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What is Support in English? The detailed usage of Support

What is Support in English? Support is the basic grammatical item that anyone who wants to conquer English must firmly grasp. Although simple, many students still cannot determine whether Support is a verb or noun or what preposition Support goes with? Therefore, in this article, PREP will introduce to you all the knowledge related to Support. Check it out right away!

I. What is Support in English?
1. 1. Definition
2. 2. Word family of Support in English
II. The usage of Support in English
III. Some notes on Support in English
IV. Collocations of Support in English
V. Synonymous words/phrases with Support in English
VI. Support idioms
VII. Exercises on Support in English with detailed answers
1. 1. Exercises
2. 2. Answer keys
VIII. Personalized IELTS Preparation

I. What is Support in English?

First of all, let’s check out the definition, structures as well as the word family of Support in English with PREP!

1. Definition

What is Support in English? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Support can act as both a verb and a noun in English. As a verb, it is the action to assist or back someone to do something, while as a noun, it denotes the approval or assistance. For example:

Support serves as a verb:
- She supports her friend’s decision to quit her job and start her own business.
- The bridge’s sturdy pillars support the weight of heavy traffic every day.
Support serves as a noun:
- Financial support from the government is crucial during times of economic crisis.
- She provided emotional support to her friend when he was going through a difficult breakup.

2. Word family of Support in English

Let's join PREP to explore what words are from Support’s family!

Family words of Support in English	Meaning	Example
Supportable (adjective)	able to continue without problems	His argument was well-reasoned and supportable with substantial evidence.
Supportive (adjective)	encouraging somebody or giving them help or sympathy	She has always been a supportive friend, offering help and encouragement whenever needed.
Supportiveness (noun)	the quality of showing that you want to help and encourage someone	The supportiveness of the community was evident when they rallied together to help the family in need.
Supportively (adverb)	in a way that shows you want to help and encourage someone	The coach supportively guided his team through the challenging season, motivating them to perform at their best.

II. The usage of Support in English

In the first part, we have a question: Is Support a verb or a noun in the sentence? PREP's answer is: Support can be both a verb and a noun. Let's check out the usage of Support in English through the specific examples below!

1. Support serves as a verb

When functioning as a verb, Support means to endorse, or help someone do something. Support will come after the subject, and will be conjugated according to the tense and subject of the sentence.

S + support + O

For example:

I support you with all my heart.
My father supported me in everything I do.
I think it’s important to support local businesses by buying locally.

2. Support serves as a noun

How is Support as a noun used? Let’s check out the details in the below table!

Support as a noun	Example
S + (provide/ give) support to someone	The organization is dedicated to providing support to families affected by natural disasters, offering them shelter, food, and medical assistance. Friends should always be there to give support to one another during tough times, offering a shoulder to lean on and a listening ear.
S + receive support from somebody	She received support from her friends when she was going through a difficult breakup, and their encouragement helped her cope with the emotional pain. The small business owner receives financial support from investors to help grow and expand her company.
The support from/ for…	There was little support for the proposal among the Board members present. The support from my teacher encourages me a lot.

3. What are the accompanying prepositions of Support in English?

Besides its roles as a verb and a noun, Support frequently pairs with specific prepositions. It is commonly used with the prepositions "in" and "of." Let's explore the details in the following table.

Accompanying prepositions	Example
S + support someone + in doing something	My parents always support me in pursuing my dreams, even when they seem difficult to achieve. The company decided to support their employees in acquiring new skills by offering training programs.
S + support for somebody/something	Community support for the local library has been tremendous, with many volunteers contributing their time and resources to keep it running. The government’s support for renewable energy initiatives has led to a significant increase in solar and wind power installations across the country.
S + (be) in support of something	The majority of the citizens are in support of stricter environmental regulations to protect the planet from pollution and climate change. The committee members are in support of the proposal to allocate more funding to education in order to improve the quality of schools and provide better opportunities for students.

III. Some notes on Support in English

What do you need to pay attention to when using Support? Let’s check them out:

Support can function as both a verb and a noun.
The verb support is conjugated according to the tense and subject of the sentence.
Support can take on multiple positions in a sentence: subject, verb.

