Meaning & use
sponsoring someone
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Paying money or providing official support for a person so they can take part in an activity, event, or process.
Grammar: The verb 'sponsor' takes a direct object: sponsor someone. The -ing form 'sponsoring someone' works as a noun phrase or after a preposition.
Patterns
- sponsor someone for something
- sponsor someone to do something
- be sponsored by someone
The company is sponsoring someone from the local school to run in the marathon.
Sponsoring someone for a visa means you promise to support them financially.
She is sponsoring someone through the charity's child education program.
phrasefixed phraseformallegal
Officially supporting a person's application to enter a country, join an organization, or take part in a program.
Grammar: Often used in immigration and legal contexts: sponsor someone for a visa, a green card, or citizenship.
Patterns
- sponsor someone for a visa
- sponsor someone for citizenship
- sponsor someone's application
The university is sponsoring someone from overseas to study here for a year.
Sponsoring someone for a work permit requires a lot of paperwork.
His employer is sponsoring someone to join the research team.
Common combinations
- sponsor someone for a visa
- The company agreed to sponsor her for a visa.
- sponsor a child
- They sponsor a child in Kenya through a charity.
- corporate sponsor
- The event was paid for by a corporate sponsor.
- sponsor someone's education
- A local business is sponsoring his education.
Synonyms and how they differ
- back
- More informal and general; you can back a person or a plan, but 'sponsor' suggests official or financial responsibility.
- fund
- Focuses on providing money, while 'sponsor' can also mean giving official support or a guarantee.
- support
- Much broader and less formal; 'sponsor' usually involves a formal commitment.
Word family
- sponsor noun
- A person or company that pays for or officially supports someone or something.
- sponsorship noun
- The act of sponsoring, or the money given by a sponsor.
- sponsored adjective
- Supported or paid for by a sponsor, as in a sponsored walk.
Commonly confused: sponsoring someone or sponsor?
sponsoring someone vs sponsor
'Sponsor' is the base verb or the person; 'sponsoring someone' is the -ing phrase describing the action.
Practice
The company is ______ a student from Brazil to study at the university.
Choose one answer.
After 'is', we need the -ing form for an action happening now: 'is sponsoring'. 'Sponsor' (base form) and 'sponsors' do not fit after 'is' in this continuous sense, and 'sponsored' would make a passive meaning that does not fit the active support described.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sponsoring someone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.