Sign In Get Started
Prepositions before nouns

How to use prepositions with taste

Taste combines with several prepositions depending on meaning. Some refer to flavour, while others describe preference or judgement.

Quick answer

Most common combinations

Taste of refers to flavour or a small experience. Taste in refers to judgement in style. Taste for means liking something. With taste means done in a stylish way.

The soup has a strong taste of garlic.
She has excellent taste in furniture.
He developed a taste for jazz.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
taste of + food or experience

Describing flavour or a brief experience

Taste of commonly refers to flavour or a small sample of something.

The cake had a taste of cinnamon.
The trip gave us a taste of local life.
2
taste in + area

Talking about style or judgement

Taste in refers to preferences in art, fashion, music, and similar areas.

He has good taste in design.
Her taste in music is eclectic.
3
taste for + activity or thing

Showing enjoyment or preference

Taste for means a liking that someone develops.

She acquired a taste for spicy food.
He has little taste for office politics.
4
with taste

Describing style or restraint

With taste means in an attractive or appropriate way.

The room was decorated with taste and simplicity.
She dressed with taste for the occasion.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
taste of
The sauce has a taste of lemon.
flavour or small experience
taste in
She has excellent taste in art.
judgement or preference in a field
taste for
He developed a taste for hiking.
liking or enjoyment
with taste
The event was organised with taste.
in a stylish or appropriate manner
on taste
On taste is not a standard combination with this meaning.
generally nonstandard except in wider expressions

Common mistakes

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

Using on taste instead of taste in

English uses taste in for style or artistic judgement.

✕ She has great taste on clothes. ✓ She has great taste in clothes.

Confusing taste of and taste for

Taste of refers to flavour or experience, while taste for means preference.

✕ He has a taste of classical music. ✓ He has a taste for classical music.

Using with taste for preference

With taste describes manner, not liking.

✕ She has with taste for opera. ✓ She has a taste for opera.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The tea has a slight ___ mint.
2. He has excellent ___ modern architecture.
3. After travelling, she developed a ___ adventure.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Can taste of refer to experiences?

Yes. It can mean a brief experience, such as a taste of city life.

Is taste in always positive?

No. You can say someone has poor taste in something.

What does with taste mean?

It means in a stylish, restrained, or appropriate way.

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"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account