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Prepositions after verbs

How to use prepositions with prohibit

The standard pattern is prohibit someone from doing something. Other prepositions may appear in separate phrases, but they are not usually selected directly by prohibit.

Quick answer

Most common pattern

Use prohibit from when you stop someone from doing an action. Other prepositions such as by, in, without, and for usually introduce separate information such as method, place, condition, or purpose.

The law prohibits drivers from using mobile phones.
Students are prohibited from entering the lab after hours.
The city prohibited camping in public parks.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
prohibit someone from + activity

Stopping an action

Use from before a verb ending in -ing or a noun phrase.

The contract prohibits employees from sharing confidential data.
Parents may prohibit children from watching violent films.
2
prohibit + noun

Banning something directly

You can prohibit an activity, substance, or practice without another preposition.

The school prohibited smoking on campus.
The policy prohibits photography inside the museum.
3
prohibit + activity in + place

Showing where a ban applies

In often introduces the place where the prohibition applies, not a complement after prohibit.

The city prohibited parking in residential areas.
Officials prohibited fires in the forest during summer.
4
prohibit + action by + method

Describing means or method

By can describe the method connected to the prohibition, but prohibit by is not a fixed verb pattern.

The system prohibits access by password protection.
The rules prohibit entry by unauthorised visitors.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
prohibit someone from doing something
The rules prohibit visitors from feeding the animals.
Standard pattern for stopping an action.
prohibit by
The organisation prohibited access by temporary staff.
By introduces the agent or method, not a fixed complement after prohibit.
prohibit in
The government prohibited smoking in restaurants.
In introduces the place where the ban applies.
prohibit without
You cannot say prohibit without as a standard verb pattern.
Without usually introduces a separate condition, not a complement after prohibit.
prohibit for
The judge prohibited him from driving for six months.
For commonly shows duration or reason, not a fixed pattern after prohibit.

Common mistakes

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

Using prohibit to instead of prohibit from

After prohibit, use from before an -ing form.

✕ They prohibited us to enter the building. ✓ They prohibited us from entering the building.

Treating by as the normal complement

By is usually an adjunct showing method or agent.

✕ The law prohibits by selling alcohol online. ✓ The law prohibits selling alcohol online.

Using without as a direct complement

Without does not normally follow prohibit as a selected preposition.

✕ The policy prohibits without permission. ✓ The policy prohibits entry without permission.

Adding for before an activity

Use from before an activity.

✕ She was prohibited for speaking publicly. ✓ She was prohibited from speaking publicly.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The rules prohibit employees ___ sharing passwords.
2. The city prohibited smoking ___ public buildings.
3. They prohibited visitors from ___ photos.

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Frequently asked questions

Is prohibit from the standard pattern?

Yes. Prohibit someone from doing something is the usual structure in modern English.

Can I use prohibit by?

By may appear in the sentence to show method or agent, but it is not the normal complement chosen by prohibit.

Can prohibit be followed directly by a noun?

Yes. You can prohibit an activity or object directly, such as prohibit smoking or prohibit exports.

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