of
of — preposition
1. linking two nouns to show that the first one belongs to, is part of, or is assoc
linking two nouns to show that the first one belongs to, is part of, or is associated with the second — typically a person, place, or organisation that owns or holds it, as in the friends of Maya, the streets of Taipei, or the windows of the old house.
The diary of Anne Frank is read by students all over the world.
[thing] + of + [named person] for possession
Marcus is studying the history of Japan at university this year.
[topic] + of + [country] for relation
The mayor of Kaohsiung gave a short speech at the new park.
[role] + of + [place] for origin/affiliation
Lina painted the front door of her grandmother's house bright yellow.
Carlos borrowed the keys of his father's old motorbike for the weekend.
[possession] + of + [owner]
- the name of
- the end of
- the beginning of
- a friend of
- the capital of
- 's (possessive)
preferred for people: 'Maya's bag', not 'the bag of Maya'.
- belonging to
more formal and longer; usually used for emphasis.
Grammar Patterns
[noun] + of + [person/place/group]
Usage Note
Subject is usually a thing, role, or part; the noun after 'of' names the owner, place, or group it belongs to. With people, the possessive 's (Anne's diary) is more common in everyday speech than 'of'.
Common Mistakes
2. placed after a measurement word, a number, or a quantifier to mark the substance
placed after a measurement word, a number, or a quantifier to mark the substance or set being measured, counted, or partitioned — answering 'how much' or 'how many' rather than 'whose' or 'what is inside'. Common with units like kilo, litre, cup, and with quantifiers like some, most, half, none.
Carlos drank a tall glass of orange juice with his breakfast.
[unit/container] + of + [substance]
Maya bought three kilos of apples at the market on Saturday.
[number + unit] + of + [countable plural]
Most of the students walked home together after the late class.
most/some/many + of + the + [noun]
Only a few of my cousins still live near Kaohsiung now.
The waiter brought a small plate of warm bread to the table.
- a piece of
- a cup of
- a glass of
- a lot of
- most of
- some of
Grammar Patterns
[number/amount/unit] + of + [noun]
some/many/most/few + of + [noun phrase]
Usage Note
Use 'of the' (not bare 'of') with words like some, many, most, few, all, each, none when the noun has 'the', 'my', 'these', etc. — 'most of the cake', not 'most of cake'. Bare 'most cake' is fine for general statements.
Common Mistakes
3. after a word naming a container, vessel, or organised group, to identify the spe
after a word naming a container, vessel, or organised group, to identify the specific contents or members inside — describing the kind of stuff that fills it, not how much there is. Examples: a box of toys (toys are inside), a basket of flowers, a team of doctors.
Lina opened a small box of chocolates on her birthday morning.
container + of + contents
The shelf held a thick book of old Taiwanese folk songs.
[item] + of + [content theme]
Marcus carried a heavy bag of textbooks up four floors.
The teacher manages a noisy class of thirty young children.
[group noun] + of + [members]
Maya found a basket of fresh strawberries on the kitchen counter.
- a box of
- a bag of
- a basket of
- a class of
- a team of
- containing
more formal and explicit; 'a jar containing honey' vs 'a jar of honey'.
- full of
stresses that something is completely filled.
Grammar Patterns
[container/group noun] + of + [contents]
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 2 (AMOUNT): sense 3 emphasises what fills the container or group ('a box of toys' = box has toys inside); sense 2 measures quantity ('two boxes of toys' = counting). The line is fuzzy and contexts often allow either reading.
Common Mistakes
4. joining a direction word — such as north, south, left, right, or top — to a fixe
joining a direction word — such as north, south, left, right, or top — to a fixed point, so the listener knows where one place sits compared with another.
Tainan lies south of Taichung along the western coast of Taiwan.
[place] + south/north of + [place]
Marcus parked his bike to the left of the school gate.
to the left/right of + [object]
A small lamp sits on top of the wooden bookshelf.
on top of + [object]
The bakery is just north of the night market on Minquan Road.
Lina's apartment is on the third floor, in front of a quiet park.
