Practice
Typical of or typical on: choose the right preposition
Sign in to saveUse typical of when you mean that something is a usual feature. Typical on is not the normal preposition for this meaning.
Use typical of after typical when you describe a usual feature, behavior, or quality of a person, group, place, or situation.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
It was typical of Lee to check every detail before sending the report. /ɪt wəz ˈtɪpɪkəl əv liː tə tʃek ˈevri ˈdiːteɪl bɪˈfɔː ˈsendɪŋ ðə rɪˈpɔːt/
The short answer
Choose typical of. It links a usual feature or behavior to the person, group, place, or situation that has it.
Forgetting her keys is typical of Marta when she is in a hurry.
Why it works: The behavior is presented as something Marta often does in that situation.
5 more examples
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A short meeting is typical of our team on Fridays.
The short meeting is described as a usual feature of the team on that day.
Not this:A short meeting is
typical onour team on Fridays. What changes: On does not normally link typical to the group that has the feature. -
It was typical of Lee to check every detail before sending the report.
The careful action is presented as Lee's usual behavior.
Not this:It was
typical onLee to check every detail before sending the report. What changes: Use of to identify the person whose usual behavior you describe. -
Heavy traffic is typical of the city center after work.
The traffic is a common feature of that place at that time.
Not this:Heavy traffic is
typical onthe city center after work. What changes: The city center is the place associated with the feature, so typical of is needed. -
Her calm answer was typical of someone with experience.
The answer is described as a usual quality of an experienced person.
Not this:Her calm answer was
typical onsomeone with experience. What changes: On is not the standard preposition after typical in this pattern. -
It is typical of the weather here to change quickly in spring.
The quick change is a normal feature of the local weather.
Not this:It is
typical onthe weather here to change quickly in spring. What changes: Use typical of before the thing whose usual feature you name.
Read the full guide
Ask one question before choosing the preposition: typical of whom or what? If you can name the person, group, place, or situation that the feature belongs to, use of. The phrase does not usually use on after typical.
Find the usual feature
Typical does not say that something happened once. It says that the feature is usual or expected. First identify the feature you want to describe, such as careful planning, heavy traffic, or a quick change in the weather.
A late reply is typical of the office during the holiday period.
The late reply is the feature. The office during that period is the situation connected to it.
Use of to name the source
After typical, use of before the person or thing that has the usual feature. This is why typical of Lee and typical of the city center work. The phrase answers typical of whom or what?
That patient explanation is typical of our tutor.
Our tutor is the source of the usual quality, so of is the right link.
Which phrase answers typical of whom: typical of the new manager or typical on the new manager?
Typical of the new manager is correct because it names the person associated with the usual behavior.
Use a noun or an -ing form after of
The word after of can be a noun phrase, such as this neighborhood, or an -ing phrase that describes a behavior. Both forms let you say what the feature is usual for.
It is typical of Noor to bring notes to every meeting.
To bring notes names the behavior that Noor usually does.
Early morning deliveries are typical of this market.
This market is the place associated with the usual schedule.
Keep on for other relationships
English uses on in many expressions, but not in the usual typical of pattern. For example, you can say a report on transport or depend on a colleague. Those phrases use on for different grammatical relationships.
The team wrote a report on local traffic patterns.
Here, on introduces the topic of a report. It does not follow typical.
Check the meaning before you choose
When you edit a sentence, look for the thing that the feature belongs to. If the sentence says that a behavior is usual for a person or a condition is common in a place, typical of is the pattern you need.
A quiet street is not typical of this neighborhood at noon.
The sentence says what is usual for the neighborhood, even though the feature here is unusual.
What does of connect in typical of this neighborhood?
It connects the feature, a quiet street, to the neighborhood whose usual condition is being described.
Before you go
Remember this
Use typical of to connect a usual feature with its source. Name the person, group, place, or situation after of. Do not choose typical on for this meaning.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Typical of or typical on: choose the right preposition"
Is it typical of or typical on?
Use typical of when you say that a quality, behavior, or condition is usual for someone or something. Typical on is not the normal pattern for this meaning. Ask what person, place, group, or situation has the usual feature, then put that noun after of.
A short meeting is typical of our team on Fridays.
Can I use typical of for a person?
Yes. Use typical of before a person when you describe familiar behavior or a usual quality. You can say that a careful action is typical of a colleague, for example. The phrase identifies the person connected to the feature.
A short meeting is typical on our team on Fridays.
Can typical of describe a place?
Yes. Typical of can describe a feature that is common in a place. Heavy traffic can be typical of a city center, and early deliveries can be typical of a market. The noun after of names the place associated with the pattern.
It was typical of Lee to check every detail before sending the report.
What can come after typical of?
Typical of can be followed by a noun phrase, pronoun, or an -ing phrase that describes behavior. Use it to make the relationship clear between a usual feature and the person, group, place, or situation that has it.
It was typical on Lee to check every detail before sending the report.
Why is typical on incorrect here?
On has many uses in English, but it does not normally introduce the person or thing whose usual feature you are describing after typical. Use of for that relationship, and use on only where another word or phrase requires it.
Heavy traffic is typical of the city center after work.