English UsageGrammar guide

Excellent At: Standard Pattern

Excellent At: Standard Pattern records a directly documented English construction and keeps guidance bounded to the evidenced pattern rather than turning one attested complement into a universal prohibition.

Quick answer

Use “excellent at” when describing a high level of skill or performance in an activity or subject.

Key details

Confusion Familyusage-construction
Rule Familyadjective or complement construction
Termsexcellent at

Further guidance

Construction

Use “excellent at” when describing a high level of skill or performance in an activity or subject.

Style Boundary

Oxford directly documents “excellent at” before a noun or -ing complement; this page does not claim that every use of “excellent” requires “at.”

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

  1. excellent adjective — Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries (opens in a new tab)Oxford University Press · Direct Oxford learner-dictionary evidence for excellent at followed by a subject, activity, or -ing complement.

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