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Prepositions after adjectives

selective in or selective about?

Selective about is common when talking about preferences. Selective in is used for areas or activities where someone applies careful choice.

Quick answer

Selective in vs. selective about

Use selective about for things a person chooses carefully, such as food, friends, or information. Use selective in for activities, behaviour, or areas where care is shown.

She is very selective about the brands she buys.
The editor is selective in choosing guest writers.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
selective about + thing

Talking about preferences and choices

Use about with things, people, or topics that someone chooses carefully.

He is selective about the news sources he trusts.
2
selective in + activity

Talking about careful behaviour in an activity

Use in before a noun or gerund that describes an area of action.

The company is selective in hiring new staff.
3
highly selective about + noun

Emphasising strong preference

Highly often appears before selective about.

She is highly selective about who she works with.
4
selective in choosing + noun

Describing a careful selection process

In commonly appears before choosing or selecting.

They are selective in choosing investment partners.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
selective about
He is selective about what he reads.
careful regarding preferences or choices
selective in
The school is selective in admitting students.
careful in a process or activity
selective with
She is selective with her words.
possible in context, often referring to behaviour or use
selective for
This drug is selective for certain cells.
used mainly in scientific and technical contexts

Common mistakes

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

Using in before a simple object

About is usually better for ordinary preferences.

✕ She is selective in restaurants. ✓ She is selective about restaurants.

Using about before an activity noun

In fits better with actions and processes.

✕ The manager is selective about hiring staff. ✓ The manager is selective in hiring staff.

Forgetting the object

Selective usually needs a complement to explain what is chosen carefully.

✓ He is selective about the projects he accepts.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She is selective ___ the people she follows online.
2. The university is selective ___ admitting international students.
3. He is highly selective ___ who he shares data with.

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Frequently asked questions

Which is more common: selective about or selective in?

Both are common, but they are used differently. About usually refers to preferences, while in refers to actions or processes.

Can I say selective with?

Yes, in some contexts. Selective with often refers to careful use of words, money, or attention.

Is selective for correct?

Selective for appears mainly in technical or scientific English, especially biology and medicine.

sacred-to-in-by-of, for "sad for" or "sad about"? "safe for", "safe from" or "safe in"? sanguine about, in, of, on or for? "satisfactory to" or "satisfactory for"? satisfied with, of, by, in or on? "satisfying for" or "satisfying to"? scarce in, for, at, on or of? scared of, to, about, for or by? "scary for" or "scary to"? "scathing about", "scathing in" or "scathing of"? "sceptical about" or "sceptical of"?

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