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
Sirs,
My son asked me on WWhatsApp about the Aamazon ddelivery:
Are the tubelights delivered?
I corrected him as below:
Have the tubelights bbeen delivered?
Am I right sir? Is 'Are the tubelights delivered?' wrong, and should it be corrected as 'Have the tubelights been delivered?'
Regards
Dipak R Gandhi
Hello Dipak,
Yes, you are correct. The present perfect here is appropriate as you are describing a past action with a present result.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hello there! I'd like some advice, if possible, on my use of prepositions.
Phrase 1- "She's terrified of leaving the country. It's a totally new experience to her".
Phrase 2- "I'm frightened of spiders and about the possibility of them attacking me".
Thank u guys!
Hello Dstudent,
We're happy to give you some advice but I'm not sure what your question is here! Both sentences are correct.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
use that after sure
Sir,
My apologies if I am not asking the question in the ccorrect section.
I want to say this:
Even if my train gets late, no matter how much late it gets, I will reach you by 10 am.
Now I want to say it in brief.
So is this the correct way to say it:
As per the train schedule, we will reach there by 10 am, belatedly.
Hello dipakrgandhi,
First of all, I think the original sentence needs a change or two:
The thing to remember is that 'as per' means 'in accordance with'. Thus, if you say 'As per the train schedule' you are saying that the train will not be late; if it is late it is no longer following the schedule. You would need to say something like this:
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
I wanted to ask a question, that is confusing for me:
can an adjective come after a preposition without a noun, as in the example below (for too long)
For too long, teaching has been called an art.
There is no noun in the prepositional phrase: for too long, would you please clarify that for me?
Thank you for your help and time
Hello michelyousef,
It's a good question! I think the best explanation for this is to treat 'for too long' as an expression rather than as a grammatical construction. The argument for this is that, first, the 'for' is not actually necessary and can be omitted. Second, you cannot replace 'long' with any other word. There is no phrase like 'for too short' or 'for too soon', for example.
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Sir,
My apology if my qquestion is not asked in correct section.
My question is:
Can 'external affairs' also mean 'extra maritital'?
I have searched dictionaries but I have not come across this meaning.
This question has arisen ad there is a joke going on on social media:
The wife of a certain External Affairs Minister says 'I am happy that my husband will have external affairs for 5 more years.' The joke concludes with 'She must be only wife in the world who is happy that her husband will have external affairs.'
But does the joke make any sense if it doesn't have that meaning?