Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after verbs

Refuse to, by, on, for, or due

Refuse is usually followed by a to-infinitive or a direct object. The other combinations are limited or unrelated.

Quick answer

Standard patterns with refuse

Use refuse to plus a verb, or refuse plus a noun object. By, on, for, and due are not standard complements directly after refuse, though they may appear in separate phrases.

She refused to answer.
They refused the offer immediately.
He refused to cooperate with investigators.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
refuse to + verb

Saying no to an action

Use refuse to followed by the base form of a verb.

The witness refused to comment.
My dog refused to move.
2
refuse + noun

Rejecting something directly

Refuse can take a direct object without a preposition.

She refused their invitation.
The bank refused his application.
3
refuse on + grounds

Giving a reason in formal contexts

On may appear in formal expressions such as refuse on safety grounds, where on introduces the basis for the refusal.

The request was refused on legal grounds.
Entry was refused on security grounds.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
refuse to
He refused to pay the fee.
standard pattern before another verb
refuse by
The proposal was rejected by the board.
by is not a standard complement after refuse
refuse on
They refused entry on safety grounds.
on can introduce the reason for refusal
refuse for
She was rejected for the role.
for is not normally used directly after refuse
refuse due
The delay was due to weather.
due is not used as a complement after refuse

Common mistakes

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

Using by after refuse

Refuse does not normally take by as its complement.

✕ He refused by signing the form. ✓ He refused to sign the form.

Using for after refuse

Use a direct object or to-infinitive instead.

✕ She refused for help. ✓ She refused help.

Using due after refuse

Due is unrelated to the verb pattern of refuse.

✕ They refused due the request. ✓ They refused the request.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The athlete refused ___ speak to reporters.
2. The request was refused ___ safety grounds.
3. She refused ___ invitation politely.

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

Can refuse be followed by a noun?

Yes. You can refuse an offer, request, invitation, or similar noun.

Is refuse on correct?

It is correct in formal expressions such as on legal grounds or on safety grounds.

Can I say refuse for something?

Not usually. Use refuse plus a noun or refuse to plus a verb.

radiate-from-into-around-to, with "raise in" or "raise by"? rake in, through, across, at or over? rally in, around, to, behind or on? "rape by" or "rape in"? ratify by, in, on, according or as? ravage by, from, on, through or with? rave about, at, from, to or before? reach for, by, at, to or into? react to, with, in, by or like? read about, in, on, through or for? "realize in", "realize at" or "realize by"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

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

Create a free account