IV. Collocations of Support in English

Below is a list of collocations that go with Support. Let's study them carefully and apply them in the practice exercises below!

additional support
adequate support
administrative support
arch support
bereavement support
bipartisan support
broad support
broad-based support
built-in support
combat support
considerable support
continued support
diplomatic support
direct support
domestic support
electoral support
emotional support
empirical support
enthusiastic support
explicit support
extensive support
external support
financial support
follow-up support
generous support
inadequate support
indirect support
informal support
institutional support
instrumental support
intensive support
lateral support
limited support
logistic support
lumbar support
material support
minimal support
monetary support
mutual support
nutritional support
ongoing support
operational support
organizational support
overwhelming support
parental support
partial support
perceived support
political support
popular support
psychosocial support
public support
rigid support
social support
sole support
solid support
spousal support
staunch support
strong support
structural support
substantial support
sustained support
tacit support
tangible support
tremendous support
unanimous support
unconditional support
unequivocal support
unqualified support
vigorous support
vocal support
wholehearted support
widespread support
withdrawal of support

V. Synonymous words/phrases with Support in English

In addition to the term "Support," if we seek alternatives that convey the idea of aiding or assisting, what other words can we consider? Let's join PREP to uncover various synonymous words and phrases with Support below.

Synonymous words/ phrases with Support in English	Example
agree	They both agree on the choice of the restaurant for dinner.
acquiesce	Despite his reservations, he eventually had to acquiesce to the team’s decision.
consent	She gave her consent for her daughter to go on a school field trip.
be in favor of	The majority of the committee members are in favor of the proposed budget increase.
go along with	Although he had reservations, he decided to go along with the group’s plan.
accept	She readily accepted the job offer and is excited to start her new role.
assent	The board members gave their unanimous assent to the proposed changes in company policy.
approve	The city council will vote tomorrow to approve the construction of a new park in the neighborhood.
go with	He decided to go with the blue color scheme for his bedroom because it matched his furniture.

VI. Support idioms

Let's explore some idioms containing Support, along with their meanings and accompanying examples, to gain a deeper understanding of how these idioms are used.

Support idioms	Meaning	Example
Be on life support	the fact of somebody being on a life support machine	Aunt Edna has been on life support for months. The doctors don’t think she’ll regain the ability to breathe without a ventilator.
Lean on for support	Relying on someone or something for emotional or financial support.	During tough times, she could always lean on her family for support and guidance.
Support a lost cause	To support or fund an unsuccessful or unlikely-to-succeed goal or project.	Despite their best efforts, they continued to support a lost cause, pouring money into a business that was clearly failing.
Pillar of support	A person is a source of emotional support for someone else.	Jack has been a pillar of support for me, helping me through many difficult moments in my life.

VII. Exercises on Support in English with detailed answers

To have a better understanding of how to use "Support," let's practice with the following exercises. Afterwards, you can check the answers at the end of the article.

1. Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with words from Support’s family:

Her business plan was well-researched and financially _______, making it easier to secure investors.
The teacher was always _______ of her students’ creative endeavors, encouraging them to explore their artistic talents.
His ______ during her illness was a great source of strength for her, knowing that he was there to help her through the tough times.
She _______ listened to her friend’s problems without judgment, offering a sympathetic ear and comforting words

Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer to form a collocation

The teacher provided _______ support to the struggling students by offering after-school tutoring sessions.
1. additional
2. adequate
3. administrative
The local church offers _______ support groups for individuals who have recently lost a loved one to help them cope with their grief.
1. arch
2. bereavement
3. bipartisan
The soldiers on the front lines rely on strong _______ support from their fellow troops to ensure their safety and success in battle.
1. broad-based
2. built-in
3. combat
The international community expressed its _______ support for the peaceful resolution of the conflict, urging the conflicting parties to engage in dialogue.
1. continuing
2. diplomatic
3. direct
After a traumatic event, it’s important to seek _______ support from friends, family, or therapists to help process the feelings and experiences.
1. emotional
2. empirical
3. enthusiastic

2. Answer keys

Exercise 1:

Supportable
Supportive
Supportiveness
Supportively

Exercise 2:

additional
bereavement
combat
diplomatic
emotional

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Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.