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Prepositions after adjectives

illustrative: choosing the right preposition

Illustrative of is the standard pattern. Other combinations are usually uncommon unless the preposition belongs to another structure.

Quick answer

Standard use

Use illustrative of to mean showing or explaining a quality or situation. Illustrative for is sometimes used before an audience or purpose, but it is less common.

The case is illustrative of wider social problems.
Her comments were illustrative of public opinion.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
illustrative of + idea

Showing a characteristic

The normal pattern after illustrative.

This example is illustrative of the challenges facing small firms.
2
illustrative for + audience

Useful for explanation

Less common and usually connected to usefulness for a group.

The diagram is illustrative for new learners.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
illustrative of
The figures are illustrative of recent trends.
Showing or representing something clearly.
illustrative for
The chart is illustrative for beginners.
Occasionally used to mean helpful for explanation.
illustrative in
Illustrative in the report uses in as a location phrase.
In usually introduces where something appears, not a complement after illustrative.
illustrative rather
Illustrative rather is not an idiomatic combination.
Rather is not a preposition complement here.

Common mistakes

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

Using rather as a preposition

Rather is an adverb, not a complement after illustrative.

✓ illustrative of the problem

Confusing illustrative in with the main pattern

In may describe location, not the adjective complement.

✓ illustrative of current attitudes

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The incident was illustrative ___ a larger issue.
2. Which phrase is idiomatic?
3. The diagram is illustrative ___ students learning anatomy.

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Frequently asked questions

Is illustrative of formal?

It is common in academic and professional English.

Can illustrative be followed by a clause?

Yes. For example: The example is illustrative of how markets change.

Is illustrative for wrong?

Not always, but it is less common than illustrative of.

ideal-for-in-as-at, from "identical to" or "identical with"? identifiable by, as, with, in or to? "idle for" or "idle in"? ignorant of, about, to, in or on? "illegal in" or "illegal for"? ill with, in, for, at or of? "immune to" or "immune from"? "impatient with" or "impatient for"? "imperative for" or "imperative to"? impervious to, from or in? implicit in, to, within, from or rather?

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