Emotions & feelings
take someone by surprise
surprise someone
To happen unexpectedly and cause someone to feel surprised or unprepared.
Hear it in real life
How did you feel when they offered you the job?
It took me by surprise, but I was delighted.
The sudden change in the schedule took me by surprise.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: The news took me with surprise.
Say: The news took me by surprise.
The fixed preposition in this phrase is 'by,' not 'with.'
Build it
How it fits in a sentence.
take someone by surprise; took me by surprise; be taken by surprise
Your turn: say it out loud
The sudden change in the schedule took me by surprise.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
take someone by surprise
surprise someone
“The sudden change in the schedule took me by surprise.”
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