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Rotter Posted 20 years ago
Grammar

Congratulations

Heavy metal monsters Lordi have been hailed as heroes in their home country after scoring Finland's first ever Eurovision Song Contest victory.
President Tarja Halonen congratulated the band in a telegram after their song Hard Rock Hallelujah won in Athens.

Hundreds of people celebrated in the streets of Helsinki, honking car horns, waving flags and singing Lordi's song.

Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat proclaimed: "It's official: Hell has frozen over. Finland has won."

The band won the Eurovision public vote after singing their heavy rock anthem dressed in horror costumes and accompanied by pyrotechnics.


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I congratulate Finland on their success at Eurovision Song Contest.


I have learnt to write 'congratulate on' .


For example, you will congratulate a team on their success in a tournament.


In the above, Finnish President congratulated the band on the success in Athens.
The preposition 'on' is missing in the original sentence. Is it correct?
  

Top answer

President Tarja Halonen congratulated the band in a telegram after their song Hard Rock Hallelujah won in Athens. President Tarja Halonen congratulated the band on their winning in the song competition in Athens in a telegram. both correct.

  • President Tarja Halonen congratulated the band in a telegram after their song Hard Rock Hallelujah won in Athens.
  • President Tarja Halonen congratulated the band on their winning in the song competition in Athens in a telegram.
  • both correct.
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8 Answers
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President Tarja Halonen congratulated the band in a telegram after their song Hard Rock Hallelujah won in Athens.

President Tarja Halonen congratulated the band on their winning in the song competition in Athens in a telegram.

both correct.
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duplicate, deleted, sorry.
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Thank you. I don't think Lordi would have won without their outlandish costumes, though. Their song is unlikely to become an evergreen.
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Cool Breeze
I would agree with you to say about their outlandish costumes. For some reason, people like those costumes. I dislike such costumes; they look horrible.

Marius and Anonymous approved the preposition 'in' too. I am not sure about it. I looked at my dictionary. It should be 'on'.

Swedes will celebrate tomorrow when the team arrives home. A few months ago,
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Hello Rotter

You do indeed "congratulate someone [on something]", e.g. (from Google):

1. I congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council.

However, you can also leave out the "on something", if the "something" is implicit:

2. I congratulated Rotter, after he became president of the Security Council.

Here, as in the origina
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Rotter Marius and Anonymous approved the preposition 'in' too. I am not sure about it. I looked at my dictionary. It should be 'on'.
Do not confuse:

- the reason for the congratulations (using on, congratulate on their success)
- where the congratulati
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I passed an examination.

6. He congratulated me.


He passed an examination.

7. I congratulated him.


So both sixth and seventh sentencs are fine.

It is an overkill to say he congratulated me on my success at an the examination.
Please tell me if I understood you incorrectly.
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You've got it right Rotter.

I was so pleased to see them get through to the finals but I didn't imagine they'd win...how wonderful!

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