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Preposition after adjective

Plain to or plain for?

Plain to means clear or obvious to someone. Plain for usually means suitable or intended for a group or purpose, not clear to someone.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with plain?

Use plain to when something is clear or obvious to a person. Plain for is used in different meanings such as suitable for a purpose or simple in style for someone.

The reason was plain to everyone.
The instructions are plain to new users.
The design is too plain for modern offices.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
plain to + person

Showing that something is clear or obvious

Use plain to before the person who understands something clearly.

Her disappointment was plain to the audience.
It soon became plain to me that we were late.
2
plain for + purpose/group

Showing suitability or appropriateness

Use plain for when plain means simple or suitable for a purpose, place, or group.

The meal was too plain for the celebration.
The language is plain for young readers.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
plain to
The answer was plain to the teacher.
clear or obvious to someone
plain for
The room was too plain for a luxury hotel.
suitable or appropriate for something
plain in
She dressed in plain clothes.
in is not selected by plain here; it introduces clothing
plain with
The walls were plain with no decoration.
with introduces an added description, not a fixed adjective pattern

Common mistakes

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

Using plain for to mean clear to someone

Use plain to when you mean obvious or understandable.

✕ The problem was plain for me. ✓ The problem was plain to me.

Confusing plain with plainly

Plain is an adjective, while plainly is an adverb.

✕ She explained it plain to us. ✓ She explained it plainly to us.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The mistake became ___ everyone after the meeting.
2. The decoration was too ___ a formal ceremony.
3. Choose the natural sentence.

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Frequently asked questions

Is plain to formal or informal?

It is standard in both formal and informal English.

Can I say plain for someone?

Yes, but usually when talking about suitability, not clarity.

Does plain always mean simple?

No. It can also mean obvious or easy to understand.

packed-with-to-in-on, into "paid for" or "paid up"? painful for, to, in, at or of? "palatable to" or "palatable for"? "pale in" or "pale of"? "pandemic of" or "pandemic in"? "paramount to" or "paramount in"? paranoid about, of, in, with or over? partial to, of, in, towards or for? participating in, of, on, at or for? "particular about" or "particular to"? part-time at, in, for, as or with?

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