With
With is a preposition.
With meaning ‘in the same place as’
With means ‘in the same place as someone or something’ or ‘accompanying’: She arrived with her boyfriend.
I don’t like tea with milk.
There was a free phone with the car.
With: reactions and feelings
With often follows adjectives which refer to reactions and feelings: Are you happy with your music lessons?
The teacher got angry with them because they were behaving badly.
I’m delighted with this new jacket.
With meaning ‘using’
We use with to refer to what we use to do something: They opened the package with a knife.
I’ll tie it with some tape to keep it closed.
He cleaned the table with a cloth he found in the kitchen.
With meaning ‘having’
We use with to mean ‘having’ or ‘possessing’: It’s the house with the really big gates.
She woke with terrible toothache.
The Commonwealth Institute used to be a building with a very unusual roof in Kensington.
With meaning ‘because of’
Spoken English:
We use with to mean ‘because of’ or ‘as a result of’. This is especially common in speaking: With all this work, I’d better stay in tonight.
I couldn’t sleep with the noise of the traffic.
With: other uses
With is used with the following words: She made contact with Marina after ten years.
Not: She made contact Marina after ten years. or She made contact to Marina after ten years.
He always helped Xavier with the cooking.
Not: He always helped Xavier the cooking. or He always helped Xavier by the cooking.
The company provide us with a car and a uniform.
Not: The company provide us a car and a uniform.
My parents were strict with me when I was a child.
Not: My parents were strict to me when I was a child.
They agree/disagreewith bullfighting. (They approve/disapprove of it)
Not: They agree/disagree to bullfighting.
She’s really good with computers.
Not: She’s really good in computers.
Communicating with new customers is important in my job.
Not: Communicating to new customers is important in my job.
We had some difficultieswith the production of the manual.
Not: We had some difficulties to produce the manual.
Warning:
With often follows adjectives to describe feelings: I was disappointedwith the food.
Not: I was disappointed the food.
I’m so boredwith this small town.
Not: I’m so bored about this small town.
Warning:
But note that with is not used with married: Brian is married to Helen, isn’t he?
Not: Brian is married with Helen, isn’t he?
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