Adjectives and prepositions
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
The British Council is the best website for improving English skills.
BC is really good learning website for me.
Good
I need to improve my skills and abilities at english. Sometimes, i feel worried of my progress, but i remember i have to continue practicing.
Hello everyone, I'm a engineering student ,I'm good at French but I'm really worried about English , i was not too close to English language , but right now I'm involved in learning it by different ways because that will be very useful for me .
I am an AI Engineer. I want to go abroad for higher education. I'm good at building products. I help businesses in scaling by leveraging AI capabilities.
I am interested in learning English. But I am afraid of doing something incorrect. I want to be at good in English. I am nervous about my speaking and writing, but I try to be more confident. English is really important for my today’s period.
Hello!
I think correct way to say it is: I want to be good at English.
Yes ✅ — “I want to be good at English” is correct and natural.
You could also say:
I'm involved in the meeting because I'm good in English. But I'm afraid of communicating with native speakers.
I also feel anxious about talking with other people because I'm bad in French. Although, I hope it will be a évaluable experience for me.