
Look at these examples to see how adjectives are used with prepositions.
I'm interested in the idea.
My jacket is similar to yours.
She's brilliant at maths.
My neighbour is angry about the party.
Try this exercise to test your grammar.
- Grammar test 1
Read the explanation to learn more.
Grammar explanation
Some adjectives go with certain prepositions. There are no grammatical rules for which preposition is used with which adjective, so it's a good idea to try to learn them together. To help you do this, write new vocabulary in your notebook in a sentence or phrase.
However, there are some patterns that can help you. Let's look at them first. Remember that a preposition is followed by a noun or a gerund (-ing form).
With at
We use at with adjectives like good/bad/amazing/brilliant/terrible, etc. to talk about skills and abilities.
He's really good at English.
She's amazing at the piano.
They're terrible at organising anything.
I'm not very good at drawing.
With about
We often use about with adjectives of feelings like angry/excited/happy/nervous/sad/stressed/worried, etc. to explain what is causing that feeling.
I'm angry about the decision.
He's nervous about the presentation.
She's excited about the new job.
They were worried about the exam.
With of
However, sometimes we use of with feelings.
She was afraid of telling her mum.
I'm frightened of having an accident.
He's scared of flying.
You should be proud of your progress.
With to
We can use to to show the connection between people or things.
He's married to the director.
I'm addicted to my phone.
I'm allergic to nuts.
It's similar to the old one.
We can also use to to talk about someone's behaviour towards someone else.
They were really friendly to me.
Was he nice to you?
He is always polite to everyone.
She was very rude to the waitress.
Here are some other useful adjectives with prepositions.
With for
Exercise is good for you.
Stress is bad for you.
The town is famous for its cheese.
I'm responsible for the financial side of the business.
With in
She's interested in the project.
They want someone who's experienced in design.
I didn't want to get involved in the argument.
Do this exercise to test your grammar again.
- Grammar test 2
Hello Hlaingbobo Win,
We're glad you found it useful! If you do an internet search for 'adjectives and prepositions exercises', I'm sure you can find a lot more. There are also lots of exercises on other pages on our site that cover this, but I'm afraid it's difficult for me to point you to them because they are part of pages that don't just focus on this grammar.
As you explore our site, though, I'm sure you'll find them.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Su Yee Lwin,
We use 'about' after 'nervous' to speak about the thing that makes us feel nervous. If you follow the link, you'll see some other examples and ways this word is used.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello
Both forms are possible and I don't think there is any difference in meaning. You could also use the preposition 'towards', again without any change in meaning.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello S M Rezwanul Islam,
This is indeed one of the trickiest things to learn in English. I'd suggest that you make a note of the correct preposition when you find one that surprises you -- in other words, when a text or recording uses a preposition that is different from what you expected. If you write these down -- including the context, since the context can change the meaning -- and then revise them from time to time, this should help.
A good dictionary is also a valuable resource for this kind of learning. For example, if you look at this entry for 'good', in the example sentences under 2, you'll see 'good at' and 'good with'. Reading through these can really help you understand how prepositions are used with different words.
Hope this helps you.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Luisalcaza,
Good question!
After difficult, use for with a person: It's really difficult for me.
The phrase to me also shows your opinion about something, e.g. To me, $10 is a lot of money or To me, this is very important. But because your sentence has difficult, the usual preposition to use is for.
Does that make sense?
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Tvisha Shukla,
We use 'at' when we are talking about skills and abilities, including academic subjects, so we would say 'at math' rather than 'in math'.
You can use 'in' if you are talking about 'math lessons', but then we would not say 'good' but rather something more specific like 'I work hard' or 'I get good grades' etc.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi Sheikh MD Sazidul Islam,
Sorry :( We don't have a pdf of this page at the moment.
Best wishes,
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello Aung Ko Latt,
Welcome and thanks for getting in touch with us. I believe that a credit card is required to subscribe to LearnEnglish, but could you please ask this question on our Contact page? The team that will get your message might be able to help you more than I can.
Best wishes,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi saeidehabdolvand,
Thanks for your nice comment. Welcome to the site :)
Best wishes,
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Thanks for your kind comment :) We hope you enjoy your English learning here.
Best wishes,
Jonathan
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi SHAILESH TIPNIS,
Welcome to LearnEnglish!
You can find information on verb forms in the verbs section of our grammar reference pages:
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/english-grammar-reference/verbs
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team