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Prepositions with nouns

Answer: “for answer” or “of answer”

The noun answer is usually followed by to when naming a question or problem. For answer and of answer are uncommon and depend on wider sentence structure.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct with answer?

The most common pattern is answer to something: an answer to a question. For answer appears in fixed legal or formal phrases such as call for an answer. Of answer is not a normal noun pattern in modern English.

We finally found the answer to the puzzle.
The letter called for an answer.
She gave an answer to my email.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
answer to + question/problem

Naming what the answer responds to

Use answer to before a question, problem, or request.

Do you know the answer to this question?
They discovered an answer to the staffing problem.
2
answer for + actions

Showing responsibility

Answer for is a verb pattern meaning be responsible for something.

He must answer for his decisions.
3
call for an answer

Formal requests for a reply

For answer can appear after verbs such as call or wait because for belongs to the verb phrase, not directly to answer.

The complaint called for an answer from management.
4
answer from + person

Saying who gives the reply

Use from to identify the source of the answer.

We received an answer from the support team yesterday.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
answer to
Her answer to the interviewer was clear.
Standard pattern for the thing being answered.
for answer
The judge asked for an answer by Friday.
Possible when for belongs to the larger phrase ask for; not a fixed noun pattern.
of answer
The quality of the answer matters.
Of usually links another noun to answer, not answer itself.
answer from
I am still waiting for an answer from Alex.
Shows who gives the answer.

Common mistakes

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

Using of after answer

Answer is not normally followed directly by of.

✕ the answer of my question ✓ the answer to my question

Confusing answer to and answer for

The meanings are different.

✕ She answered for the puzzle ✓ She found the answer to the puzzle

Treating for answer as a fixed pattern

For usually belongs to another verb such as ask for or wait for.

✕ an explanation for answer ✓ an explanation in answer to the complaint

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. We finally found the answer ___ the riddle.
2. The manager asked ___ an answer before noon.
3. She must answer ___ her actions.

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Frequently asked questions

Is answer to always correct?

It is the standard choice when you mention the question, problem, or request being answered.

Can I say for answer?

Only in wider phrases such as ask for an answer or call for an answer. It is not usually a direct noun pattern.

Is of answer natural English?

Not as a direct complement after answer. Use answer to instead.

for, admission, of, admission "for adoption", "of adoption" or "to adoption"? "for approval" or "of approval"? for, at, after, to or before lunch? "for breakfast" or "after breakfast"? "for collection" or "of collection"? "for dad" or "with dad"? for, during, in, of or with period? "for enforcement" or "of enforcement"? "for examination" or "of examination"? "for generation" or "of generation"? "for guidance" or "of guidance"?

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