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Prepositions after verbs

Mind in, about, at, to, or as?

The verb mind is usually followed directly by a noun or -ing form, or by about in questions and negatives. Other listed prepositions are not standard fixed combinations.

Quick answer

Common patterns with mind

Use mind + noun or mind + -ing for annoyance or objection. Mind about appears mainly in questions or negatives about concern. In, at, to, and as are not usual fixed prepositions after the verb mind.

Do you mind waiting a moment?
She doesn't mind about the delay.
I don't mind the noise

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
mind + noun

Objecting to something

Use mind directly before a noun to express annoyance or concern.

I don't mind the rain.
Do you mind the smell?
2
mind + -ing

Objecting to an action

Use an -ing form after mind when referring to an activity.

Would you mind closing the window?
She doesn't mind working late.
3
mind about + topic

Talking about concern

About sometimes appears with mind in questions or negatives about worrying.

He doesn't mind about small mistakes.
Do you mind about public opinion?

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
mind + noun/-ing
I mind waiting in long lines.
Standard structure for objection or annoyance.
mind about
She does not mind about the cost.
Less common structure meaning 'be concerned about'.
mind in / mind at / mind to / mind as
The phrase 'mind at the noise' is not standard.
These are generally not idiomatic fixed combinations after mind.
mind as
In some dialects, 'mind as well' appears instead of 'might as well'.
This is dialectal and unrelated to the standard verb-preposition pattern.

Common mistakes

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

Adding an unnecessary preposition

Mind usually takes a direct object or -ing form.

✕ I mind about waiting. ✓ I mind waiting.

Using at after mind

At does not normally follow the verb mind directly.

✕ She minds at the noise. ✓ She minds the noise.

Using to before an infinitive

Mind is normally followed by -ing, not to + infinitive.

✕ Do you mind to help me? ✓ Do you mind helping me?

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Do you mind ___ the door?
2. She doesn't mind ___ the extra work.
3. He doesn't mind ___ small problems.

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Frequently asked questions

Is mind about common?

It exists, especially in negatives and questions about concern, but mind usually takes a direct object or -ing form.

Can I say mind to do something?

Standard English normally uses mind + -ing instead of an infinitive.

Is mind at correct English?

Not as a standard fixed combination after the verb mind.

magnify, by, magnify, in "maintain by" or "maintain in"? make by, in, for, of or to? "manage by" or "manage to"? manifest in, by, as, into or on? manipulate by, in, for, with or into? mar by, with, at, for or as? march in, to, on, into or through? "mark by" or "mark with"? "market in" or "market to"? "marry to" or "marry in"? masquerade as, under, at or Like?

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