Suitable For vs. Suitable To preserves both Cambridge-documented constructions and avoids turning a usage preference into an absolute grammar prohibition.
ReviewedEvidence1 sourceSectionEnglish Usage
Quick answer
Cambridge documents both suitable for and suitable to constructions, including examples where something is right for a particular person, purpose, or group.
Key details
Confusion Familyusage-construction
Rule Familyconstruction choice
Termssuitable for, suitable to
Further guidance
Core difference
Cambridge documents suitable for someone or something and also gives a suitable to construction in its learner-dictionary examples.
Style Boundary
Use the construction that fits the phrase and audience; do not infer from frequency alone that a documented suitable-to use is ungrammatical.
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.
Suitable↗ (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct learner-dictionary evidence for suitable for and suitable to constructions.
Agree With vs. Agree On separates directly documented constructions and keeps the distinction narrow rather than turning a context-sensitive pattern into a universal preposition rule.
Angry With vs. Angry About separates directly documented constructions and keeps the distinction narrow rather than turning a context-sensitive pattern into a universal preposition rule.
Appropriate For vs. Appropriate To separates directly documented constructions and keeps the distinction narrow rather than turning a context-sensitive pattern into a universal preposition rule.
Available To vs. Available For separates directly documented constructions and keeps the distinction narrow rather than turning a context-sensitive pattern into a universal preposition rule.
Be Bound To Do vs. Bound For Somewhere separates two distinct Oxford-documented senses. Bound to do/be expresses certainty or likelihood, while bound for + destination describes travel toward a place. The guide keeps those senses separate from legal or duty-bound uses.
Be Elated To Do vs. Elated By Something compares two directly documented complement patterns for “elated.” Oxford evidence supports an infinitival use as well as elated at/by + noun phrase, so the guide explains the construction choice without generalizing from synonyms.
