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Preposition after adjective

Deserving of, for or in?

Deserving is usually followed by of when introducing praise, attention, or reward.

Quick answer

Correct preposition with deserving

Use deserving of to describe someone or something worthy of a response. Deserving for and deserving in are not standard adjective patterns.

deserving of respect
deserving of attention
deserving of praise

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
deserving of + praise

Showing worthiness

Use of with positive or negative responses.

Her work is deserving of recognition
2
deserving of + action

Showing what should happen

This pattern often appears with help, support, or punishment.

The issue is deserving of careful study

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
deserving of
He is deserving of trust.
Standard and idiomatic.
deserving for
She deserves praise for her effort.
Not standard after deserving; for works with the verb deserves.
deserving in
The team succeeded in difficult conditions.
In is not a normal complement after deserving.

Common mistakes

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

Using for after deserving

Use of after the adjective deserving.

✕ deserving for praise ✓ deserving of praise

Mixing adjective and verb patterns

The verb deserve can take for in another part of the sentence.

✓ She deserves credit for her work

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The volunteers are deserving ___ recognition.
2. The proposal is deserving ___ serious discussion.
3. Choose the standard phrase.

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Frequently asked questions

What does deserving of mean?

It means worthy of something such as praise, help, or attention.

Can I say deserving for?

Not in standard English. Use deserving of.

Does deserve use different grammar?

Yes. The verb deserve can be followed by a noun directly, as in deserve praise.

daily, for, daily, with, daily, in damaging to, for, of, in or as? damn about, near, for, to or as? "dangerous for" or "dangerous to"? "dark in", "dark for" or "dark of"? "daunting for" or "daunting to"? dead in, on, by, at or of? deadly to, in, for, of or with? "deaf to" or "deaf in"? dear to, in, for, of or as? deceased in, to, for, at or on? "decent in" or "decent for"?

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