Micro-listening
Prepositions after Adjectives: Choose the Right Pair
Which preposition follows common adjectives in English?
Common adjectives take particular prepositions, such as 'good at', 'worried about', 'proud of', 'responsible for', 'familiar with' and 'polite to'. Learn each adjective and preposition as a pair. For example: 'Amira is proud of her team.' After a preposition, use a noun, pronoun or verb ending in -ing.
Key points
- Learn an adjective together with its usual preposition.
- Use 'at' for ability or skill in an activity.
- Use 'about' to introduce a concern or topic.
- Put a noun, pronoun or -ing form after a preposition.
This lesson has 5 stages. You can stop at any time and continue later.
At a glance
| Form | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| good at | Describes skill or ability in an activity. | Leo is good at fixing bikes. |
| worried about | Introduces the issue causing concern. | Maya is worried about the interview. |
| responsible for | Names a duty or assigned task. | He is responsible for checking the stock. |
| familiar with | Shows knowledge or experience of something. | I'm familiar with this booking system. |
| polite to | Shows courteous behaviour towards a person. | The driver was polite to the passengers. |
| proud of | Connects pride with a person or achievement. | We are proud of our progress. |
Stage 1 of 5
Understand
What it means, when to use it, and mistakes to avoid.
The full explanation
An adjective describes a person, quality, or state, while the preposition connects that description to an object, task, or cause. In the sentence 'Elena is nervous about the presentation', 'nervous' describes her feeling and 'about' connects that feeling directly to the presentation.
Marcus is good at organizing team schedules.
Why it works: Good at introduces a skill or talent, followed by an -ing form.
2 more examples
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Our manager is pleased with our recent progress.
Pleased with links satisfaction to a result or development.
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We are responsible for updating client records.
Responsible for identifies an assigned duty or role.
Read the full guide
Store the adjective and preposition as one unit
When you record new vocabulary, never write an adjective alone if it relies on a specific link. Writing proud without of or good without at leads to hesitation when speaking. Memorizing the pair as a unified block helps you produce natural sentences immediately during real conversations.
-
Daniel is interested in graphic design.
Why it works: Interested pairs with in to connect curiosity to a subject.
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We were ready for our afternoon flight.
Why it works: Ready pairs with for to link preparation to an upcoming event.
Your turn
Why is it helpful to memorize 'keen on' as one phrase rather than only 'keen'?
Answer: It prevents choosing the wrong preposition when speaking.
Show the answer
Answer: It prevents choosing the wrong preposition when speaking.
Learning the adjective with its fixed preposition prevents translation errors during spontaneous speech.
Link feelings and awareness using of
Several common adjectives express emotional states, personal reactions, or mental awareness by taking the preposition of. You use this pattern to identify what produces a feeling or what fact someone notices. Common examples include proud of, afraid of, aware of, and tired of.
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The director is proud of her dedicated staff.
Why it works: Proud of links the feeling of pride to the staff members.
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He was unaware of the schedule change.
Why it works: Unaware of connects lack of knowledge to a specific event.
You can practise this again in English prepositions: choose the right word and Prepositions of Movement: Choose the Route.
Your turn
Which preposition correctly completes: 'She is tired ___ working late every night'?
Answer: of
Show the answer
Answer: of
Tired of is the standard combination when expressing boredom or dissatisfaction with a repeated event.
Describe skills and performance using at
When you evaluate how well someone executes an activity, use the preposition at after adjectives of ability. Words like good, bad, brilliant, terrible, and quick naturally connect to abilities through at. Avoid using in when describing how someone performs a particular practical task or sport.
-
Sam is brilliant at solving software bugs.
Why it works: Brilliant at highlights high ability in a technical task.
-
I am terrible at remembering birthdays.
Why it works: Terrible at describes weak performance regarding recall.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly describes someone's professional strength?
Answer: Nina is good at managing office supplies.
Show the answer
Answer: Nina is good at managing office supplies.
Good at is the proper pattern when describing ability or skill in an activity.
Discuss concerns and subjects using about
The preposition about indicates the topic, subject matter, or source of worry behind an emotional reaction. When people share feelings regarding upcoming events, news, or decisions, they use adjectives such as worried, excited, nervous, or serious paired with about. This pattern directs the feeling toward a specific subject.
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The interns are excited about starting their project.
Why it works: Excited about introduces the upcoming activity causing enthusiasm.
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Leo is nervous about his medical results.
Why it works: Nervous about connects apprehension to a specific topic.
Your turn
Which option expresses worry regarding a delayed delivery?
Answer: The client is worried about the delayed shipment.
Show the answer
Answer: The client is worried about the delayed shipment.
Worried about directly introduces the issue or problem causing anxiety.
Assign duties and purposes using for
When an adjective describes an obligation, suitability, or reason for an action, for is frequently the required preposition. Combinations like responsible for, famous for, and ready for show purpose or identify the task assigned to an individual. You also use for when indicating who benefits from a service or tool.
