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Preposition after adjective

successful in, at, with, for or on?

Successful is commonly followed by in, at, or with depending on whether you describe an activity, a skill, or a result.

Quick answer

Which preposition follows successful?

Use successful in for activities or fields, successful at for skills or tasks, and successful with for positive results involving people or things. For and on usually belong to wider sentence structures rather than fixed adjective patterns.

She was successful in business.
He is successful at solving complex problems.
The company has been successful with online marketing.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
successful in + field or activity

Achievement within an area

Use in for careers, industries, and broad activities.

They became successful in finance.
She is successful in international trade.
2
successful at + task

Skill in doing something

Use at for particular tasks, games, or actions.

He is successful at negotiations.
She became successful at managing large teams.
3
successful with + people or method

Getting good results

Use with for methods, products, or relationships that work well.

The teacher is successful with shy students.
The brand was successful with younger customers.
4
successful on + platform or occasion

Using on as a separate adjunct

On usually refers to a platform, date, or event rather than being selected by successful.

The campaign was successful on social media.
She was successful on her second attempt.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
successful in
He was successful in law.
Achievement within a field or activity.
successful at
She is successful at public speaking.
Skill in a specific task.
successful with
The coach is successful with young athletes.
Getting positive results with people or methods.
successful for
The campaign was successful for the company.
For introduces who benefited, not the main adjective pattern.
successful on
The artist became successful on streaming platforms.
On introduces a platform or setting.

Common mistakes

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

Using in for specific skills

Use at for particular tasks or abilities.

✕ She is successful in solving puzzles. ✓ She is successful at solving puzzles.

Confusing with and for

With shows the person or method involved in success.

✕ The trainer is successful for nervous clients. ✓ The trainer is successful with nervous clients.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. They were successful ___ the technology sector.
2. She is successful ___ handling customer complaints.
3. The company has been successful ___ teenage consumers.

Check your sentence in context

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between successful in and successful at?

In is usually broader, while at focuses on specific tasks or skills.

Can successful be followed by with?

Yes. It often means achieving good results with people, products, or methods.

Is successful on correct?

Yes, when on introduces a platform, event, or occasion, such as successful on television.

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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