ENGLISH
REFERENCE

control over sb/sth

prep. phr..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

prep. phr.. the power to influence or direct people's behavior or the way something happens.

prep. phr.. the exercise of authority, influence, or restraint over a person, entity, or process.


SIMPLE

The manager has total control over the project.

CONTEXTUAL

Parents often find it difficult to maintain control over their teenagers as they become more independent.

COMPLEX

The central bank struggled to exert control over the fluctuating currency despite several aggressive interventions in the foreign exchange market.

Usage

the noun 'control' is followed by the preposition 'over' to indicate the target of the authority.

Teaching tip

contrast with the verb form 'to control something' which does not use a preposition; learners often mistakenly say 'control over' when using the verb.

Pitfall

He wants to control over the meeting.He wants to have control over the meeting.the preposition 'over' is used with the noun 'control', but the verb 'control' takes a direct object without a preposition.

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