Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after verbs

Lag behind, in, from, on, or by

Lag combines with different prepositions depending on whether you compare progress, time, or amount.

Quick answer

Which combinations are common with lag?

Lag behind is the most common expression for slower progress. Lag in is used before an activity or area. Lag by introduces an amount or time difference. Lag from and lag on are uncommon after the verb lag in standard English.

The team is lagging behind its competitors.
Some students lag in reading skills.
The train lagged by ten minutes.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
lag behind + person/group

Being slower or less advanced

Use lag behind for weaker progress or performance compared with others.

Rural areas lag behind large cities.
He lagged behind the rest of the class.
2
lag in + area/activity

Being weak in a specific area

Use lag in before skills, growth, production, and similar fields.

The country continues to lag in innovation.
She lags in confidence.
3
lag by + amount

Showing the size of a delay

Use lag by with time, distance, scores, or numbers.

Sales lagged by 5 percent.
We are lagging by two weeks.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
lag behind
The company lags behind its rivals.
be less advanced
lag in
The region lags in digital access.
be weak in a specific area
lag by
Production lagged by three days.
show the amount of delay
lag from
Lag from is not a common pattern after lag.
usually nonstandard in this context
lag on
Lag on is uncommon after lag as a verb.
not a standard combination

Common mistakes

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

Using lag from for comparison

Use lag behind instead.

✕ The team lags from its competitors. ✓ The team lags behind its competitors.

Using lag on for delay

Use lag behind or lag by depending on the meaning.

✕ We are lagging on two days. ✓ We are lagging by two days.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The school system is lagging ___ other countries.
2. The company lags ___ customer service.
3. The project is lagging ___ three weeks.

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 lag behind always negative?

Usually yes. It suggests slower progress or poorer performance.

Can lag by refer to time?

Yes. It often refers to delays measured in minutes, days, or weeks.

Is lag on correct English?

Not usually as a standard verb-preposition combination after lag.

label, as, label, with "land on" or "land in"? languish in, at, on, for or near? last for, from, until, in or through? "latch onto" or "latch on"? laugh at, with, about, in or for? launch in, by, on, at or into? "lay on" or "lay in"? lead to, by, up, in or from? "leak to" or "leak from"? lean on, towards, against, toward or to? "leap to", "leap into" or "leap from"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

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

Create a free account