Be Fortunate To Do vs. Fortunate In Something
Be Fortunate To Do vs. Fortunate In Something distinguishes two attested complement patterns for the same adjective. Use fortunate + to-infinitive for the adjective followed by its documented complement pattern; use fortunate in + noun phrase for the separately documented construction. The constructions are not interchangeable simply because they share the adjective; choose the pattern that matches the grammatical relationship you mean.
Use fortunate + to-infinitive when the adjective introduces that documented complement; use fortunate in + noun phrase when you mean the second documented relationship.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| event or circumstance expressed as an action | fortunate + to-infinitive | use the infinitive for the documented action/event complement |
| good fortune located in a respect, circumstance, or choice | fortunate in + noun phrase | use “in” for the separately documented noun-phrase relationship |
Quick tests
Action-or-respect test
Are you presenting the fortunate event as an action, or naming the respect/circumstance in which someone is fortunate?
If yes: Use “fortunate to + verb” for the action/event complement.
If no: Use “fortunate in + noun phrase” for the respect or circumstance.
Caveat: These are attested patterns, not a claim that fortunate accepts only these two complements.
Examples
We were fortunate to find seats together.
The infinitive presents the fortunate event.
She was fortunate in her choice of adviser.
“In” introduces the respect or circumstance in which she was fortunate.
Choose the complement by relationship, not by swapping “to” and “in” mechanically.
The two constructions encode different grammatical relations.
Further guidance
Core difference
Use fortunate + to-infinitive for the adjective followed by its documented complement pattern; use fortunate in + noun phrase for the separately documented construction.
Style Boundary
Treat the distinction as a complement-pattern choice, not as a claim that every nearby preposition or clause is impossible. Follow the directly documented construction for the intended relationship.
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.
- FORTUNATE — English meaning (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Direct dictionary evidence for fortunate + to-infinitive and fortunate in.