great at + skill
Ability or talent
Use at for activities and skills.
Mina is great at solving puzzles.
Great for, in, at, with or on?
Different prepositions after great express skill, suitability, experience, relationships, or topics.
Quick answer
How do you use great with prepositions?
Use great at for skills, great for for benefits or purposes, great with for handling people or things, great in for situations or fields, and great on for topics or enthusiasm.
She's great at chess.
This tool is great for beginners.
He's great with children.
This tool is great for beginners.
He's great with children.
Choose the pattern by meaning
These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.
great for + purpose
Suitability or benefit
Use for to show usefulness.
These shoes are great for hiking.
great with + people or things
Handling or interacting well
Use with for relationships or management.
She's great with animals.
great in + field or situation
Success within an area
Use in for contexts or environments.
He was great in difficult negotiations.
great on + topic
Enthusiastic or knowledgeable
Often informal British English.
My uncle is great on history.
See the difference in context
The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.
Construction
Example
Meaning
great at
Leo is great at coding.
skilled in an activity
great for
Yoga is great for stress.
beneficial or suitable
great with
She is great with customers.
good at dealing with
great in
The actor was great in the role.
excellent within a context
great on
He's great on details.
enthusiastic or knowledgeable about
Common mistakes
Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.
Using great at for objects
Use for when talking about usefulness.
✕ This app is great at travellers. ✓ This app is great for travellers.Using great with for skills
Use at with activities and abilities.
✕ She is great with dancing. ✓ She is great at dancing.Quick practice
Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.
1. Amir is great ___ maths.
2. This cream is great ___ dry skin.
3. Nina is great ___ young children.
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Frequently asked questions
Can great in describe performance?
Yes. For example: She was great in the film.
Is great on formal?
It is usually informal, especially in British English.
Can more than one preposition be correct?
Sometimes, but the meaning changes depending on the preposition.
Related preposition guides
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