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Prepositions with nouns

“Of offence” or “for offence”?

For offence commonly appears in phrases about punishment, charges, or reasons. Of offence is less common and usually links offence to a type or source.

Quick answer

Which preposition should you use?

Use for an offence or for offence when talking about punishment, arrest, or responsibility: fined for an offence. Use of offence mainly in fixed or formal phrases such as risk of offence or categories of offence.

He was arrested for an offence committed last year.
The joke caused a sense of offence among some listeners.
The law sets penalties for offence in public office.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
for an offence

Reason for punishment or legal action

Use for an offence after verbs such as arrest, charge, fine, or punish.

She was fined for an offence under local regulations.
The suspect was charged for an offence involving fraud.
2
of offence

Type or feeling of offence

Use of offence in formal expressions that describe categories, risk, or feelings.

There is little risk of offence in the advertisement.
The law distinguishes different kinds of offence.
3
take offence at

Reaction to something insulting

English commonly uses offence with the verb take and the preposition at.

He did not take offence at the comment.
Some readers took offence at the article.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
for an offence
He received a warning for an offence.
Shows the reason for punishment or action.
of offence
The risk of offence was low.
Shows a type, category, or feeling.
offence at
She took offence at the remark.
Shows the cause of feeling insulted.

Common mistakes

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

Using of offence for punishment

For is normally used after punish, arrest, fine, or charge.

✕ He was punished of offence. ✓ He was punished for an offence.

Forgetting the article with countable offence

Singular offence usually needs a or the.

✕ She was arrested for offence. ✓ She was arrested for an offence.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The driver was fined ___ an offence.
2. Some readers took offence ___ the headline.
3. There was little risk ___ offence.

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Frequently asked questions

Is offence spelled differently in American English?

Yes. American English usually uses offense.

Can I say charged of an offence?

No. Standard English uses charged with an offence.

When is of offence natural?

It appears in formal phrases such as risk of offence or categories of offence.

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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