Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after verbs

admire by, in, or for?

Admire for is the normal pattern when giving a reason for admiration. In and by usually have different grammatical roles.

Quick answer

Which preposition is used with admire?

Use admire someone for something. Admire by is not standard. Admire in may appear when in introduces a place or quality, not the object of admiration.

I admire her for her patience.
They admired him for his honesty.
We admired the detail in the painting.

Choose the pattern by meaning

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

1
admire + person/thing

Express admiration directly

Admire often takes a direct object with no preposition.

Many students admire their coach.
2
admire + person + for + quality

Give the reason for admiration

Use for before the quality, action, or achievement.

She admires her sister for her determination.
3
admire in + place/object

Use in for location or context

In can introduce where a quality appears, not the person admired.

I admire the colours in this photograph.

See the difference in context

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

Construction
Example
Meaning
admire for
We admire him for his courage.
state the reason for admiration
admire in
She admired the craftsmanship in the furniture.
in introduces the place where something is seen
admire by
They were admired by their neighbours.
by is used in passive sentences, not after active admire
admire + object
I admire her work.
express respect or approval

Common mistakes

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

Using by after active admire

By is not a standard complement after admire.

✕ I admire her by her kindness. ✓ I admire her for her kindness.

Using in for the reason

Use for to explain why you admire someone.

✕ They admire him in his discipline. ✓ They admire him for his discipline.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. People admire her ___ her leadership skills.
2. I admire the detail ___ this sculpture.
3. Many athletes admire ___ coach.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

Is admire for correct?

Yes. Admire someone for something is the standard pattern.

Can admire be used without a preposition?

Yes. You can admire a person, place, or object directly.

Why do I sometimes see admired by?

By is common in passive sentences, such as He is admired by many people.

abandon, by, abandon, in "abduct by", "abduct in" or "abduct from"? abide by, in, with, to or on? "abolish in" or "abolish by"? "abound in" or "abound with"? "absorb by", "absorb into" or "absorb in"? "accelerate by", "accelerate to" or "accelerate in"? accentuate by, with, in or under? accept by, in, as, for or into? "accommodate in", "accommodate for" or "accommodate to"? "accomplish by" or "accomplish in"? "accord to" or "accord with"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account