Prepositions and Noun + Verb Combinations

Prepositions
In academic writing, there are many different prepositions that can be used in combination with verbs and nouns. Some examples of prepositions include: on, of, in, by, to, between, from, for, with, at, into, etc.

Verb + Preposition Examples
Research has shown the health risks associated with smoking.
Current research on climate change has contributed to our knowledge about global warming.

Noun + Preposition Examples
Scientists have found a link between obesity and poor diet.
There is a strong association between tobacco smoking and heart disease.

Noun + Verb
As previously mentioned, one of the most common combinations are verb + noun. However, noun + verb combinations are also possible. See examples below:
The data revealed that bilingual children can learn a third language easier than monolingual children.
The finding underscores the importance of bilingual education.
The study suggests that bilingual education has a positive impact on students.
Recent research has proven that bilingual education can have a long-term positive effect on students.