congratulate sb for

[joham]

I've found a lot of sentences in AMERICAN CORPUS (but none in BNC) with the structure of 'congratulate sb for' as in:
I congratulated myself for being quiet and still the rest of the afternoon.

So we can use this structure instead of 'congratulate sb on sth', can't we, or had we better not? (I read an article by an American in which there is such a structure.)

Thank you very much.

 

[albertino]

I've found a lot of sentences in AMERICAN CORPUS (but none in BNC) with the structure of 'congratulate sb for' as in:
I congratulated myself for being quiet and still the rest of the afternoon.

So we can use this structure instead of 'congratulate sb on sth', can't we, or had we better not? (I read an article by an American in which there is such a structure.)

Thank you very much.

So, that is the far cry from the other side of the pond.
By the way, joham. in BE we normally used "for" after "congratulate" in a passive sentence structure rather than an active one. See the examples quoted from your favourite dictionary the Longman:

"congratulate somebody for (doing) something
All three are to be congratulated for doing so well.

The committee is to be congratulated for presenting its findings in such an informative manner.

He is to be congratulated for his job well done."
(Not a teacher)

 

[beascarpetta]

this should shed some light on your problem

but you are absolutely right here Joham

the CAD seems to be particularly monosyllabic concerning "to congratulate for"
and in several American dictionaries "to congratulate for" is only listed for use without an object
like
The NHS should be congratulated on this excellent achievement.
or
Schools and young people are to be congratulated on these results.

did any of this help?