- north of
- south of
- east of
- west of
- to the left of
- to the right of
- on top of
- in front of
- at the back of
Grammar Patterns
[direction word] + of + [reference point]
north/south/east/west/left/right/north-east + of + [place]
Usage Note
Common fixed phrases: 'on top of', 'in front of', 'at the back of', 'to the left/right of', 'north/south/east/west of'. The 'of' is required and cannot be dropped.
Common Mistakes
5. marking a behaviour, quality, or feature as something you usually expect from a
marking a behaviour, quality, or feature as something you usually expect from a particular person, group, or thing — used after words like 'typical' or 'characteristic' to point to the source of that pattern.
Forgetting his lunchbox at home is so typical of Marcus on busy mornings.
typical of + [person] for usual behaviour
Such a long lunch break is typical of small towns in southern Taiwan.
typical of + [group/place]
That sharp humour is so characteristic of Maya's writing style.
characteristic of + [person/work]
Heavy afternoon rain is typical of Taipei in early June.
typical of + [place] + [time period]
The sour taste is typical of green mangoes picked too early.
- typical of
- characteristic of
- kind of (someone)
- nice of (someone)
- rude of (someone)
- characteristic of
more formal; emphasises a defining quality.
- unlike
'that's unlike Marcus' = not his usual behaviour.
Grammar Patterns
[quality/feature/behaviour] + typical/characteristic + of + [person/group/thing]
that's (so) typical + of + [person/group]
Usage Note
Restricted to 'typical of', 'characteristic of', and a few similar words ('representative of', 'symptomatic of'). Subject names a feature, action, or quality; the noun after 'of' names whose pattern it fits. Distinguish from sense 9, which uses the 'it + be + [adj] + of + [person] + to-infinitive' frame to judge a single action.
Common Mistakes
6. linking the day number to the month when you say or write a date — for example,
linking the day number to the month when you say or write a date — for example, the third of June or the twenty-first of October.
Maya was born on the fifth of April in a small village.
on the [ordinal] of [month]
The wedding will be held on the twentieth of December this year.
the [ordinal] of [month] [year]
Carlos started his new job on the first of September.
Taiwan celebrates Double Tenth Day on the tenth of October every year.
Lina's exam is on the twenty-second of June, just before summer break.
- the first of
- the fifth of
- the tenth of
- the twentieth of
- the thirty-first of
Grammar Patterns
the [ordinal number] of [month]
the [ordinal number] of [month], [year]
Usage Note
British style; common in formal writing and speech. American style usually drops 'of' and reorders: 'June 5' or 'June 5th' instead of 'the fifth of June'. Both styles use 'on' before the date.
Common Mistakes
7. used after a noun to name the material, substance, or parts that something is bu
used after a noun to name the material, substance, or parts that something is built or formed from.
Maya's grandmother gave her a small box of carved wood.
noun + of + material (wood)
The bridge in the old town is built of stone and iron.
passive: built of [materials]
Carlos wore a thick sweater of soft grey wool.
The children made a tower of plastic blocks on the kitchen floor.
made of + countable material noun
Aunt Rosa keeps her tea in a small jar of green glass.
- made of
- built of
- carved of
- a piece of
- a sheet of
Grammar Patterns
noun + of + material noun
Usage Note
Subject noun is normally a concrete object; the noun after 'of' names the raw stuff. Often appears in the fixed pattern 'made of [material]', which keeps the material visible in the final product (compare 'made from', where the original material is changed).
Common Mistakes
8. required after a fixed list of adjectives (afraid, fond, proud, tired) and verbs
required after a fixed list of adjectives (afraid, fond, proud, tired) and verbs (think, dream, speak, remind, accuse) to introduce the object of the feeling, mental act, or speech — the partner word demands 'of' as its only correct preposition.
Lina is very fond of her little brother and reads to him every night.
adjective + of: fond of [person]
The villagers spoke of the storm with quiet fear.
verb + of: speak of [topic]
Marcus was tired of waiting at the bus stop in the rain.
adjective + of + -ing: tired of doing
The old captain often dreamed of the sea he had left behind.
verb + of: dream of [thing]
The teacher reminded the children of the school rules before lunch.
verb + person + of + thing
- fond of
- tired of
- afraid of
- think of
- speak of
- remind of
- accuse of
- about
many of these verbs accept 'about' too (think about, dream about); 'of' is often slightly more abstract or emotional.
