Adjectives with prepositions

When you use it

Many adjectives are followed by a preposition before a noun, a pronoun or an -ing form: good at tennis, afraid of him, interested in cooking. The preposition belongs to the adjective, so it is best to learn the two together, as one unit. Often it is not the preposition your own language would use.

How it is formed

After the preposition, use -ing. A verb after a preposition takes the -ing form: good at swimming, afraid of flying, interested in learning. Not good at draw. Some of these adjectives can also take to + infinitive, with no preposition: ready to go, afraid to ask, sorry to hear that.

The preposition can change the meaning. Good at is about a skill (good at maths), good for means healthy or useful (Swimming is good for your back), and good with means able to deal with someone or something (good with children). Angry with or angry at goes with a person, angry about with a situation (angry at is also used for situations, especially in American English). Sorry for a person means you feel pity: I feel sorry for Anna's grandmother.

Different. Different from is correct everywhere. British English also uses different to, and American English also uses different than.

Bored and tired. Bored with and bored of (more informal) are both used. Tired of means bored with something that has gone on too long (tired of this rain); tired from means physically tired after doing something (tired from the long walk).

Some of these pairs are also in the lesson on prepositions that differ, which compares them with other languages; adjectives like bored and interested have their own lesson on -ed and -ing adjectives.

Examples

• Tom is good at geography but bad at spelling.
• Anna has been interested in photography since she was a child.
• I'm a bit worried about the weather tomorrow.
• This valley is famous for its apples.
• After the fire, the kitchen was full of smoke.
• Are you ready for the trip?
• My jacket is very similar to yours.
• Tom is very different from his brother.
• She's always very kind to animals.
• I'm tired of waiting for this bus.

Common mistakes

• ✗I'm not very good at cook.

  ✓ I'm not very good at cooking.

  After a preposition, a verb takes the -ing form. Я не дуже вмію готувати uses an infinitive, but after a preposition English uses -ing. Я не очень умею готовить uses an infinitive, but after a preposition English uses -ing. Ich bin nicht gut im Kochen uses in and a noun; English uses at and the -ing form.

• ✗This town is famous with its cheese.

  ✓ This town is famous for its cheese.

  Famous takes for before the thing that makes a place or a person famous. Місто відоме своїм сиром has no preposition at all, only a case ending, so English for is easy to forget. Город известен своим сыром has no preposition at all, only a case ending, so English for is easy to forget. Die Stadt ist für ihren Käse berühmt uses für, just like English for.

• ✗My new phone is similar with my old one.

  ✓ My new phone is similar to my old one.

  Similar takes to. Схожий на uses на, and схожий з suggests with; English uses neither: similar to. Похож на uses на, and схож с suggests with; English uses neither: similar to. Deine Tasche ist meiner ähnlich uses the dative with no preposition; English needs to.

• ✗The teachers are responsible of the children.

  ✓ The teachers are responsible for the children.

  Responsible takes for. Відповідальний за uses за, which matches English for here. Ответственный за uses за, which matches English for here. Verantwortlich für matches English responsible for.

Practice

The exercises go from easy to harder. Each answer is checked at once. If it is wrong, you get a hint and a second try.