Oppose and Opposed To

Oppose and Opposed To Oppose and Opposed To Oppose and Opposed To By Maeve Maddox A reader questions the use of the preposition against to follow the verb oppose in this example from an entertainment site: [Madonna] wanted to be the only female voice of the band, and opposed against the introduction of another female vocalist. The reader asks, â€Å"Isn’t opposed enough?† Yes. In this sentence, the meaning of opposed is objected to or was against. The transitive verb is sufficient: She opposed the introduction of another female vocalist. NOTE: The verb oppose has several meanings. This post is about the use of oppose to mean, â€Å"to object to,† â€Å"to be against.† Used transitively, oppose is followed directly by a noun or a pronoun (its direct object). Here are examples of correct usage: There are also personal, political, religious, and spiritual reasons to oppose capital punishment.   Top Ten Reasons to Oppose the  World Trade Organization   Why I oppose Common Core standards The men and women who  opposed womans suffrage  did so for many reasons.   Oppose also functions intransitively (no object). When it is followed by a prepositional phrase, the preposition to use is to, not against. Here are examples of intransitive use: Coach Gus Malzahn not opposed to switching divisions Why so many immigrants in Germany are opposed to the refugee influx Here are some examples of unidiomatic uses of oppose, with suggested corrections: INCORRECT: Woman Becomes an Atheist After She  Opposed Against  Prayer at Her Sons School   CORRECT: Woman Becomes an Atheist After She  Opposed Prayer at Her Sons School   INCORRECT: â€Å"I think this administration is adamantly  opposed against  fossil fuels, period,† said Young, Alaskas sole House member. CORRECT: â€Å"I think this administration is adamantly  opposed to fossil fuels, period,† said Young, Alaskas sole House member. INCORRECT: Are these people also  opposed against  the genocide the Caliphate is doing against Christians and Yazidis?   CORRECT: Are these people also  opposed to the genocide the Caliphate is doing against Christians and Yazidis?   INCORRECT: Yet there are plenty of [people] who are opposed against the scientific facts you throw around about vaccines. CORRECT: Yet there are plenty of [people] who are opposed to the scientific facts you throw around about vaccines. NOTE: A better revision for this example would be to choose a different verb altogether: Yet there are plenty of [people] who do not accept (or believe) the scientific facts you throw around about vaccines. INCORRECT: The Supreme Court of India  opposed against  any sort of hooliganism in the name of bandh in 1998, but political parties still organize them.   CORRECT: The Supreme Court of India  opposed any sort of hooliganism in the name of bandh in 1998, but political parties still organize them.   The concept of against is built into the verb oppose. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Does [sic] Mean?5 Lessons for Mixing Past and Present TenseWords That Begin with Q