Sign In Get Started
Prepositions with nouns

Using prepositions with “leave”

“On leave” and “without leave” are the most common fixed expressions. Other prepositions appear in specific structures.

Quick answer

Most common forms

Use “on leave” when someone is absent from work or duty officially. Use “without leave” for absence without permission. “Leave for” often shows destination, and “leave of” appears in formal expressions such as “leave of absence.”

She is on leave this week.
The soldier was absent without leave.
They will leave for Paris tomorrow.
He requested a leave of absence.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
on leave

Official absence from work

Use this fixed expression for vacation, medical leave, or parental leave.

Our manager is currently on leave.
She has been on leave since Monday.
2
without leave

Absence without permission

This phrase is common in military and formal contexts.

The officer was absent without leave.
Employees may not leave early without leave from management.
3
leave for + place

Departure to a destination

Use “for” after the verb “leave” to show destination.

They will leave for Tokyo tonight.
We left for the airport at dawn.
4
leave of absence

Formal permission to be absent

This is a fixed formal phrase.

She applied for a leave of absence.
The university granted him leave of absence for a year.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
on leave
He is on leave this month.
Officially absent from work or duty.
for leave
She applied for leave.
Used after verbs like “apply” or nouns like “request.”
of leave
a leave of absence
Fixed formal expression.
to leave
They decided to leave early.
Infinitive verb form, not a noun phrase.
without leave
The soldier went absent without leave.
Without official permission.

Common mistakes

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

Confusing noun and verb uses

“To leave” is a verb form, not the noun “leave.”

✕ He is to leave from work. ✓ He is on leave from work.

Using “in leave”

English uses “on leave,” not “in leave.”

✕ She is in leave. ✓ She is on leave.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Our supervisor is currently ___ .
2. The employee was absent ___ .
3. They will ___ Rome tomorrow morning.

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

What does “on leave” mean?

It means officially away from work, school, or duty.

Is “without leave” formal?

Yes. It is especially common in military and legal contexts.

Can “leave” be a verb and a noun?

Yes. “Leave” as a noun means permission or absence, while the verb means depart.

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