In formal written English, preposition choice is one of the clearest markers of register. Certain prepositions are preferred in formal prose, others avoided. Fixed formal prepositional phrases — with regard to, in terms of, in relation to, as a result of, on the basis of — are formulaic expressions that appear consistently in professional and academic writing. Knowing when to use upon instead of on, of instead of from for origin, and how to deploy formal prepositional phrases fluently will significantly improve the quality of written professional communication.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
Informal: The data comes from three different schools.
Formal: The data was drawn from three different schools. OR: The data are from three different schools.
In formal academic and professional writing, of is sometimes used where from might appear in informal speech to show origin or composition. Can you see the pattern?
In formal writing, of frequently expresses origin, composition, or membership in ways that from does not. A person of great experience (origin/characteristic) is more formal than a person from a background of great experience. A committee of senior teachers (composed of) is more formal than a committee made up of senior teachers. Of in these formal uses carries a sense of inherent quality or membership — the person or thing belongs to a category or is characterised by something. This formal of for origin and composition appears in descriptions, titles, and academic contexts: a question of timing, a matter of principle, a teacher of great ability. These are fixed or semi-fixed phrases where of is the expected formal preposition.
In formal and legal writing, upon sometimes appears where on would be used in informal English. What does upon add? When is it preferred?
Upon is the more formal and literary equivalent of on. In everyday speech, on is always natural and upon can sound stiff or old-fashioned. In formal writing — legal documents, official letters, academic texts, formal reports — upon is used in specific fixed expressions to add formality and authority: upon reflection, upon consideration, upon arrival, upon completion, based upon. Upon tends to appear in formal phrases where on would also be grammatically correct but would sound less weighty. In professional contexts, teachers do not need to replace all instances of on with upon — but knowing the expressions where upon is expected (upon arrival, upon request, upon completion of the task) helps produce appropriately formal language.
Look at these formal prepositional phrases. What does each one do — how does it begin the sentence or connect ideas? Could you replace each one with a simpler expression?
Each of these formal prepositional phrases introduces a topic, establishes a comparison, states a cause, or provides a basis for a claim. With regard to introduces the topic being addressed (concerning). In terms of focuses on a specific dimension of a topic. In relation to establishes a comparison or connection. As a result of states a cause (because of). On the basis of provides the evidence or reason for a conclusion. All of these can be replaced by simpler language — about, because of, compared to — but in formal writing, these phrases signal professional register and add precision. They are not mere decoration: each one has a specific function and is appropriate in specific contexts. Learning to use them correctly improves the formality and clarity of professional documents.'
| Form | Use / Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Formal phrase | Informal equivalent | Example in formal writing |
| with regard to | about / concerning | With regard to the inspection, the school is fully prepared. |
| in terms of | regarding / when it comes to | In terms of attendance, results have improved significantly. |
| in relation to | compared to / in connection with | In relation to the previous year, progress has been substantial. |
| as a result of | because of / due to | As a result of the new policy, punctuality has improved. |
| on the basis of | based on / because of | On the basis of the data, the committee recommends further training. |
| in respect of | regarding / about | In respect of this matter, a formal response will be issued. |
| upon + noun | on / when | Upon arrival, please sign the visitor register. Upon completion of the form... |
DUE TO VERSUS AS A RESULT OF VERSUS OWING TO
These three expressions all indicate cause, but they have different registers and grammatical behaviours. Due to is adjectival and should follow a form of be: The delay was due to a power cut. In informal usage, due to is widely used as a preposition (Due to the rain, the lesson was cancelled), though this is disputed in formal style guides. As a result of is a full prepositional phrase and can begin a sentence or appear mid-sentence: As a result of the training, teachers are more confident. Owing to is formal and functions as a preposition: Owing to an increase in enrolment, additional classrooms are required. In formal professional writing, as a result of and owing to are safer choices than due to at the start of a sentence.
IN RESPECT OF VERSUS WITH RESPECT TO
Both phrases mean concerning or about and both are formal. In respect of tends to appear in legal and official British English: In respect of this matter, the school has fulfilled its obligations. With respect to is slightly more common in academic writing: With respect to the findings, several recommendations can be made. Both are correct in formal contexts, but in respect of tends to sound more formal or legalistic.
OMITTED PREPOSITIONS IN FORMAL WRITING
One subtle feature of formal writing is that prepositions are sometimes added where informal speech might omit them — and sometimes omitted where informal speech might include them. For example, formal English says on a daily basis rather than daily, in a formal manner rather than formally, at the highest level rather than at the top. These elaborated prepositional phrases signal formality and deliberateness.
FORMAL PREPOSITION CHECK - Introducing a topic formally? → With regard to (not with regards to). - Focusing on a specific dimension? → In terms of. - Establishing a comparison or connection? → In relation to. - Stating a cause or consequence? → As a result of / owing to. - Providing evidence or grounds? → On the basis of. - Using upon — is it a fixed formal expression? → Check: upon arrival, upon completion, upon reflection, based upon. Not simply replacing every on with upon. - Is of expressing composition or inherent quality? → This is formal and correct: a teacher of great experience, a matter of principle.
Choose the most appropriate formal prepositional phrase or preposition to complete each sentence.
Each sentence contains a preposition or prepositional phrase error inappropriate for formal writing. Write the correct version and explain the improvement.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — FORMAL PHRASES IN REAL DOCUMENTS (8 minutes): Bring examples of formal prepositional phrases from real documents — school reports, inspection summaries, or official letters. Ask learners to identify the formal prepositional phrases they can see. Write them on the board. Ask: what would you say in everyday speech instead of each one? Establish that these phrases are markers of formal register.
STEP 2 — WITH REGARD TO (NO S) (5 minutes): Address the with regard to error directly. Write both versions on the board (with regard to / with regards to). Confirm: the formal phrase has no s. Ask learners to produce two sentences using with regard to correctly in school or professional contexts.
STEP 3 — UPON IN FIXED EXPRESSIONS (7 minutes): Introduce the key upon expressions: upon arrival, upon completion, upon reflection, upon request, based upon. Confirm that upon is not simply a replacement for all instances of on — it appears in specific formal fixed expressions. Ask learners to produce two sentences using upon expressions from the list.
STEP 4 — FORMAL PHRASE MATCHING (8 minutes): Write the formal phrases on one side and their informal equivalents on the other, in random order. Ask learners to match them: with regard to (about), in terms of (regarding), in relation to (compared to), as a result of (because of), on the basis of (based on). Then ask learners to produce one sentence using each formal phrase.
STEP 5 — FORMAL LETTER EDITING (12 minutes): Give learners a short letter written in neutral or informal register. Ask them to improve it by replacing informal prepositions and phrases with more formal ones. Share and compare. Give specific feedback on which improvements are genuine register improvements and which changes are unnecessary.
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
Your feedback helps other teachers and helps us improve TeachAnyClass.