English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
WRONG USE OF PREPOSITIONS: FROWN
The company ~frowns at~ lateness and laziness (nonstandard).
The company frowns on lateness and laziness (standard).
The company frowns upon lateness and laziness (standard).
To disapprove of something is to frown on/upon such thing.
However, when you bring your eyebrows together showing that you are annoyed, worried, sad or thinking hard, “frown” could attract the preposition “at”:
She frowned at me, clearly annoyed (standard).
Again, when “frown” means furrow one’s brows in an expression indicating disapproval, displeasure, or concentration, it does not attract the object “face”:
He ~frowned his face~ as he read the letter (nonstandard).
He frowned as he read the letter (standard).
GAB
