##  [Prepositional usage with disagree](/favourite-articles/prepositional-usage-with-disagree)

##  Avertissement

Ce contenu est offert en anglais seulement.

Charles Skeete
(*Terminology Update*, Volume 33, Number 4, 2001, page 23)

The verb **disagree** is often followed by a number of prepositions, e.g. *about*, *on*, *over* and *with*. Are they interchangeable? When, why and in what contexts should they be be used?

In trying to provide answers to these questions, we recall the following two observations: 1) **disagree** is an intransitive verb, which means that it is a verb that stands alone and does not require an object; and 2) *about*, *on* and *over*, while often interchangeable with one another, are not interchangeable with *with*.

In contexts where ***disagree*** is used in one of its two primary senses, i.e. **the opposite of agree**, **fail to agree**, often no preposition is required or stated. Here are three examples:

1. *Even the happiest of siblings often disagree*.
2. *Although they frequently disagree, the two political foes decided to join forces*.
3. *After much debate and soul-searching, the two theologians agreed to disagree*.

In these three examples, it is understood that the "disagreement" is between the subjects mentioned and, therefore, that these subjects disagree "*with one another*" or, as in examples 2 and 3, "*with each other*." "*With one another*" and "*with each other*" are prepositional objects that grammarians call "the natural complement of an intransitive verb."

When the "natural complement" is stated, it provides additional information regarding the parties involved in the disagreement, or the item or topic of the disagreement. In such contexts, *with* is the preposition always used. Here are four examples:

1. *Even the happiest of siblings often disagree **with** their parents*.
2. *Although they frequently disagreed **with** each other’s political views, the two political foes decided to join forces*.
3. *After much debate and soul-searching, the two theologians agreed to disagree **with** the Church’s views on celibacy for clergy*.
4. *The school board disagreed **with** the principal’s proposal to ban homework for elementary school students*.

In other contexts we see examples where ***disagree*** does not have a stated prepositional object and is followed immediately by a prepositional phrase introduced by *about*, *on* or *over*. What does this mean? Let us examine the following sentences:

1. *The brothers disagreed **about** the merits and demerits of the plan*.
2. *Experts disagree **about** the rate at which the rainforests are disappearing*.
3. *Our researchers disagree **about** the age, design and use of the Great Pyramid*.
4. *The government’s experts disagreed **on** the progress of the Y2K survival programs*.
5. *Doctors disagree **on** the safety of liposuction*.
6. *The rebels disagree **on** who controls the Sierra Leone capital*.
7. *Scholars disagree **over** the theory of evolution*.
8. *Husbands and wives disagree **over** proper disciplinary measures and methods of raising their children*.
9. *Members of Parliament disagree **over** how to run human resources programs*.
10. *The U.S. and E.U. disagree **over** the proposals to lift the ban*.

In each of these sentences, the prepositional object of ***disagree*** is understood and relates to the parties involved in the "disagreement"; in other words, the subjects of each of the verbs in each of these sentences disagree "*with one another*" or "*with each other*" (example 10). In addition, if we were to add another name to the parties involved in the "disagreement," i.e. modify the prepositional object, the preposition *with* would still be used and the prepositions *about*, *on* and *over* would still be correct in each of their respective sentences. Here are three examples that modify three of the aforementioned sentences:

1. *The brothers disagreed **with** their sisters **about** the merits and demerits of the plan*.
2. *The government’s experts disagreed **with** the media **on** the progress of the Y2K survival programs*.
3. *The U.S. and E.U. disagree **with** the United Nations **over** the proposals to lift the ban*.

These examples clearly illustrate that the "natural complement" of ***disagree*** always refers to the person, item or topic of the disagreement, while *about*, *on* and *over* are merely expressions introducing prepositional phrases that provide more information about the prepositional object of ***disagree***. The prepositions *about*, *on* and *over* are nearly always interchangeable in these contexts.

In addition, when ***disagree*** is used with its other senses of **to be inconsistent** or **unlike**, **to fail to correspond**; **to have an adverse effect**; **to be harmful**, *with* is still the only correct preposition used to introduce the prepositional object. Here are a few examples:

1. *The students’ in-depth research findings disagreed **with** the main theme of their professor’s publication*.
2. *Jean-Pierre’s recommendations disagreed **with** every phase of our terminology research methodology*.
3. *Peanuts disagree **with** a significant number of children under the age of 15*.

In conclusion, ***disagree*** is an intransitive verb which stands alone or is followed by the preposition *with* which identifies the parties involved in the disagreement or the item or topic of the disagreement. All other prepositions such as *about*, *on* and *over* are expressions introducing prepositional phrases that provide more information about the prepositional object, which is the only natural complement of the intransitive verb ***disagree***.

***N.B.*** Other prepositions may be found immediately following ***disagree*** but they are simply expressions used to introduce an adverbial phrase. An example is *in*:

1. *The scientists’ theories disagree **in** their basic premises about environmental diseases*.
2. *Both the French and English data disagreed **in** every aspect of concept analysis*.

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