-
He was surprised with/at/by the news of the success of a poor candidate in the elections.
-
I was surprised at/with/by the news.
-
I was pleasantly surprised by/with/at her sudden appearance.
-
I am surprised with/by/at her decision to quit her job.
I did a lot of research, what preposition "surprise" take. But end up with nothing. I couldn't find a definite answer. I have seen all preposition surprise with/by/at/about in sentences. But again, could not figure when to use which preposition. Can any one please explain what preposition we should use with "surprise".
Thank you
Best Answer
In general, some adjectives go with certain prepositions, but some adjectives can go with more than one preposition (and context will determine which preposition fits better, though in many cases the use of one preposition doesn't rule out other prepositions, as the meaning doesn't really change). With "surprised," I think it's safe to say that "by" and "at" are more common, but you'll also find "about" and "with." There is no fixed pattern; the more you read, the easier it becomes knowing which preposition to use (or not use).