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Prepositions after verbs

Reject by, in, for, from, or on?

Reject is usually used without a fixed preposition. Some prepositions appear in specific grammatical contexts.

Quick answer

Does reject need a preposition?

Reject is commonly transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition. Phrases such as rejected by and rejected for are common in passive structures. Reject in, reject from, and reject on depend on wider sentence structure.

The editor rejected the article.
Her application was rejected by the committee.
He was rejected for the position.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
reject + object

Directly refusing or refusing to accept

Reject normally takes a direct object with no preposition.

They rejected the proposal.
She rejected the offer politely.
2
rejected by + agent

Naming who refused something

By is common in passive constructions.

The plan was rejected by voters.
3
rejected for + reason/role

Giving a reason or position

For can explain why someone was refused or what they failed to obtain.

He was rejected for lack of experience.
She was rejected for the scholarship.
4
reject on + grounds

Stating the basis for rejection

On commonly appears in phrases such as on the grounds of.

The claim was rejected on technical grounds.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
reject by
The application was rejected by the board.
By names the rejecting agent in passive voice.
reject in
They rejected the idea in private meetings.
In introduces a context or location, not a fixed pattern.
reject for
He was rejected for the job.
For introduces a reason or target position.
reject from
The sentence rejected him from the group is nonstandard.
From is usually not used directly after reject in this sense.
reject on
The request was rejected on safety grounds.
On introduces the basis for rejection.

Common mistakes

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

Adding an unnecessary preposition

Reject usually takes a direct object.

✕ They rejected to the proposal. ✓ They rejected the proposal.

Using reject from

English normally uses reject someone or exclude someone from.

✕ She was rejected from the club. ✓ She was rejected by the club.

Confusing reject for and reject because of

For can indicate a role or reason, but the sentence structure matters.

✕ They rejected him for he arrived late. ✓ They rejected him because he arrived late.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The article was rejected ___ the publisher.
2. She was rejected ___ the internship.
3. The request was rejected ___ legal grounds.

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Frequently asked questions

Can reject be used without a preposition?

Yes. This is the most common structure, as in reject an idea.

Is reject from correct?

Usually no. English more often uses reject someone or exclude someone from.

What is the difference between rejected by and rejected for?

Rejected by names who refused something, while rejected for gives a reason or target role.

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"?

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