Provide vs. Provide With
To provide is to give someone something that they need.
- They provide free food and accommodation for their employees.
- The school provides accommodation for students.
- He should be able to provide information about the new infrastructure projects in this locality.
Provide someone with something
- The get-together provided him with an opportunity to meet some of his old classmates.
- My visit to France provided me with an opportunity to learn some French.
Provide something for someone
- The school provides accommodation for students.
- Some companies have started providing playrooms for children so that working mothers can bring their kids along.
Provide something to someone
- We provide legal advice to our clients.
- This website provides free English grammar lessons to ESL students.
Provide or provide with
When provide means ‘give someone something they need’, it takes the preposition with.
- My parents didn’t have enough money to provide me with a university education. (NOT My parents didn’t have enough money to provide me a university education.)
- She works two jobs in a day so that she can provide her children with food and clothing.
- The school provides students with accommodation.
- Summer camps provide students with an opportunity to learn new skills.
- They provide their employees with free food and accommodation.
- My parents have provided me with all that I want.
Phrasal verbs with provide
Provide against
To provide against something is to take steps to deal with something bad that may happen.
- No matter how hard we try, we can’t provide against certain circumstances.
Provide for
To provide for someone is to make sure that they have what they need.
- She works hard to provide for her family.
- He doesn’t earn enough to provide for his children.