Grammar Patterns
adjective + of + noun
verb + of + noun
Usage Note
These pairings are fixed by the verb or adjective and must be learned one by one. Common adjectives: afraid of, proud of, fond of, tired of, aware of, jealous of. Common verbs: think of, dream of, speak of, remind of, accuse of, approve of. Subject noun is usually a person or animate being.
Common Mistakes
9. appears in the pattern 'it is [adjective] of [person] to do something' to praise
appears in the pattern 'it is [adjective] of [person] to do something' to praise or criticise the way someone has chosen to act.
It was very kind of Mrs Tanaka to drive my mother home in the storm.
it + be + adjective + of + person + to-infinitive
It was rude of Marcus to leave the dinner without saying goodbye.
praise/criticism of behaviour
How thoughtful of Lina to send flowers when grandfather was in hospital.
exclamation: how + adjective + of + person
It was brave of the young firefighter to enter the burning house alone.
It was silly of me to forget my umbrella on such a rainy morning.
- kind of you
- nice of you
- good of you
- rude of him
- silly of me
- brave of her
Grammar Patterns
it + be + adjective + of + person + to-infinitive
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 8: this sense judges the person's action ('It was kind of you to help' = you were kind because you helped). Compare 'It is important for you to help' — 'for' rates the situation, not the person. Common adjectives in this slot: kind, nice, good, sweet, generous, rude, mean, stupid, silly, brave, foolish, careless.
Common Mistakes
10. used after some nouns to introduce the topic that is being described, discussed,
used after some nouns to introduce the topic that is being described, discussed, or shown.
Dr Patel gave a clear account of the village fire to the local newspaper.
account of [event]
The museum holds many photographs of the city before the war.
photograph of [subject]
Maya wrote a short review of the new café on her blog.
review of [thing]
The mayor's speech included a long list of the town's recent problems.
list of [items]
Carlos showed the visitors a map of the island and its small harbours.
map of [place]
- a picture of
- a map of
- a story of
- a list of
- a record of
- about
more conversational; 'a book about birds' feels lighter than 'a book of birds' (which can imply a collection).
- concerning
formal, mostly written; for documents and reports.
Grammar Patterns
noun + of + topic noun
Usage Note
Pairs naturally with information-bearing nouns: account, story, picture, photo, map, list, review, description, study, knowledge, idea. Often interchangeable with 'about' after these nouns, but 'of' sounds slightly more formal and tighter ('a story of love' vs 'a story about love').
Common Mistakes
11. used between two nouns when the second one names or identifies what the first on
used between two nouns when the second one names or identifies what the first one is.
The small village of Hualien sits between green mountains and the deep blue sea.
village of [name]
Marcus took the job of head chef at the new harbour restaurant.
job of [role]
The children loved the story of Cinderella more than any other tale.
story of [title]
Lina earned the title of best young pianist in the regional contest.
title of [name/role]
The Watanabe family booked a ferry to the small island of Okinoshima for August.
island of [proper name]
- the city of
- the village of
- the island of
- the month of
- the title of
- the name of
Grammar Patterns
noun + of + naming noun
Usage Note
The first noun is a category word (city, village, island, month, day, name, title, role, job, idea, problem); the noun after 'of' is the specific identity. Distinguish from sense 7 (MADE OF) by checking if the noun after 'of' names a thing (use this sense) or a material (use sense 7).
Common Mistakes
12. used after a noun naming an action to introduce the person or thing that the act
used after a noun naming an action to introduce the person or thing that the action is performed on.
The repair of the old bridge took the workers nearly two months.
repair of [object acted on]
The murder of the merchant shocked everyone in the quiet little town.
murder of [victim]
The teaching of mathematics has changed a lot in the last twenty years.
teaching of [subject taught]
The destruction of the rain forest worries scientists across the world.
destruction of [thing destroyed]
Carlos studies the painting of portraits in the Italian Renaissance.
- repair of
- murder of
- treatment of
- destruction of
- examination of
- study of
Grammar Patterns
action noun + of + receiver noun
Usage Note
The first noun is normally a deverbal noun (repair, murder, teaching, painting, building, destruction, treatment, examination); the noun after 'of' is what would be the direct object of the related verb. Compare with sense 1 (POSSESSION): 'the painting of Carlos' = a painting that shows Carlos (sense 12 reading) or a painting that Carlos owns (sense 1 reading) — context decides.
