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Prepositions with nouns

Prepositions used with flesh

Flesh commonly appears with of in descriptive phrases. To flesh is not a standard fixed noun combination.

Quick answer

Should I use of flesh or to flesh?

Of flesh is common in descriptive expressions such as creatures of flesh and blood. To flesh is generally not used as a fixed noun phrase. However, to can appear before flesh when flesh is part of another structure, such as return to flesh.

made of flesh and bone
creatures of flesh and blood
The story describes a spirit returning to flesh

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
of flesh and blood

Describing human physical nature

Use of in fixed descriptive expressions.

a creature of flesh and blood
He is only a man of flesh and blood
2
made of + flesh

Material or physical composition

Use made of to describe physical substance.

made of flesh rather than metal
The sculpture looked almost made of living flesh
3
return to + flesh

Movement or transformation

To is possible when flesh is the destination or resulting state, not as a fixed pair with flesh.

return to flesh
In the legend, the spirit came back to flesh

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
of flesh
They are creatures of flesh and blood.
describing physical human nature
to flesh
The ghost returned to flesh.
movement or transformation into physical form, not a fixed noun phrase
made of flesh
The robot seemed almost made of flesh.
describing material or appearance
flesh of
the flesh of the fruit
the soft inner part of something

Common mistakes

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

Treating to flesh as a standard set phrase

To flesh is only natural in wider structures about movement or change.

✕ a statue to flesh ✓ a statue made of flesh

Omitting blood in the fixed expression

The full idiom is flesh and blood.

✕ a creature of flesh ✓ a creature of flesh and blood

Using of for movement

Of does not express transformation or direction.

✕ The spirit changed of flesh. ✓ The spirit changed to flesh.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. He is only a man ___ flesh and blood.
2. The spirit returned ___ flesh.
3. The model looked made ___ flesh.

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Frequently asked questions

Is of flesh idiomatic?

Yes, especially in expressions such as of flesh and blood.

Can I say to flesh?

Only in larger expressions where to shows movement or change, such as return to flesh.

What does flesh of the fruit mean?

It refers to the soft edible inside part of the fruit.

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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