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Preposition after verb

Influence by, in, on, at or from?

Influence is commonly used without a preposition as an active verb, or with by and on in related structures.

Quick answer

How is influence used with prepositions?

Use influence directly before an object: influence decisions, influence people. In passive structures, use influenced by to name the cause. The noun influence is often followed by on. Combinations such as influence at are not standard.

Advertising can influence consumer behaviour.
Her style was influenced by jazz music.
The policy had a strong influence on hiring practices.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
influence + object

Using influence as an active verb

Influence usually takes a direct object without a preposition.

Friends can influence your choices.
The speech influenced public opinion greatly.
2
influenced by + source

Naming the source of influence

Use by in passive structures to show what affected someone or something.

The design was influenced by Scandinavian architecture.
His thinking was influenced by his teachers.
3
influence on + target

Using the noun influence

The noun influence is commonly followed by on.

Technology has a major influence on education.
Parents often have strong influence on children.
4
influence in + field

Showing an area or context

In can appear after the noun influence to show the area where influence exists.

She has considerable influence in local politics.
The company gained influence in Asian markets.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
influence + object
Media influence voters.
Standard active verb pattern with no preposition.
influenced by
The artist was influenced by folk traditions.
Passive structure naming the source of influence.
influence on
The report had influence on policy decisions.
Noun pattern showing the affected target.
influence at
They have influence at the university.
At refers to location, not a standard complement selected by influence.
influence from
She drew influence from classical music.
Possible with the noun influence in some contexts, but inspiration from is often more natural.

Common mistakes

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

Adding a preposition after the active verb

Influence usually takes a direct object.

✕ The campaign influenced on voters. ✓ The campaign influenced voters.

Using influence at as a verb pattern

At is only an adjunct of place in sentences such as influence at work.

✕ The article influenced at readers. ✓ The article influenced readers.

Confusing verb and noun patterns

The verb influence and the noun influence use different structures.

✕ The policy had influence voters. ✓ The policy influenced voters.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Social media can ___ young consumers.
2. Her work was influenced ___ African art.
3. The teacher had a strong influence ___ the class.

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Frequently asked questions

Is influence on used with the verb or noun?

It is mainly used with the noun influence, as in influence on society.

Can I say influenced from?

Influenced by is much more standard. From may appear in other expressions such as draw influence from.

Is influence at correct?

Not as a normal complement after influence. At may simply show location, as in influence at school.

identify-with-by-in-as, for "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"?

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