Prepositions

Adjectives and Prepositions

Many adjectives are always followed by a particular preposition — "good at," "interested in," "afraid of." There's usually no rule; the preposition simply belongs to the word. Learn them as pairs, with an example for each.

Tip

There's rarely a reason — "good at" and "interested in" are just fixed. Memorise each adjective with its preposition and one example sentence.

14 to learn

good at

She's really good at maths.

bad at

I'm bad at remembering names.

interested in

He's interested in photography.

afraid of

Many people are afraid of spiders.

proud of

They're proud of their work.

aware of

Are you aware of the risks?

worried about

I'm worried about the exam.

keen on

She's keen on hiking.

similar to

This design is similar to the last one.

different from

Mine is different from yours.

responsible for

He's responsible for the budget.

capable of

She's capable of excellent work.

famous for

The town is famous for its cheese.

married to

She's married to a teacher.

Frequently asked

Why is it "good at" and not "good in"?

It's simply the preposition English pairs with "good" for a skill. "Good at" is fixed, the way "interested in" and "afraid of" are — there's no rule to work it out, so learn the pair.

Is it "different from" or "different to"?

Both are used — "different from" is standard everywhere, "different to" is common in British English, and "different than" appears in American English. "Different from" is the safest choice.

Continue exploring

All prepositions