Common Mistakes
13. linking an emotion, quality, or trait to the person who feels or holds it.
linking an emotion, quality, or trait to the person who feels or holds it.
The kindness of Mrs. Lee touched everyone at the school gate.
[abstract noun] + of + [named person]
I admire the patience of doctors who work long night shifts.
trait felt by a group
Maya was moved by the love of her grandmother in those final days.
emotion + of + [holder]
The anger of the villagers grew when the river turned brown again.
Carlos respects the courage of the young firefighters next door.
- the kindness of
- the patience of
- the anger of
- the love of
- felt by
more explicit verbal phrasing
- experienced by
formal, often used in writing
Grammar Patterns
[noun for emotion/quality] + of + [person]
Usage Note
Frequently links abstract nouns (kindness, anger, fear, love) to a named experiencer. Distinguish from sense 1 (POSSESSION) by the abstract, emotional nature of the noun before 'of'.
Common Mistakes
14. naming the cause behind a death, illness, accusation, or strong feeling that fol
naming the cause behind a death, illness, accusation, or strong feeling that follows from it.
Marcus's grandfather died of a heart attack last winter.
die + of + [medical cause]
The young clerk was accused of stealing money from the office safe.
accuse + [person] + of + [wrongdoing]
The children were tired of waiting for the bus in the cold.
tired + of + [cause]
Her uncle nearly died of fright when the dog jumped at him.
die + of + [emotion as cause]
The whole kitchen smelled of burnt garlic after Carlos left the pan too long.
smell + of + [substance as cause]
- die of
- accused of
- tired of
- smell of
- weary of
Grammar Patterns
die / be tired / smell + of + [cause]
convict / accuse / acquit + [person] + of + [crime]
Usage Note
Common with verbs of dying, weariness, accusation, and sensory cause ('smell/taste/reek of'). Distinguish from sense 12 (DONE TO): 'die of cancer' names the cause, while 'victim of cancer' names what was done to someone.
Common Mistakes
15. marking the wider group from which one item is picked out as the best, worst, or
marking the wider group from which one item is picked out as the best, worst, or most extreme.
Lina was the tallest of the four sisters in the family photo.
superlative + of + [group]
Mount Jade is the highest of all the mountains in Taiwan.
the [superlative] + of all
Of the three cakes, the chocolate one tasted the best to Marcus.
fronted: Of + [group], …
The youngest of my cousins won first prize at the piano contest.
Tokyo was the busiest of the cities Sara visited last summer.
- the best of
- the worst of
- the oldest of
- the first of
Grammar Patterns
[superlative/best/worst] + of + [group]
Usage Note
The noun after 'of' must be plural or a collective group. Distinguish from sense 1 (POSSESSION): 'the best of the team' = picked from the team; 'the captain of the team' = belonging to the team.
Common Mistakes
16. stating how many minutes are still left before the next hour when telling the ti
stating how many minutes are still left before the next hour when telling the time.
The train to Boston leaves at a quarter of nine in the morning.
a quarter of + [hour]
Marcus called his mother at ten of six to say he was running late.
[minutes] + of + [hour]
It was five of noon when the school bell finally rang.
Grandma always serves dinner at twenty of seven on Sundays.
Lina arrived at the airport at a quarter of three in the afternoon.
- a quarter of
- ten of
- five of
- twenty of
Grammar Patterns
[minutes] + of + [hour]
Usage Note
Mainly American English. British speakers say 'a quarter to nine' instead of 'a quarter of nine'. The number before 'of' is always the minutes remaining before the next hour.
Common Mistakes
17. after an explicit measurement of distance, range, or near-miss timing (ten miles
after an explicit measurement of distance, range, or near-miss timing (ten miles, within an inch, within seconds) to mark the reference point being measured from — adding a quantified gap that sense 4 (POSITION) leaves vague.
The small farm sits about ten miles north of the river.
[direction/distance] + of + [reference point]
Marcus came within an inch of falling off the wooden ladder.
within + [distance] + of
The old temple stands two kilometres south of the train station.
