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Prepositions after adjectives

Objective in or objective about

Objective about is the common pattern for being unbiased about a subject. Objective in usually refers to an area or activity.

Quick answer

Use objective about for topics and objective in for areas

Use objective about when talking about a subject or issue someone judges fairly. Use objective in when referring to a field, process, or situation where someone shows objectivity.

Try to be objective about the complaint.
Judges must remain objective about the evidence.
Researchers should be objective in their analysis.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
objective about + topic

Being unbiased about a subject

Use about with an issue, event, or person being judged.

Can you stay objective about your own work?
Reporters should be objective about political disputes.
2
objective in + activity

Showing objectivity in a process

Use in with a field, task, or activity where fairness is important.

The panel remained objective in its evaluation.
Scientists must be objective in their research.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
objective about
She was objective about the situation.
Standard pattern for fair judgement of a topic.
objective in
He stayed objective in the discussion.
Standard when referring to a context or activity.
objective on
The report was objective on environmental policy.
Possible in some contexts, especially with topics, but about is more natural.
objective toward
Try to be objective toward both candidates.
Used when discussing attitude toward people or groups.

Common mistakes

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

Using in for the topic itself

Use about for the issue being judged.

✕ She was objective in the scandal. ✓ She was objective about the scandal.

Using about for an activity

Use in when referring to a process or task.

✕ The team was objective about its analysis. ✓ The team was objective in its analysis.

Confusing objective with objective noun

Objective can also be a noun meaning goal.

✕ Our objective about sales is growth. ✓ Our objective for sales is growth.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. Try to stay objective ___ the argument.
2. Researchers must be objective ___ their methods.
3. Which sentence sounds most natural?

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Frequently asked questions

Is objective about correct?

Yes. It is common when discussing fair judgement of a topic.

When do we use objective in?

Use it for activities, discussions, evaluations, or fields where someone behaves impartially.

Can objective take other prepositions?

Yes. For example, objective toward someone and objective on a topic are both possible in some contexts.

obedient-to-unto-in-by, of "obligatory for" or "obligatory on"? "oblivious to" or "oblivious of"? observable in, by, from, to or on? obsessed with, by, about, in or over? obsessive about, in, over, with or to? "obsolete in" or "obsolete by"? "obtainable in" or "obtainable from"? "obvious to", "obvious from" or "obvious in"? odd to, for, about, in or on? offensive to, in, against, on or about? official with, in, for, on or at?

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