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Prepositions with nouns

How to use prepositions with corporation

Corporation appears with different prepositions depending on ownership, employment, direction, or purpose.

Quick answer

Common prepositions with corporation

Use corporation of for official names or membership, by a corporation for an action done by a company, in a corporation for work or participation inside a company, for a corporation for purpose or employment, and to a corporation for direction or transfer.

the Corporation of London
owned by a corporation
she works in a corporation
a consultant for a corporation

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
corporation of + place/group

Official names and associations

Use corporation of in formal titles and institutional names.

the Corporation of the City of New York
members of the corporation voted yesterday
2
by a corporation

Actions done by a company

Use by to show the agent performing an action.

the land was purchased by a corporation
managed by a corporation based overseas
3
for a corporation

Work or purpose

Use for when someone works on behalf of a company or something is intended for it.

she designs software for a corporation
tax rules for corporations changed this year
4
in a corporation

Inside an organisation

Use in for participation or position within a company.

he advanced quickly in the corporation
communication in large corporations can be slow
5
to a corporation

Transfer or direction

Use to when something goes or is given to a company.

the rights were sold to a corporation
she wrote to the corporation about the issue

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
of a corporation
The responsibilities of a corporation are defined by law.
relationship or possession
by a corporation
The project was funded by a corporation.
agent performing an action
for a corporation
He works for a corporation in Tokyo.
employment or purpose
in a corporation
Decision-making in a corporation can be complex.
inside an organisation
to a corporation
The patent was transferred to a corporation.
direction or transfer

Common mistakes

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

Using in with employment verbs

Work for a corporation is more natural than work in a corporation when referring to an employer.

✕ She works in a corporation. ✓ She works for a corporation.

Confusing by and for

By shows the doer of an action; for shows purpose or employment.

✕ The report was written for a corporation. ✓ The report was written by a corporation.

Using to corporation without an article

A singular count noun usually needs an article.

✕ The money was sent to corporation. ✓ The money was sent to the corporation.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The building was purchased ___ a corporation.
2. She has worked ___ a corporation for ten years.
3. The documents were delivered ___ the corporation.

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Frequently asked questions

Do we say work in a corporation or for a corporation?

Both are possible, but work for a corporation is more common for employment.

When is corporation of used?

It appears mainly in formal names and expressions showing relationship.

Can I say to corporation?

Use an article or determiner: to the corporation or to a corporation.

of, about, against, to or for racism? of, about, for, in or on friendship? of, about, for, on or to thing? of, about, for, to or with sex? of, about, on, to or for moon? "of access" or "with access"? "of accommodation" or "for accommodation"? "of accuracy" or "for accuracy"? "of action" or "in action"? "of actor", "with actor" or "by actor"? "of address" or "to address"? "of administration" or "in administration"?

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