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Of or About: Fine Points of Prepositions

Ambiguities of Current English Usage

Experts in language and communication often recommend using “Awareness Of” for its clarity. However, distinctions between possessive “Of” and prepositional “Of” can be ambiguous in modern English.

Knowledge and Possessive “Of”

When “awareness” refers to knowledge, it is better to place “Of” after it. For example, “spread awareness of” is correct and implies that you want to express knowledge about something.

General Interchangeability of “Of” and “About”

“Of” and “About” are generally interchangeable, but in many cases, “Of” is preferred. For example, “Examples of SPREADING AWARENESS in a sentence” accurately conveys the usage of “Of” in this context.