Learn English – ‘Provided’ or ‘provided with’

prepositionsword-usage

Which of the following is more correct:

We were provided a form to fill.
We were provided with a form to fill.

If one is correct and the other is not, why?

And do both kinds of usages exist – 'provided' and 'provided with'… In what cases?

Thanks!

Best Answer

SomebodySubject provides somebodyIndirectObject somethingDirectObject.
SomebodySubject provides somebodyDirectObject [PrepositionPhrase with something].

The two forms are exact equivalents, they are both current and idiomatic in all registers, and there is no reason to prefer one to the other in any context.

The double forms arose because at one time provide was often used in the sense equip, taking the entity supplied as its DirectObject: one spoke of providing an army or ship, meaning to supply it with whatever it needed. In this case, PrepositionPhrase was needed to specify what “provisions” were supplied.

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