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Prepositions after verbs

Reserve for, to, in, at or by?

Reserve is most commonly followed by for when something is kept for a purpose or person. Other prepositions usually belong to separate time or place phrases.

Quick answer

Most common use

Use reserve for to show that something is kept for a person, purpose, or occasion. Reserve to appears in formal legal language. In, at, and by usually introduce separate details such as place or time rather than forming fixed combinations with reserve.

We reserved seats for guests.
The hotel reserved a room for the speaker.
Certain powers are reserved to the president.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
reserve something for + person/purpose

Keeping something available

Use for when something is saved or intended for someone or a specific use.

Please reserve a table for six people.
The front row is reserved for VIP guests.
2
reserve something to + person

Formal assignment of rights or powers

Reserve to is formal and often used in legal or official contexts.

The constitution reserves these powers to the states.
3
reserve + place/time phrase

Adding location or time details

Prepositions such as in, at, and by can introduce separate information about where or when the reservation happens.

We reserved a suite at the hotel.
She reserved tickets by phone.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
reserve for
They reserved the hall for the wedding.
keep something available for a purpose or person
reserve to
The law reserves this authority to local councils.
formally assign a right or power
reserve in
She reserved a seat in the theatre.
in introduces the location, not a fixed verb pattern
reserve at
We reserved a table at the restaurant.
at introduces the place of reservation
reserve by
You can reserve tickets by email.
by shows the method used

Common mistakes

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

Using to instead of for in ordinary situations

For is the normal choice when keeping something available.

✕ I reserved a seat to my friend. ✓ I reserved a seat for my friend.

Treating in as a fixed preposition after reserve

In usually introduces a place noun, not the object of reserve.

✓ We reserved a room in the hotel.

Confusing reserve to with everyday booking language

Reserve to is mainly formal or legal.

✕ She reserved a ticket to her brother. ✓ She reserved a ticket for her brother.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The company reserved several tickets ___ clients.
2. Certain responsibilities are reserved ___ the board.
3. We reserved a table ___ the café downtown.

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Frequently asked questions

Is reserve for always correct for bookings?

Yes, reserve for is the usual pattern when something is kept for a person or purpose.

Can I say reserve to?

Yes, but mainly in formal legal or official language about rights or powers.

Are reserve in and reserve at wrong?

Not necessarily. In and at often introduce location details rather than forming fixed combinations with reserve.

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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