many readers identify with the main character.
She identifies as bilingual.
The birds can be identified by their calls.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
identify with + person/group/idea

Showing connection or sympathy

Use identify with when someone feels emotionally connected to another person, group, or experience.

Teenagers often identify with athletes their own age.
I could immediately identify with her frustration.
2
identify as + role/identity

Describing identity or status

Use identify as to state how someone describes their identity, role, or category.

He identifies as an independent voter.
The company identified itself as a family business.
3
identify by + feature/method

Explaining how recognition happens

Use identify by when naming the sign, quality, or method used to recognise someone or something.

You can identify the tree by its leaves.
The suspect was identified by a witness.
4
identify + object in + place/text

Finding something inside another thing

In can introduce a location or context after identify, but it is not part of a fixed combination like identify with.

Researchers identified errors in the report.
Can you identify the bird in this photo?

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
identify with
She identifies with the workers.
feel connection, sympathy, or shared experience
identify as
He identifies as non-religious.
describe one's identity or role
identify by
The device is identified by a serial number.
recognise something using a feature or method
identify in
Scientists identified several risks in the data.
in introduces the place or context where something was found, not a fixed verb-preposition pattern
identify for
The guide identified the plants for the visitors.
for usually shows who benefits from the action, not a standard combination with identify

Common mistakes

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

Using identify in as a fixed pattern

Identify in is usually not a set verb-preposition combination. In normally introduces a place, text, or situation.

✕ She identifies in her colleagues. ✓ She identifies with her colleagues.

Using identify for to express identity

Use identify as for identity, not identify for.

✕ He identifies for a conservative. ✓ He identifies as a conservative.

Confusing identify by and identify with

Identify by refers to recognition methods, while identify with refers to emotional connection.

✕ I identify by the character in the film. ✓ I identify with the character in the film.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Many young players ___ the national team captain.
2. The samples were identified ___ their chemical structure.
3. She identifies ___ an environmental activist.

Check your sentence in context

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

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is identify with always emotional?

Usually, yes. It often expresses sympathy, connection, or shared experience.

Can identify in ever be correct?

Yes. In can introduce a place or context, as in identify mistakes in a document, but it is not a fixed pattern like identify with.

What is the difference between identify as and identify by?

Identify as describes identity or classification. Identify by explains the feature or method used for recognition.

"ignore by" or "ignore in"? illuminate by, with, at, for or in? "illustrate by" or "illustrate in"? "imagine for", "imagine by" or "imagine in"? imbue with, in, by or onto? immigrate to, from, in, with or into? impair by, for, in, because or throughout? "impart to", "impart in" or "impart by"? "impeach by" or "impeach for"? "impinge on" or "impinge upon"? "implement in" or "implement by"? "imply by" or "imply in"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account