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Prepositions after verbs

Remain in, on, at, with or as?

Remain is used with different prepositions depending on place, position, company, or role. Remain as is common for roles and identity.

Quick answer

Common uses of remain

Use remain in for enclosed places or situations, remain at for a location or level, remain with for staying together or keeping possession, and remain as for roles or identity. Remain on is used for surfaces, transport, lists, or continued activity.

She decided to remain in London for another year.
Please remain at your seat until the train stops.
He remained with the company after the merger.
She remained as chair of the committee.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
remain in + place/situation

Staying inside a place or condition

Use remain in for cities, rooms, groups, states, or situations.

The files will remain in storage.
He remained in silence throughout the meeting.
2
remain at + location/level

Staying at a point or level

Use remain at for a specific place, position, age, price, or level.

Tourists must remain at the entrance.
Inflation remained at 3 percent.
3
remain with + person/thing

Staying together or keeping something

Use remain with for continuing to be with someone or to stay in someone's possession.

The children remained with their grandparents.
Ownership will remain with the original author.
4
remain as + role/identity

Keeping the same role or status

Use remain as when someone keeps a role, title, or identity.

She will remain as director until June.
The building remained as a museum after renovation.
5
remain on + surface/system/activity

Continuing on something

Use remain on for surfaces, transport, schedules, or ongoing activity.

Your name will remain on the list.
The passengers remained on the bus.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
remain in
They remained in the building.
stay inside a place or situation
remain on
The notice remained on the wall.
stay attached to a surface or continue in operation
remain at
Sales remained at a high level.
stay at a point, place, or level
remain with
The problem remains with the supplier.
stay connected to a person or organisation
remain as
He remained as team captain.
continue in the same role or identity

Common mistakes

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

Using remain to for a stable position

Remain is usually followed by in, at, on, with, or as, not to, for stable states.

✕ She remained to London. ✓ She remained in London.

Confusing remain as and remain

A role can follow remain directly or with as. Both are possible in many contexts.

✕ He remained in manager. ✓ He remained manager. / He remained as manager.

Using on for enclosed spaces

Use in, not on, for cities, rooms, and countries.

✕ They remained on Paris. ✓ They remained in Paris.

Using with for locations

With refers to company or connection, not a physical place.

✕ We remained with the hotel. ✓ We remained at the hotel.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Please remain ___ your seats during the performance.
2. She remained ___ the company after the takeover.
3. He remained ___ chairman for another year.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say remain as manager?

Yes. Remain as manager is used to show that someone keeps the same role.

What is the difference between remain in and remain at?

Remain in usually refers to being inside a place or situation, while remain at refers to a point, location, or level.

Can remain be used without a preposition?

Yes. You can say remain calm, remain silent, or remain friends.

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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