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Prepositions after verbs

shake with, from, and other combinations

Shake combines naturally with some prepositions, while others are uncommon or depend on sentence context.

Quick answer

Which prepositions are used with shake?

Shake with is common for emotions, illness, or movement. Shake from can describe a cause or source. Shake in usually appears with a noun such as shake in fear. By and like are not standard fixed patterns after shake, though they may appear in separate adjunct phrases.

He was shaking with anger.
The windows shook from the explosion.
Her voice was shaking in fear.
The ground shook from the impact.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
shake with + emotion/condition

Showing strong physical reaction

Use with for emotions, cold, laughter, and similar conditions.

She was shaking with laughter.
He stood there shaking with cold.
2
shake from + cause

Showing what causes the shaking

Use from to identify the source or reason for movement or trembling.

The walls shook from the blast.
His hands trembled and shook from exhaustion.
3
shake in + state

Describing the condition during shaking

In can introduce a state or emotion accompanying the shaking.

The child was shaking in fear.
She sat shaking in shock.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
shake with
He was shaking with excitement.
shows emotion or physical condition causing trembling
shake from
The windows shook from the thunder.
shows the source or cause
shake in
She was shaking in panic.
describes the state during the shaking
shake by
The building shook as a train passed by.
by here is an adverb in the clause, not a fixed pattern after shake
shake like
The table shook like a loose ladder.
like introduces a comparison, not a verb-preposition pattern

Common mistakes

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

Using by as a fixed preposition after shake

Shake by is not a standard verb-preposition combination.

✕ He was shaking by fear. ✓ He was shaking with fear.

Confusing with and from

With often describes a condition, while from points to a cause.

✕ The windows shook with the explosion. ✓ The windows shook from the explosion.

Using like instead of with for emotions

Like introduces comparison, not the cause of trembling.

✕ She was shaking like anger. ✓ She was shaking with anger.

Missing the noun after in

In usually needs a state or emotion.

✕ He was shaking in. ✓ He was shaking in shock.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The child was shaking ___ fear.
2. The windows shook ___ the explosion.
3. She sat there shaking ___ shock.

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Frequently asked questions

Is shake by correct English?

Not as a fixed verb-preposition pattern. By may appear separately in a sentence, such as A truck drove by and the windows shook.

Do we say shake with fear or shake in fear?

Both are possible. Shake with fear is more common for the cause of trembling, while shake in fear emphasizes the emotional state.

Can shake like be correct?

Yes, when like introduces a comparison, such as The bridge shook like paper in the wind.

sack, by, sack, for, sack, from "sacrifice for" or "sacrifice to"? sail from, in, for, to or through? "salvage from" or "salvage in"? sanction by, for, in, with or according? satisfy with, by, in, about or after? "saturate with" or "saturate in"? save by, for, from, on or in? "say in", "say about" or "say to"? "scan for", "scan in" or "scan through"? "scar by" or "scar on"? scatter in, across, around, throughout or on?

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