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Prepositions before nouns

Labor with prepositions

Labor appears with different prepositions depending on whether you mean work, workers, or childbirth.

Quick answer

Which prepositions are natural with labor?

Labor of describes work done by someone. Labor for can show support or purpose. Labor in refers to work within a field. Labor on describes work on a project. With labor is uncommon except in specific contexts such as women with labor complications.

the labor of volunteers
They campaigned for labor rights.
workers employed in labor intensive industries

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
labor of + person

Showing who performs the work

Use labor of to describe effort or work done by someone.

the hard labor of farmers
the unpaid labor of caregivers
2
labor on + project

Working on something

Use labor on after the verb labor to mean work hard on a task.

They labored on the report all night.
She labored on a new design.
3
labor in + field

Working within an area

Use labor in to refer to work in an industry or area.

people who labor in agriculture
workers in labor intensive factories
4
for labor rights

Supporting workers

Use for labor when discussing labour movements or rights.

campaigns for labor reform
support for labor unions

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
of labor
the value of labor
Shows relation to work or workers.
for labor
They argued for labor protections.
Shows support or purpose.
in labor
She went into labor yesterday.
Fixed expression related to childbirth.
on labor
The committee reported on labor conditions.
On introduces the topic of discussion.
with labor
patients with labor complications
Possible in medical contexts; not a fixed phrase.

Common mistakes

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

Confusing in labor with labor in

In labor relates to childbirth, while labor in means work within a field.

✕ She is labor in the hospital. ✓ She is in labor at the hospital.

Using on labor for active work

Labor on is the verb pattern for working hard on something.

✕ They labor on labor laws. ✓ They labor on new labor laws.

Using with labor generally

With labor is limited to specific descriptive contexts.

✕ a company with labor ✓ a company with many workers

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The artist labored ___ the mural for months.
2. The speech focused ___ labor rights.
3. She went into ___ late at night.

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Frequently asked questions

What does labor on mean?

It means to work hard on a task or project.

Is in labor about work?

Usually no. In labor commonly refers to childbirth.

Can for labor be correct?

Yes. It appears in discussions of labour rights, unions, and reform.

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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