Certain adjectives are always followed by specific prepositions. These combinations must be memorized because they often do not translate directly from other languages.
About
| Adjective | Example | | ----------------- | ---------------------------------- | | angry about | She is angry about the delay. | | excited about | I am excited about my trip. | | worried about | He is worried about his exam. | | happy about | They are happy about the news. | | sorry about | I am sorry about your loss. |
At
| Adjective | Example | | ---------------- | ---------------------------------- | | good at | She is good at math. | | bad at | He is bad at singing. | | excellent at | They are excellent at chess. | | surprised at | I was surprised at the result. |
Of
| Adjective | Example | | -------------- | ----------------------------------- | | afraid of | I am afraid of spiders. | | proud of | She is proud of her son. | | tired of | I am tired of waiting. | | aware of | He is aware of the risks. | | capable of | She is capable of great things. | | full of | The room is full of people. |
In
| Adjective | Example | | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------ | | interested in | She is interested in history. | | involved in | He is involved in research. | | successful in | They were successful in their efforts. |
With
| Adjective | Example | | ------------------ | ------------------------------------- | | happy with | Are you happy with your results? | | satisfied with | I am satisfied with the service. | | angry with | She is angry with me. | | busy with | He is busy with his homework. | | familiar with | I am not familiar with that term. |
For
| Adjective | Example | | ------------------- | ------------------------------------ | | responsible for | Who is responsible for this? | | famous for | Paris is famous for its museums. | | known for | He is known for his kindness. | | late for | She was late for the meeting. |
To
| Adjective | Example | | -------------- | -------------------------------------- | | married to | She is married to a doctor. | | similar to | This is similar to the one I have. | | kind to | Be kind to your classmates. | | used to | I am not used to the cold weather. |
Common Mistakes
-
Incorrect: I am interested on history.
-
Correct: I am interested in history.
-
Incorrect: She is afraid from spiders.
-
Correct: She is afraid of spiders.
-
Incorrect: He is good in math.
-
Correct: He is good at math.