Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after adjectives

Comprehensive in, of, with, for or to?

Comprehensive is most often followed by in to describe detailed knowledge or coverage in an area. Other prepositions are usually part of a different structure or are less common.

Quick answer

Which preposition follows comprehensive?

The most common pattern is comprehensive in + subject area. Comprehensive of is also used to mean including many parts. Comprehensive with, for, and to are usually not fixed combinations with the adjective itself.

She is comprehensive in tax law.
The guide is comprehensive of all major safety rules.
We need a report comprehensive in scope.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
comprehensive in + field/topic

Showing detailed knowledge or coverage

Use comprehensive in to describe expertise or thorough treatment in a subject area.

The textbook is comprehensive in modern history.
He is comprehensive in his analysis.
2
comprehensive of + included items

Showing inclusion of many parts

Comprehensive of means including or covering many elements. It is more formal than comprehensive in.

The policy is comprehensive of employee benefits.
The archive is comprehensive of regional records.
3
comprehensive enough for + purpose/person

Adding a purpose or audience

For can introduce the purpose or intended audience, but it is not selected directly by comprehensive.

The manual is comprehensive enough for new staff.
The course is comprehensive enough for advanced learners.
4
comprehensive to + person

Showing clarity to someone

To can introduce the person who finds something understandable or complete. It is not a fixed adjective-preposition pair.

The explanation was fully comprehensive to the review panel.
Her summary seemed comprehensive to most readers.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
comprehensive in
The survey is comprehensive in coverage.
Standard for detailed treatment in an area or aspect.
comprehensive of
The collection is comprehensive of local traditions.
Formal and less common; means including many parts.
comprehensive with
The report is comprehensive with charts and tables.
With introduces accompanying items, not a fixed combination with comprehensive.
comprehensive for
The handbook is comprehensive for beginners.
For shows audience or purpose, not the adjective's required preposition.
comprehensive to
The instructions were comprehensive to the auditors.
To identifies the people receiving or judging the information.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using comprehensive with as a fixed pattern

With usually adds accompanying details rather than completing the adjective.

✕ The course is comprehensive with economics. ✓ The course is comprehensive in economics.

Using comprehensive to for subject areas

Use in, not to, for fields of knowledge.

✕ She is comprehensive to finance. ✓ She is comprehensive in finance.

Confusing comprehensive of with possession

Comprehensive of means including many parts, not belonging to something.

✕ The report is comprehensive of the manager. ✓ The report is comprehensive of all departments.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The handbook is comprehensive ___ workplace safety.
2. The archive is comprehensive ___ local records.
3. The guide is comprehensive enough ___ new employees.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is comprehensive in the most common pattern?

Yes. Comprehensive in is the standard way to describe detailed coverage or expertise in a subject.

Can I say comprehensive of?

Yes. It is formal and less common, and it means including many parts or items.

Is comprehensive with correct?

With can introduce accompanying details, but it is not usually a fixed adjective-preposition pattern with comprehensive.

calm, in, calm, for, calm, about "candid about" or "candid in"? capable of or in? careful about, with, of, in or on? careless about, with, in, of or on? caribbean in, for, with, to or on? "catastrophic for" or "catastrophic to"? "cautious about" or "cautious in"? celtic in, for, on, at or to? central to, in, for, at or of? "certain of" or "certain about"? "challenging for" or "challenging of"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account