Adjective + Preposition
Master common adjectives and their prepositions.
- check_circleI can use common adjective + preposition collocations correctly.
- check_circleI can talk about what I am good at, afraid of, or interested in.
Discover
Meet today's English in a real situation — no rules yet. Read it once and try to guess the pattern in the words in bold. Underlined words open a short definition.
Emma: Hey Mark! Are you interested in going to the science museum this weekend? They have a new exhibition about space.
Mark: Oh, I’d love to! I’m really fascinated by astronomy. My brother went last week, and he was very impressed with the displays.
Emma: Great! I was a bit worried about asking you, because I know you’re usually very busy with your studies on weekends.
Mark: I am, but I need a break. I’ve been so focused on my math project that I feel exhausted.
Emma: That makes sense. By the way, is your brother good at explaining the exhibits? Maybe he can come too.
Mark: He is! He is famous for his knowledge of planets. But he is terrified of large crowds, so he prefers to go on weekdays.
Emma: Ah, I see. No problem, it will just be the two of us! I’m really excited about this trip!
Learn
Now the rules behind what you just saw — explained simply, with examples. Underlined words open a short definition — hover on desktop, tap on a phone.
Many adjectives in English are followed by specific prepositions. There is no simple rule for these; they are called collocations and need to be learned together.
Here are some common ones you should know:
About
- worried about: I am worried about the exam.
- excited about: She is excited about her new job.
At
- good at / bad at: He is good at playing chess.
- surprised at/by: We were surprised at the news.
For
- famous for: Paris is famous for the Eiffel Tower.
- responsible for: Who is responsible for this mess?
In
- interested in: Are you interested in photography?
- involved in: He is deeply involved in the project.
Of
- afraid of: My sister is afraid of spiders.
- proud of: They are very proud of their children.
Common mistakes
Remember that when a preposition is followed by a verb, the verb must be in the -ing form (gerund).
I am good at play tennis.- I am good at playing tennis.
She is interested in learn French.- She is interested in learning French.
When you learn a new adjective, try to learn the preposition that goes with it. Keep a vocabulary notebook and write down the adjective, the preposition, and an example sentence!
- A: What are you interested in?
- B: I’m interested in learning new languages. What about you?
- A: I’m really bad at languages, but I’m good at mathematics.
- Adjectives are often followed by specific prepositions (e.g., afraid of, good at).
- There is no single rule; memorize them as pairs.
- If a verb follows the preposition, it must be an -ing form.
Practice
Try it yourself. You'll see right away whether you got it right, plus a short explanation of why.
Use It
Now make the language yours in a real task. Use the prompt below — the editor keeps a simple word count, and nothing is saved or graded.
Before you finish — be honest. Can you do these now?