Be Qualified To Do vs. Qualified For Something
Be Qualified To Do vs. Qualified For Something compares Oxford’s directly documented qualified to + verb and qualified for + noun phrase patterns. One frames the qualification as permission or ability to perform an action; the other names the job, role, or target for which someone is qualified.
Use qualified to + verb for the activity someone has the training, knowledge, or skills to perform; use qualified for + noun phrase when naming the job, role, benefit, or other thing for which they meet the requirements.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| training, knowledge, authorization, or skill to perform an activity | qualified + to-infinitive | use the infinitive for the activity |
| meeting requirements for a role, job, benefit, competition, or other named thing | qualified for + noun phrase | use “for” before the thing for which requirements are met |
Quick tests
Activity-or-eligibility test
Are you naming an activity someone can competently perform, or a role/benefit/thing for which they meet requirements?
If yes: Use “qualified to + verb” for the activity.
If no: Use “qualified for + noun phrase” for the role, benefit, or other eligibility target.
Caveat: Specific professions and legal authorizations may impose technical definitions beyond this grammar distinction.
Examples
She is qualified to inspect the equipment.
The infinitive names the activity she is qualified to perform.
She is qualified for the senior technician role.
“For” introduces the role for which she meets the requirements.
Being qualified for a position may include being qualified to perform particular duties.
The constructions can be related without being interchangeable.
Further guidance
Core difference
Oxford directly documents qualified for something and qualified to do something. The complement identifies either the target thing or the action.
Style Boundary
Do not treat qualified as proof of appointment or entitlement; the page is only about the documented complement patterns.
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.
- qualified — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford University Press · Direct dictionary evidence for qualified + to-infinitive and qualified for + complement