Blog about English
Adjective-preposition combinations.
Many adjectives are regularly followed by particular prepositions, and the choice of preposition is part of the normal grammatical pattern.
Examples include good at, interested in, afraid of, responsible for, and similar combinations.
Good is normally followed by at when identifying a skill or activity in which someone performs well.
For example, She is good at mathematics and He is good at explaining difficult ideas.
Bad is normally followed by at when identifying a skill or activity in which someone performs poorly.
For example, I am bad at remembering names.
Interested is normally followed by in when identifying a subject, activity, or area that attracts someone's attention.
For example, She is interested in history and They are interested in learning Spanish.
When a verb follows interested in, the verb normally takes the gerund form because in is a preposition.
For example, She is interested in learning Spanish, not interested in to learn Spanish.
Afraid is normally followed by of when identifying what or whom someone fears.
For example, He is afraid of dogs and She is afraid of making mistakes.
Proud is normally followed by of when identifying the person, thing, or achievement that causes pride.
For example, She is proud of her son and We are proud of winning the competition.
Responsible is normally followed by for when identifying a duty, task, person, or area of responsibility.
For example, She is responsible for the project and He is responsible for managing the team.
Famous is normally followed by for when identifying the reason for which a person or place is well known.
For example, The city is famous for its architecture.
Different is commonly followed by from when comparing one person, thing, or situation with another.
For example, This approach is different from the previous one.
Different to is common in British English and different than occurs especially in American English, while different from is widely accepted across varieties.
For example, Her answer is different from mine. Different to is common in British usage, while different than is common in American usage.
Similar is normally followed by to when identifying something that resembles another person or thing.
For example, This design is similar to the original.
Married is normally followed by to when identifying the person someone is married to.
For example, She is married to a doctor.
Full is normally followed by of when identifying what a container, place, or situation contains.
For example, The room was full of people.
Tired is normally followed by of when expressing annoyance, boredom, or lack of willingness to continue with something.
For example, I am tired of waiting.
Keen is commonly followed by on in British English when expressing enthusiasm or interest.
For example, She is keen on photography.
Dependent is normally followed by on when identifying the person, thing, or condition on which something relies.
For example, The result is dependent on several factors.
Based is normally followed by on when identifying the evidence, information, or source used as the foundation for something.
For example, The report is based on recent research.
Known is followed by for when identifying the characteristic, achievement, or feature for which someone or something is famous or recognized.
For example, The region is known for its vineyards.
Known is followed by as when identifying the name, title, or description by which someone or something is identified.
For example, The city is known as the cultural capital of the region.
Known for identifies what makes someone or something recognized, while known as identifies the name or label used for them.
For example, She is known for her research and She is known as an expert in the field.
Capable is normally followed by of when identifying an ability or possible action.
For example, The system is capable of processing large files.
Accustomed is followed by to when describing something that someone is familiar with through habit or experience.
For example, She is accustomed to working under pressure.
Used to in the expression be used to means being accustomed to something and is followed by a noun, pronoun, or gerund.
For example, I am used to the noise and I am used to working late.
When a verb follows responsible for, it normally takes the gerund form because for is a preposition.
For example, She is responsible for managing the project.
When a verb follows good at, it normally takes the gerund form.
For example, He is good at solving complex problems.
Some adjective-preposition combinations can be followed by clauses or gerund constructions according to the adjective pattern.
For example, She is interested in what you are doing and I am worried about whether they will agree.
Changing the preposition after an adjective can produce a different meaning or grammatical relationship.
For example, good at describes ability, while good for describes benefit or suitability.
Good at identifies an ability or skill, while good for identifies a benefit, purpose, or suitability.
For example, She is good at maths, while Exercise is good for your health.
Sorry for commonly introduces the action or situation causing regret, while sorry about can refer to a situation or problem that causes sympathy or regret.
For example, Sorry for being late and I am sorry about the misunderstanding.
Angry with can identify the person who causes the anger, while angry about commonly identifies the subject or situation causing it.
For example, She is angry with me about the mistake.
Some adjective-preposition combinations are strongly fixed, while others have alternatives that vary by region, register, or meaning.
For example, different from is widely accepted, while different to is especially common in British English.
Adjective-preposition combinations are often best learned as fixed collocations rather than translated word by word.
For example, interested in, good at, afraid of, and responsible for should be learned as complete patterns.
Use the preposition required by the adjective and use a gerund after a preposition when a verb follows.
Common mistakes include interested on instead of interested in, good in instead of good at, married with instead of married to, and interested in to learn instead of interested in learning.