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What kind of prepositions go with? In English, “Complain” often goes with the preposition “about”, “of” or “big”, depending on the context. For example, “Complain about something”, “Complain of a headache”, or “Complain to someone” (complain to someone). To help you better understand the structures using Complain and how to use correctly in each case, the following content Shining Home – Gia đình Anh Ngữ will answer in detail.
What does Complain mean?
In English, “Complain” is a verb, which means complaining, complaining or complaining about something that makes you dissatisfied, uncomfortable or painful.
For example:
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She Always Complains About The Weather. (She always complains about the weather.)
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He Complained of A Headache. (He complained about headaches.)
In addition, “Complain” can also be used to talk about presentation and denunciation (officially).
What kind of prepositions go with?
The verb “Complain” often comes with different prepositions depending on the meaning and context. Here are the most popular prepositions with Complain, along with usage and examples:
Complain about
This is the most common use, describing complaints, complaining about a problem, situation or incident that makes you unhappy.
For example:
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She complained about the noise. (She complained about the noise.)
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They complained about the food. (They complain about food.)
Complain of
This structure is often used to complain about the health status or symptoms that someone is experiencing.
For example:
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He Complained of A Headache. (He complained about headaches.)
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Many Patients Complain of Back Pain. (Many patients complain with back pain.)
Complain to
This usage just complains to someone, that is, the person you send the complaint.
For example:
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She Complained to the Manager About The Poor Service. (She complained to the manager of poor service.)
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I Will Complain to the Authorities If this Happens Again. (I will complain to the government if this happens again.)
Standard Complain structure
The verb “Complain” can go with many prepositions and many different structures depending on what you want to express. To avoid the wrong use, here is the most common summary table of the structures, along with the meaning and example.
Structure |
Meaning |
For example with translation |
Complain about + something |
complain about something |
She complained about the noise. (She complained about the noise.) |
Complain of + Symptoms/problems |
complain about health status |
He Complained of A Headache. (He complained about headaches.) |
Complain to + someone + about + sth |
complain to whom |
She Complained to the Manager About The Service. (She complains to the service manager.) |
Complain that + proposition |
complain that … (clearly stating the content) |
He complained that the room was cold. (He complained that the room was too cold.) |
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Suggest some synonyms for Complain in English
When speaking or writing, you do not necessarily always use the word “Complain”. English has a lot of synonyms that help express the complaint, complain more diverse and more accurately depending on the nuance. Below is a table of suggestions for some common synonyms of Complain that people can refer to:
Synonym |
Meaning (Vietnamese) |
For example with translation |
Grumble |
Grumbling, nagging |
He's Always Grumbling about His Job. (He always grumbles about his work.) |
moan |
moan, whining |
She Moaned About How Hard The Exam was. (How hard she complained about the exam.) |
Whine |
moaning, lamenting (pungent, annoying voice) |
The Kids were Whining About Being Bored. (The children moaned in boredom.) |
Protest |
Opposition, strong complaint |
They protested that the rules were unfair. (They object to that the rules are unfair.) |
Object |
Opposition (more formal) |
He objected to working on weekends. (He objected to the weekend.) |
lame |
mourning, mourning, regret |
She lamented the loss of her Childhood Home. (She lamented about losing a childhood house.) |
When to use Complain and Complaint?
In English, Complain and Complaint are all related to complaints, but they differ in words and usage. To avoid confusion, see the comparison table below:
From |
Adverb |
How to use, meaning |
For example with translation |
Complain |
Verb |
Describe the act of complaining, complaining |
She Complains About Everything. (She complains about everything.) |
Complaint |
Noun |
Indicating complaints, complaints, complaints |
We Received A Complaint About The Noise. (We received a complaint about the noise.) |
How to remember quickly:
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If you want to say someone is complaining (action) should use a complete.
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If you want to talk about complaints, the problem of complaints (nouns) should use Complaint.
Some notes when using Complain in English
When using the word “Complain”, many learners are easily confused or expressed inaccurate. To avoid wrong and speak English more naturally, you should note the following points:
Use the right precepts with “Complain”
One of the most confusing points when using “Complain” is to choose the wrong precepts. In English, each magnetic world entails a different sense, so you need to pay special attention.
Complain About: Used to complain, complain about a problem, situation or something specific that makes you dissatisfied. This is the most common use.
For example:
-
She complained about the noise. (She complained about the noise.)
-
They Complained About The Poor Service. (They complain about poor service.)
Complain of: often used when talking about symptoms, health status that someone is feeling uncomfortable or painful.
For example:
-
He Complained of A Headache. (He complained about headaches.)
-
Many Elderly People Complain of Back Pain. (Many older people complain about back pain.)
Complain to + people + about + Problem: When you want to tell whom you complain about what. This usage is very common in communication, especially to emphasize the object you are talking.
