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Prepositions with nouns

Resort with prepositions

The noun resort appears in fixed expressions such as as a last resort. Of resort is not standard English.

Quick answer

Is it to resort or of resort?

English does not normally use of resort. Common expressions are as a last resort and a resort to something. Resort to is also a common verb phrase.

a resort to violence
as a last resort
They decided to resort to legal action
holiday resort towns attract tourists

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
resort to + action

Turning to something

The noun resort can take to when describing an action someone uses.

resort to force
2
as a last resort

Final possible action

This fixed expression means only if nothing else works.

as a last resort we contacted a lawyer

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
resort to
Their resort to threats damaged negotiations.
turning to an action or method
of resort
Of resort is not idiomatic in current English.
nonstandard combination
last resort
Selling the car was a last resort.
final available option

Common mistakes

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

Using of resort

English does not use of resort as a normal phrase.

✕ of resort ✓ as a last resort

Confusing noun and verb patterns

The verb is resort to.

✕ they resort legal action ✓ they resorted to legal action

Missing the article

Last resort usually needs a before it.

✕ as last resort ✓ as a last resort

Using to after last resort

Last resort already forms a complete expression.

✕ as a last resort to ✓ as a last resort

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. They used social media ___ a last resort.
2. The government's resort ___ force was criticized.
3. Which phrase is nonstandard?

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Frequently asked questions

Is of resort correct English?

No. Use resort to or as a last resort instead.

What does resort to mean?

It means turning to a method, often an extreme one.

Can resort be a noun and a verb?

Yes. A resort can be a place or an action taken, and resort can also be a verb.

to, amount, in, amount, of, amount "to availability" or "of availability"? "to bed" or "in bed"? "to bit" or "by bit"? "to bottom" or "at bottom"? to, by, from, with or of ear? "to charity", "for charity" or "of charity"? "to coast" or "from coast"? "to cycle" or "of cycle"? "to deal" or "of deal"? "to debut" or "on debut"? "to editor" or "of editor"?

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