What Does It Mean?
The phrase "prevent someone from doing something" means to stop a person (or thing) from performing an action.
Rain prevented us from going hiking.
→ The rain stopped us from hiking.
Grammar Structure
The correct pattern is:
- prevent + [person/thing] + from + [verb-ing]
⚠️ Note: Always use "from" and the -ing form of the verb.
✅ Correct: The guard prevented the thief from escaping.
❌ Incorrect: The guard prevented the thief to escape.
Common Examples
- Seatbelts help prevent drivers from getting seriously injured.
- His fear of failure prevented him from applying for the job.
- Nothing could prevent her from speaking the truth.
- The law prevents companies from polluting rivers.
Similar Expressions
You can also use these phrases with similar meanings:
- Stop someone from doing something
- Keep someone from doing something
- Discourage someone from doing something (less forceful)
All follow the same grammatical pattern: verb + from + -ing.
Quick Quiz
Which sentence is correct?