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Prepositions after adjectives

Prolific with different prepositions

Prolific commonly appears with in or as a standalone adjective. Some other prepositions occur in specific contexts, while several combinations are uncommon.

Quick answer

Which prepositions work with prolific?

Use prolific in for areas of activity or production. Prolific with can describe abundant output. Combinations such as prolific of or prolific at are uncommon in current standard English.

She was prolific in short fiction.
The orchard is prolific with apples this year.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
prolific in + field

Producing a lot in an area

Use in with artistic, academic, or professional fields.

He became prolific in scientific publishing.
2
prolific with + output

Abundant production

With can describe plentiful results or objects.

The garden is prolific with roses.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
prolific in
The author is prolific in children's literature.
Producing many works in a field.
prolific with
The vine was prolific with grapes.
Producing many physical items.
prolific of
The phrase prolific of is rare and unnatural in modern English.
Generally avoided in standard usage.
prolific at
Prolific at writing appears occasionally but proficient at writing is more natural.
Not the usual adjective pattern.

Common mistakes

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

Using prolific of in standard writing

Modern English rarely uses prolific of.

✕ The region is prolific of wildlife. ✓ The region is prolific in wildlife.

Using prolific at for general skill

Prolific refers to quantity of production, not skill level.

✕ She is prolific at painting. ✓ She is prolific in painting.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The researcher is prolific ___ medical journals.
2. The trees were prolific ___ fruit.
3. Which form is generally nonstandard in modern English?

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Frequently asked questions

What does prolific mean?

It means producing a large amount of work, results, or offspring.

Is prolific in the usual pattern?

Yes. It is common with fields such as literature, music, or research.

Can prolific describe plants or animals?

Yes. It can describe abundant growth or reproduction.

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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