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Prepositions with nouns

Of excitement or with excitement?

With excitement is a common phrase describing emotion or manner. Of excitement usually appears after another noun, as in feelings of excitement or cries of excitement.

Quick answer

Which phrase should you choose?

Use with excitement to describe how someone speaks, reacts, or feels. Use of excitement mainly inside larger noun phrases that describe a type or source of feeling.

The children waited with excitement for the concert.
She opened the letter with excitement.
There were loud cries of excitement from the crowd.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
with excitement

Describing emotion or manner

Use with excitement to describe how someone behaves or feels.

He spoke with excitement about the trip.
The audience reacted with excitement.
2
feelings/sense/wave of excitement

Naming a type of emotion

Use of excitement after another noun to describe the emotion itself.

She felt a strong sense of excitement before the event.
3
excitement about + topic

Showing the cause of excitement

Use excitement about to identify what causes the feeling.

There is growing excitement about the new project.
4
excitement over + event

Reacting to news or events

Use excitement over for public reactions to events or announcements.

Media excitement over the launch continued all week.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
with excitement
She shouted with excitement.
Describes someone's emotional manner or reaction.
of excitement
The room was full of excitement.
Usually part of a larger noun phrase or adjective structure.
excitement about
There is excitement about the festival.
Identifies the cause of the feeling.

Common mistakes

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

Using of excitement as a direct manner phrase

English normally uses with excitement to describe reactions or behaviour.

✕ He spoke of excitement. ✓ He spoke with excitement.

Forgetting a supporting noun before of excitement

Of excitement usually follows another noun or adjective.

✕ The crowd showed of excitement. ✓ The crowd showed signs of excitement.

Confusing excitement about with excitement over

Both are possible, but about is broader and over often refers to news or events.

✕ The speech created excitement with the policy. ✓ The speech created excitement about the policy.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The fans cheered ___ excitement.
2. She felt a wave ___ excitement.
3. There is excitement ___ the new film.

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Frequently asked questions

Is with excitement always correct for emotions?

It is common when describing how someone acts, speaks, or reacts.

Can I use of excitement by itself?

Usually it follows another noun, such as feeling of excitement or cry of excitement.

What is the difference between excitement about and excitement over?

Both can describe causes of excitement, but over is especially common with news, events, or public reactions.

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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