He is famous ____ playing the guitar.

He is famous ____ playing the guitar.

• A. in
• B. on
• C. about
• D. for

Answer: (D)

Be famous for + -ing describes the reason someone is well known. In this sentence, we need a preposition that introduces why he is famous, and the activity he’s famous for is playing the guitar. The standard structure is famous for + gerund, so the best fit is for, giving He is famous for playing the guitar. The other prepositions don’t carry the same meaning here: in would suggest fame within a place or field rather than the reason for fame, on isn’t used in this expression, and about would imply something he talks about or concerns himself with rather than the cause of his fame. You can see the pattern in examples like famous for his paintings or famous for his charity work.

Be famous for + -ing describes the reason someone is well known. In this sentence, we need a preposition that introduces why he is famous, and the activity he’s famous for is playing the guitar. The standard structure is famous for + gerund, so the best fit is for, giving He is famous for playing the guitar. The other prepositions don’t carry the same meaning here: in would suggest fame within a place or field rather than the reason for fame, on isn’t used in this expression, and about would imply something he talks about or concerns himself with rather than the cause of his fame. You can see the pattern in examples like famous for his paintings or famous for his charity work.