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Prepositions with nouns

Of, for, to, by or with guest?

Guest commonly appears with of in expressions like guest of honour. Other prepositions may belong to the larger sentence rather than directly to the noun guest.

Quick answer

How guest combines with prepositions

Guest of is the most common fixed pattern. For, to, by, and with can appear near guest in sentences, but they usually express purpose, direction, agency, or company rather than forming fixed combinations.

She was the guest of honour at the ceremony.
We reserved a room for the guest.
He arrived with a guest from Canada.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
guest of + event or person

Identifying association or honour

Guest of is standard in expressions such as guest of honour or guest of the family.

He was the guest of honour at the dinner.
2
for a guest

Showing purpose or intended user

For a guest indicates that something is intended for a guest.

They prepared a welcome basket for the guest.
3
to a guest

Showing direction toward a guest

To a guest usually depends on another word such as speak or give.

The manager apologized to the guest personally.
4
with a guest

Showing accompaniment

With a guest means together with another person.

She arrived with a guest from abroad.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
guest of
She is the guest of honour tonight.
Standard expression showing status or association.
for guest
This table is reserved for a guest.
For expresses purpose or intended recipient.
to guest
The host spoke politely to the guest.
To usually depends on a verb and shows direction toward the guest.
by guest
A song was requested by a guest.
By introduces the doer of an action in a passive structure.
with guest
He checked in with a guest.
With expresses company or accompaniment.

Common mistakes

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

Leaving out the article

Guest usually needs an article or determiner in singular countable use.

✕ We welcomed guest from Spain. ✓ We welcomed a guest from Spain.

Using guest of for purpose

Use for when something is intended for a guest.

✕ This room is guest of the speaker. ✓ This room is for the guest speaker.

Using by guest as a fixed phrase

By guest is not a standard noun-preposition combination.

✕ The seat by guest was empty. ✓ The seat for the guest was empty.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She was the guest ___ honour.
2. The staff prepared a meal ___ the guest.
3. He entered the hall ___ a guest.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the most common preposition with guest?

Of is common in fixed expressions like guest of honour.

Can I say speak to a guest?

Yes. Here, to belongs to the verb speak and shows direction toward the guest.

Is by guest a normal expression?

No. By usually appears in passive clauses, such as chosen by a guest.

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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