Though their usage depends on the context, “Congratulations on” and “congratulations for” are both accurate. Avoiding common errors in English language requires an awareness of its subtleties, particularly in regards to celebrating someone’s milestone or accomplishment.
Correct Use of “Congratulations On”
Celebrate a happy event or occasion in someone else’s life using “congratulates on”. It denotes delight or satisfaction for a personal milestone, event, or accomplishment. Here are few clarifications examples:
- Congratulations on your wedding!
- Congratulations on your baby!
- Congratulations on winning the game!
Correct Usage of “Congratulations For”
Use “congratulates for” on the other hand when you want to honour someone’s work, action, or accomplishment. It emphasises the reason one should offer congrats:
- Congratulations for helping the company stay out of bankruptcy!
- Congratulation for attaining 100 days of sobriety!
- Congratulation for guiding the group towards success!
Congratulations On or For?
This table provides a simple guide to help determine the correct preposition to use in different scenarios:
| Usage | When to Use | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Congratulations On | Celebrating events or personal milestones | Congratulations on your engagement! |
| Congratulations For | Praising effort, actions, or achievements | Congratulations for solving that complex problem! |
| Both | General well-wishes that can depend on specific phrasing | Congratulations on winning! or Congratulations for trying! |
Other Forms of Congratulation
Using “Congratulations” Alone
Sometimes, you can use “congratulations” as a standalone word:
- They shouted, “Congratulations!” as the graduates threw their caps.
Offering Congratulations Reflexively
You can also use congratulations in a reflexive context:
- You should congratulate yourself for completing such a challenging project.
Funny Information and Historical Context
Did you know that congratulating a bride was seen as poor manners historically? Rather, visitors would congratulate the husband on “winning” the bride and best wishes her. This reflects out-of-date society standards in which the bride’s part was underlined less than that of the groom.
Contemporary manners
Congratulations are freely extended to the bride and groom in the modern world, therefore attesting to equality and mutual celebration of their union.
Usually Used Scenarios
Incorrect use
Many conflate “on” and “for,” which causes mistakes like:
- Incorrect: Well done for guiding the team towards success.
- Correct: Congratulation for guiding the team towards success.
How to Steer Clear of Confusion
Ask yourself always: Are you honouring effort (for) or celebrating an event (on)? One can avoid blunders by asking a basic question.
Related Grammar Tips
| Topic | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| “Congratulations To” | Use when directing congratulations to someone. | The villagers offered congratulations to the mayor. |
| “Congratulation” (Singular) | Rarely used except in formal or literary contexts to describe the act of congratulating. | The congratulation letter was heartfelt. |
Following these rules will help you to always use “congratulations on” and “congratulations for” therefore guaranteeing professionalism and clarity in your correspondence.
