ENGLISH
REFERENCE

in connection with sb/sth

prep. phr..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

prep. phr.. used to say that something is related to or about a specific person or thing.

prep. phr.. a complex prepositional phrase used to establish a thematic or causal link between two entities or events.


SIMPLE

The police want to speak to him in connection with the robbery.

CONTEXTUAL

I am writing to you in connection with the job advertisement I saw in the newspaper yesterday.

COMPLEX

Several high-ranking officials were questioned in connection with the disappearance of public funds during the previous administration's infrastructure project.

Usage

commonly used in formal contexts like legal reports, news, or business letters.

Teaching tip

highlight that this phrase is often used in passive constructions, especially in crime reporting, to avoid making direct accusations.

Pitfall

in connection to the casein connection with the casewhile 'connection to' is used for nouns, the fixed prepositional phrase always uses 'with'.

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