Lina came within seconds of missing the last bus home.
within + [time] + of (near miss)
The cottage lies just east of the small fishing harbour.
- north of
- south of
- within reach of
- within minutes of
Grammar Patterns
within / north / south + of + [place or time]
Usage Note
Subject is usually a place, person, or event; the noun after 'of' is the reference point. Distinguish from sense 4 (POSITION) by the explicit measurement of distance, direction, or near-miss timing.
Common Mistakes
18. marking the thing that is taken away, withheld, or lost when someone is harmed.
marking the thing that is taken away, withheld, or lost when someone is harmed.
The thieves robbed the elderly couple of their wedding rings.
rob + [person] + of + [thing]
The flood deprived the village of clean water for almost a week.
deprive + [group] + of + [resource]
Marcus felt cheated of a fair chance after the judge changed the rules.
passive: be cheated of + [thing]
The long illness robbed Grandma of her strong, clear voice.
The new law stripped many farmers of their old water rights.
strip + [people] + of + [right]
- rob someone of
- deprive someone of
- cheat someone of
- strip someone of
- from
used after 'take' or 'steal', not after 'rob' or 'deprive'
Grammar Patterns
rob / deprive / cheat + [person] + of + [thing]
Usage Note
Object must be something valued (rights, money, freedom, sleep, voice). Often appears with verbs of loss: rob, deprive, cheat, strip, cure, rid. Frequently passive ('was robbed of').
Common Mistakes
19. in the course of a stated period of time, often pointing to something that happe
in the course of a stated period of time, often pointing to something that happens regularly or habitually within it.
Mr. Hughes often takes a long walk by the river of an evening.
of + an evening = during evenings, habitually
Of a Sunday morning, the bakery on Maple Street fills with hungry families.
fronted: 'Of a Sunday morning' for habitual time
Grandma Pearl liked to knit by the fire of a winter night.
of + a + season + night/day pattern
The old farmer would smoke his pipe on the porch of a summer afternoon.
Of late, fewer ships have sailed into the harbour at Plymouth.
fixed phrase: 'of late' = recently
- of an evening
- of a morning
- of a Sunday
- of late
- of a winter night
Grammar Patterns
of + a/an + time period (morning, evening, weekend)
Usage Note
Old-fashioned and chiefly literary. Almost always 'of a/an + time period' (of a morning, of an evening, of a Sunday) describing a habitual or repeated occurrence, not a single event. Distinguish from sense 6 (DAYS), which marks a specific calendar date with 'the', and sense 16 (TIME), which states clock time.
Common Mistakes
of all
idiomUsed before a noun to emphasize that something is very surprising or unexpected.
Maya, of all people, decided to quit her job.
Why would you, of all people, defend that idea?
of all the…
idiomUsed to express strong anger or annoyance about something.
Of all the luck! My car broke down again.
Of all the rude things to say, he chose that.
Synonym discussion
Sense: preposition/1
When linking two nouns to show belonging, learners often hesitate between 'of' and the possessive 's. With people and animals, the 's form is far more natural in everyday speech: say 'Maya's bag', not 'the bag of Maya'. Reach for 'of' when the first noun is a part, role, or quality, and the second is a place, group, or longer noun phrase: 'the streets of Taipei', 'the mayor of Kaohsiung'. 'From' marks origin or source ('a friend from Taiwan' = where she comes from), while 'of' marks the link itself ('a friend of Maya' = whose friend). 'For' shows purpose or recipient ('a gift for Lina'), never possession. 'About' introduces a topic ('a book about birds'), and overlaps with sense 10 of 'of' but feels lighter and more conversational.
Common collocations
Phrases
- of course
- as a matter of fact
- all of a sudden
- first of all
- the best of
- the rest of
- all of (us/them)
- none of
Prepositions
- out of
- because of
- instead of
- in front of
- on top of
- in spite of
- ahead of
- regardless of
Etymology
From Old English 'of', meaning 'from, off, away'. Originally a stressed form of 'off'; the two split into separate words in Middle English, with 'of' keeping the link-and-source senses. Traces back to Proto-Germanic and the Indo-European root meaning 'away from'.