ENGLISH
REFERENCE

reaction to sth

prep. phr..
B1 Intermediate Oxford

prep. phr.. the way you feel, speak, or behave because of something that has happened.

prep. phr.. a noun phrase indicating a response or physiological effect triggered by a specific stimulus; often used to describe emotional, chemical, or physical consequences.


SIMPLE

What was his reaction to the news?

CONTEXTUAL

The public's reaction to the new tax law was mostly negative, with many people protesting in the streets.

COMPLEX

The patient showed an adverse reaction to the medication, prompting the medical staff to cease the treatment immediately and monitor his vital signs.

Usage

the preposition 'to' is mandatory when specifying the cause of the response.

Teaching tip

encourage students to use this with adjectives like 'positive', 'negative', or 'allergic' to build common collocations.

Pitfall

What was your reaction for the movie?What was your reaction to the movie?English uses the preposition 'to' after 'reaction' to connect it to the stimulus.

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