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Prepositions after adjectives

Ready for, to, in, at or by

Ready commonly combines with for and to. Other prepositions such as in, at, and by appear in more limited or contextual uses.

Quick answer

Quick answer

Use ready for for preparation or suitability, and ready to before a verb. Ready in usually refers to time, ready at appears in fixed expressions, and ready by gives a deadline.

We are ready for the meeting.
She is ready to leave.
The report will be ready by Friday.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
ready for + noun

Prepared for something

Use ready for when someone or something is prepared for an event, task, or experience.

Are you ready for the exam?
The team is ready for launch.
2
ready to + verb

Prepared to do something

Use ready to before an action verb.

I am ready to begin.
They were ready to negotiate.
3
ready in + time period

Completion within a time

Use ready in to say how long something will take to become ready.

Dinner will be ready in ten minutes.
The software should be ready in a week.
4
ready by + deadline

Completion before a specific time

Use by for deadlines or latest completion times.

The documents must be ready by Monday.
Everything was ready by sunrise.
5
ready at + time or place

Availability at a point

Ready at is less common and usually refers to readiness at a particular time or location.

The driver was ready at six o'clock.
Meals were ready at the counter.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
ready for
She is ready for the interview.
prepared for an event or thing
ready to
He is ready to start.
prepared to perform an action
ready in
The meal will be ready in twenty minutes.
finished after a period of time
ready at
The room was ready at noon.
available or prepared at a certain time
ready by
The project must be ready by Friday.
completed before a deadline

Common mistakes

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

Using ready for before a verb

Use ready to before verbs.

✕ ready for leave ✓ ready to leave

Confusing in and by with time

In gives the duration until completion; by gives the latest deadline.

✓ The package will be ready in an hour and ready by noon

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She is ready ___ present the report.
2. The children are ready ___ school.
3. The order will be ready ___ 5 p.m.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ready for and ready to?

Ready for is followed by a noun, while ready to is followed by a verb.

Can ready in be used with time?

Yes. It means something will become ready after a period of time.

Is ready at common?

It is less common, but it can describe readiness at a specific time or place.

racist-in-against-for-to, towards "radical in" or "radical for"? rampant in, among, with, on or throughout? "rare in" or "rare for"? "rational for" or "rational in"? "raw in", "raw for" or "raw with"? reachable by, from, on, in or through? "reactive to", "reactive rather" or "reactive in"? "realistic about" or "realistic in"? "real to", "real for" or "real in"? rearing of, as or on? "reasonable for" or "reasonable in"?

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