For example:
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She complained to the manager about the delay. (She complained to the manager about the delay.)
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I Complained to My Neighbor About Their Loud Parties. (I complained to my neighbors about their noisy parties.)
Thereby, you can see that choosing the right precious precepts is extremely important to avoid misunderstandings or wrong expressions.
Do not use Complain directly with objects indicating objects
A very common error of English learners is to ignore the preposition and use “Complain” directly with the object of indicator.
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For example, someone says: I Complain The Weather. This is the wrong way, because “Complain” never goes directly to the new language but always needs prepositions. The exact way of speaking must be: I Complain About The Weather. (I complain about the weather.)
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Similarly, do not say: She Complained the Food. Which must say: She Complained About The Food. (She complained about food.)
Adding the right precepts, but extremely necessary to make your sentence both grammatically and naturally as native speakers.
Use the structure “Complain that + clause” to express full content
Besides the preposition structures, you can also use “Complain that + clause” to emphasize the specific content that someone complains. This is an important, especially useful structure when you need to express clearly and detailed.
For example:
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He complaint that is the room was too small. (He complains that the room is too small.)
-
She Complained That Nobody Helsed Her. (She complained that no one helped her.)
This structure is often used in writing, press or in situations that need solemnity, to fully express complaints in a coherent way.
Do not abuse Complain to avoid creating a negative feeling
Although “Complain” is a very popular word, it is also easy to make the saying of negative nuances, especially in a professional working environment or when you want to keep sympathy. Therefore, you should not abuse but consider replacing with more gentle, neutral expressions such as:
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Express Concern (expressing concern)
-
Raise the Issue (raising the problem)
-
mention (mentioned)
- For example, instead of saying: He Complained About The Schedule.
- You can say: He expreded concern about the schedule. (He expressed concern about the schedule.)
This will help you communicate more skillfully, avoid impressing yourself as a person who complains.
What are the applications on the Complain?
To be able to better understand the Complain structure + what prepositions mentioned above, here are some exercises for your reference and practice:
Exercise 1: Fill the appropriate prepositions
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She Often Complains _______ The Weather When It Rains.
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He Complained ________ A HADACHE and LEFT EARLY.
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The customer Complained ________ The manager ________ The Rude Staff.
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Many people Complain ________ Back paint after working long hours.
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I HAD TO Complain ________ The Hotel Staff ________ The Dirty Room.
Answer:
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About
-
of
-
big – about
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of
-
big – about
Exercise 2: Rewrite the sentence with the right structure
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He complained the noise.
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She complained the manager the slow service.
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They complained the food was cold.
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I Complain My Neighbor His Dog Barking at Night.
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She Complained Hedaches Every Morning.
Answer:
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He complained about the noise.
-
She Complained to the Manager About The Slow Service.
-
They complained that the food was cold.
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I Complained to My Neighbor About His Dog Barking at Night.
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She Complained of Hedaches Every Morning.
Exercise 3: Complete the sentence with “Complain that”
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He Complained that _____________________________.
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She Complained that _______________________________.
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They complained that _______________________________.
Answer:
(This is just a suggestion, you can create more.)
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He complained that the room was too hot.
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She complained that nobody listened to her.
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They complained that the concert started late.
FAQ – Some common questions
When to use “Complain About”, “Complain of” and “Complain to”?
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Complain About is used to complain about a situation, incident or something specific. For example: She Complained About The Noise. (She complained about the noise.)
-
Complain of often used when someone talks about symptoms or health status they feel uncomfortable. For example: He Complained of A Headache. (He complained about headaches.)
-
Complain to + people + About + the problem used to clearly complain to whom. For example: I Complained to the Waiter About The Cold Food. (I complained to the waiter about cold food.)
What is the difference between “Complain” and “Complaint”?
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Complain is a verb, which means complaining, complaining. Example: They always Complain About The Weather.
-
Complaint is a noun, meaning complaint, complaint. For example: She made a Complaint to the Manager.
Can “complain” can be used directly with the new language?
Are not. “Complain” does not use directly with objects indicating things. Always need preposition (about / of / to).
For example:
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Wrong: I Complain The Noise.
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True: I Complain About The Noise.
Apart from “Complain”, is there any word?
There are many synonyms depending on nuances. For example:
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Grumble (nagging, grumbling softer)
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Moan (complaining, often negative meaning)
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Protest (strong opposition)
-
Object (against a viewpoint, decision)
When to use “complain that”?
When you want to make clear complaints in the form of a complete sentence, you use a complain that + clause.
For example:
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She Complained That The Room was Too Small.
-
He complained that nobody help him.
Conclude
Through this article, you probably know what the complain goes with, as well as how to use Complain About, Complain of, Complain to exactly. Just remember each specific case, you will be confident to avoid errors and use more natural Complain in daily English.
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