“Shout at” and “shout to”: prepositions can change meaning
Let’s look at how using a different preposition changes the meaning of some verbs.
Our example is the verb shout.
Definition of shout
Shout means ‘raise your voice – usually as much as possible’.
There’s one meaning, but we have two main reasons for shouting:
- to make ourselves heard
- to show strong emotion.
Unfortunately, with shout in English it’s not always clear what the reason was. That’s why adding a preposition can be useful.
Why did he shout?
He shouted. OK, but was he angry or did he simply want to be heard?
Add a preposition – say either shout at or shout to – and the meaning becomes clear.
Shout at
This suggests that we’re angry.
- The receptionist decided to leave because the boss often shouted at her.
- Please don’t shout at me: calm down and speak normally.
Shout to
When we shout to someone, we want them to hear us. They might be on the other side of the street, or a distance from us in a noisy place.
- She shouted to me from the upstairs window.
- I shouted to them across the busy road, but they didn’t hear me.
Hopefully those examples show the difference clearly.
What about this guy: do you think he’s shouting to someone or at someone?
Throw to and throw at
Throw to and throw at follow the same pattern as shout to and shout at:
- My teammate threw the ball to me, but I dropped it.
- Protestors threw eggs at the President and his colleagues.
Don’t throw that snowball at me!
Summary
There’s nothing wrong with using shout without a preposition. Just remember that the meaning may not always be clear.
Aino - November 27, 2016, 8:23 pm
I used to use the expression “get back to you” quite often in business emails. Writing quickly, I used to be insecure about whether it is “get back at you” instead, so I had to look up the difference again, and again. Finally, I made a connection with what I had heard in the US quite often: “backatcha” which often felt quite aggressive. Needless to say I did not want to tell a customer I get back at him or her, so I was quite relieved when that difference was cleared up, once and for all. Thanks for a couple more examples! That “at” is one dangerous preposition in communications! 😉
John - August 16, 2018, 8:59 pm
Is “shout on” the same as “shout at?”
Anonymous - October 3, 2020, 5:08 pm
No, we don’t say “Don’t shout on me” for example. If you’re shouting on a mountain, you’re literally standing on a mountain and shouting.