famous for vs as — adjective + preposition (GiU Unit 131)
Which is right
Section titled “Which is right”My home town is not a very interesting place. It’s not famous for anything. ✓
- famous for = known because of a product/quality/reason: famous for its food, famous for being old
- famous as = known in a role: famous as an actor, famous as a writer
- ✗ famous in / about / of anything
for vs as
Section titled “for vs as”| famous for | famous as | |
|---|---|---|
| Follows | thing, reason, quality | role, position |
| Example | Paris is famous for the Eiffel Tower | She’s famous as a singer |
Test: “known because of X” → for. “Known in the capacity of X” → as.
Related adjective + preposition pairs (Unit 131 family)
Section titled “Related adjective + preposition pairs (Unit 131 family)”- sorry for / about — sorry for doing X; sorry about a situation
- good at / bad at (✗ good in)
- interested in (✗ interested on/for)
- afraid of (✗ afraid about)
- proud of (✗ proud for)
Source
Section titled “Source”Raymond Murphy, English Grammar in Use, Unit 131 — Adjective + preposition 2. Ebot lesson 2026-09-05.