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Claire is responsible for training new employees.
Why it works: Responsible for specifies the work duty assigned to Claire.
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This software is suitable for remote collaboration.
Why it works: Suitable for shows the intended purpose or audience.
Your turn
Which phrase completes: 'Who is responsible ___ locking the laboratory doors'?
Answer: for
Show the answer
Answer: for
Responsible for is the established pattern when naming a specific task or duty.
Describe familiarity and satisfaction using with
Use the preposition with after adjectives that indicate your relationship, comfort level, or satisfaction with things or people. Familiar with shows personal knowledge gained through experience, while pleased with or happy with expresses approval of a result. Crowded with describes an environment filled with people or objects.
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Are you familiar with our safety procedures?
Why it works: Familiar with asks about knowledge acquired from past experience.
-
The architect is pleased with the building design.
Why it works: Pleased with describes positive evaluation of a finished item.
Your turn
Which sentence correctly indicates personal knowledge of a tool?
Answer: I am familiar with this video editor.
Show the answer
Answer: I am familiar with this video editor.
Familiar with connects personal knowledge or experience to a system or item.
Direct social behavior toward others using to
When you describe how someone treats another person, the preposition to directs the behavior toward that individual. Common adjectives in this group include polite, kind, rude, generous, and cruel. Notice that the preposition changes if you describe the quality of the action itself, as in 'That was kind of you.'
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The receptionist was polite to every visitor.
Why it works: Polite to identifies the recipient of courteous conduct.
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Our supervisor is always kind to junior team members.
Why it works: Kind to shows considerate behavior toward specific people.
Your turn
Which preposition describes courtesy shown toward a customer?
Answer: The clerk was courteous to the shopper.
Show the answer
Answer: The clerk was courteous to the shopper.
Courteous to directs considerate social behavior toward the receiving person.
Choose a noun or ing-form after the preposition
Prepositions cannot take a base verb or an infinitive directly after them. Whenever an action follows an adjective and preposition pattern, you must format the verb with an -ing suffix. If an action is not involved, place a noun or pronoun directly after the preposition instead.
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She is capable of handling difficult accounts.
Why it works: Handling uses -ing because it follows the preposition of.
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We were grateful for your quick response.
Why it works: Your quick response is a noun phrase following for.
Your turn
Which ending correctly completes: 'He is keen on ___ his own bakery'?
Answer: opening
Show the answer
Answer: opening
Prepositions require a gerund (-ing form) rather than an infinitive or base verb.
Common mistakes
What learners often say, what to say instead, and why.
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Not this:
Ravi is good in repairing computers.Say: Ravi is good at repairing computers.
'Good at' describes ability in an activity.
-
Not this:
They are worried of the delay.Say: They are worried about the delay.
'Worried about' introduces the issue causing concern.
-
Not this:
She is responsible to booking the room.Say: She is responsible for booking the room.
'Responsible for' names a duty; the following verb takes -ing.
-
Not this:
I'm keen on to join the club.Say: I'm keen on joining the club.
After a preposition, use a noun or an -ing form, not an infinitive.
Questions about "Prepositions after Adjectives: Choose the Right Pair"
Can I say 'good in' instead of 'good at' when describing a skill?
In standard English, use 'good at' when you describe an activity, sport, or practical ability. You only use 'in' when referring to a broader academic subject or physical environment, such as 'She does well in biology', but 'good at biology' is still far more common for personal capability.
David is remarkably good at cooking Italian meals.
Maria was always good at mathematics in high school.
Why do we say 'interested in learning' rather than 'interested in to learn'?
Prepositions cannot connect directly to base verbs or full infinitives. In English grammar, any verb placed immediately after a preposition must take the gerund form ending in -ing, which functions like a noun.
She is keen on studying environmental law.
We are tired of waiting for the delayed train.
Is it ever correct to say 'proud for someone'?
The established pattern is 'proud of'. When someone achieves something admirable, you say 'I am proud of you.' While some speakers informally say 'proud for you' to mean happy on your behalf, 'proud of' is the universally accepted standard pattern in both casual and professional contexts.
Her parents were proud of her graduation honors.
Our team was proud of winning the regional award.
Which preposition belongs with 'different': from, than, or to?
In American English, 'different from' is the preferred standard form in formal and professional writing. 'Different than' is widely accepted in casual American speech, especially before a full clause, while 'different to' is common in British English. For clear international communication, 'different from' remains the safest choice.
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Before you go
Remember this
Connect adjectives directly to their habitual prepositions: good at skills, worried about issues, proud of achievements, responsible for duties, polite to colleagues, and familiar with systems. Always follow the preposition with a noun, pronoun, or verb ending in -ing.
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Use: prepositions after Adjectives: Choose the Right Pair
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Example
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Goes with
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