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ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION

nice / kind / good / stupid / silly / intelligent / clever / sensible (1) / (im)polite / rude (2) / unreasonable (3) OF someone (to do something):
Thank you it was very nice / kind of you to help me. It's stupid of her to go out without a coat.

nice / kind / good / (im)polite / rude / (un)pleasant (4) / (un)friendly / cruel TO someone:
She has always been very nice / kind to me. Why are you so rude / unfriendly to Ann?

angry / furious (5) ABOUT something // WITH someone FOR something:


Why are you so angry about it? They were furious with me for not inviting them to my party.

pleased (6) / disappointed (7) / satisfied (8) WITH something:


I was pleased with the present you gave me. Were you disappointed with your examination results?

bored / fed up

(9)

WITH something:

You get bored / fed up with doing the same thing every day.

surprised (10) / shocked / amazed (11) / astonished (12) AT / BY something:


Everyone was surprised by /at the news.

exited / worried / upset something:

(13)

ABOUT

Are you exited about going on holiday next week?

afraid / scared (14) / frightened / terrified OF someone / something


Are you afraid of dogs?

proud / ashamed something:

(15)

OF someone /

I'm not ashamed of what I did.

good / bad / excellent / brilliant / hopeless (16) AT (doing) something:


I'm not very good at repairing things.

married TO someone
Linda is married to an American.

sorry ABOUT something:


I'm sorry about the noise last night.

sorry FOR doing something


I'm sorry for shouting at you yesterday.

be / feel sorry FOR someone


I feel sorry for George.

famous FOR something:


Florence is famous for its art treasures.

responsible

(17)

FOR something:

Who was responsible for this noise last night?

interested IN something:
Are you interested in art?

fond

(18)

OF something / someone:

Mary is fond of animals.

full OF something:
The letter was full of mistakes.

short OF

(19)

something:

I'm a bit short of money.

keen ON

(20)

something:

We stayed at home because Mary wasn't very keen on going out in the rain.

similar TO

(21)

something:

Your writing is similar to mine.

crowded WITH

(22)

(people,...)

The city was crowded with tourists.

Preposition with Adjective Examples use, rules & test exercise


1. List of common adjectives and the prepositions that normally follow them accustomed to afraid of answerable to attached to aware of capable of dependent on different to doubtful about enthusiastic about excited about famous for fond of guilty of interested in keen on opposed to pleased with popular with proud of related to rich in satisfied with serious about similar to suitable for suspicious of used to (= accustomed to) 2. Some adjectives can be followed by either of two or more prepositions

annoyed about something The Ministry was annoyed about criticism in the paper annoyed with someone They were. annoyed with us for charging them good/bad at something Im very bad at mathematics. good/bad for something The expected cut in interest will be good for industry. good/bad with something She should be in Marketing. Shes very good with customers. responsible to someone The Export Manager is responsible to the Sales Director. responsible for something He is responsible for preparing handouts. sorry about something I am sorry about the job. Its a shame you didnt get it. sorry for doing something He said he was sorry for keeping me waiting. (feel) sorry for someone I feel very sorry for Peter. He has been fired. 3. These combinations of adjectives with prepositions may be followed by noun or noun phrase. The students were very excited about the results of the experiment. 4. When followed by a verb, the -ing form must be used. Please let me know whether you would be interested in arranging a meeting.

1. If you are serious

-select-

going ahead with this, let's have a meeting.

2. The Mini-TV is very popular

-select-

our younger customers.

3. The new Pilot notebook is similar interesting new features.

-select-

the previous model, but it has some

4. The Finance Director said he was strongly opposed tax refund.

-select-

awarding everyone a

5. South Africa is rich

-select-

natural resources like diamonds and gold.

6. I have to travel by car or boat because I am afraid

-select-

flying.

7. He has very little experience. I don't think he would be capable

-select-

running

such a large project.

8. I would be very interested

-select-

discussing the idea of a joint venture.

9. Samsung are famous

-select-

their electronic goods.

10. I am very proud

-select-

my younger sister.

11. We are pleased

-select-

the results.

12. I'm not sure if he is aware

-select-

all the facts.

13. I am answerable

-select-

my supervisor at work.

14. There was a photograph attached

-select-

the e-mail.

15. We are enthusiastic

-select-

learning English. djective + preposition

+ OF

fond, proud, ashamed, jealous, envious suspicious, critical, tolerant afraid, frightened, terrified, scared

aware, conscious capable, incapable full, short typical tired, sick, certain, sure independent

+ OF

good, bad, brilliant, better, hopeless married, engaged similar different

+ AT

+ TO + FROM +

keen dependent crowded

ON

+ WITH

famous responsible

+ FOR

Exercise: choose the right preposition to complete the sentences below.

1. The message he sent to me was full


of The message he

mistakes. 2. We live in a little town which is not famous

anything.
for of We live in a little t Are you alw ays f

3. Are you always fond 4. He has been scared 5. The streets will be crowded

American films ? heights since his tourists

accident.
of He has been sca

during the festival.

w ith

The streets w ill b

6. We didn't go on holiday. Jane wasn't very keen

leaving her house.


on We didn't go on h

7. Give me the names of the students who were

responsible
for

all that noise.


Give me the name

8. Why don't you trust me ? Why are you suspicious

my intentions ?
of Why don't you tru

9. Ask my husband. I am not good 10. My mother would hate being dependent

repairing

things.
at Ask my husband.

anybody.
on My mother w ould

11. Don't worry. We'll look after you. There's nothing to

be scared
of

.
Don't w orry. We'l

12. I am sick of George ! He is always short 13. Look ! His handwriting is very similar 14. He is a very honest man. We don't think he is

money !
of I am sick of Georg

mine.
to Look ! His handw

capable
of

a theft.
He is a very hone

15. We weren't interested at all


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what he was

telling about his journey.


in 118516 118516 tle lucile83 0 We w eren't intere 23715 11.7

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Adjectives are used in simple sentences to describe people and objects. For example, She is an interesting speaker. More complex sentences use adjectives + prepositions to make statements about a person's attitude towards something. For example, She is excited about the concert tonight. Here is a list of the most common adjective + preposition combinations to express people's feelings. ABOUT Use the following adjectives followed by 'about'. Each group of adjectives have the same or related meanings. Use the verb 'to be' with these expressions.

angry / annoyed / furious about something Example: I'm really angry about our losses on the stock market!

excited about something Example: He's excited about his birthday party next week.

worried / upset about something Example: He's worried about his upcoming examinations.

sorry about something Example: I'm very sorry about losing your book.

AT Use the following adjectives followed by 'at'. Each group of adjectives have the same or related meanings. Use the verb 'to be' with these expressions.

good / excellent / brilliant at something OR at doing something Example: They are excellent at planning fun parties.

bad / hopeless at something OR at doing something Example: Unfortunately, I'm hopeless at being on time.

AT / BY Use the following adjectives followed by 'at' or 'by'. Each group of adjectives have the same or related meanings. Use the verb 'to be' with these expressions.

amazed / astonished / shocked / surprised at OR by something Example: I was amazed at his stamina.

FOR Use the following adjectives followed by 'for'. Each group of adjectives have the same or related meanings. Use the verb 'to be' with these expressions.

angry with someone for something Example: I'm really angry with John for his total lack of responsibility.

famous for something Example: She's famous for her watercolor paintings.

responsible for something Example: You'll have to speak to John, he's responsible for customer complaints.

sorry for doing something

Example: He says he's sorry for shouting at you.

(to feel or be) sorry for someone Example: I really feel sorry for Pam.

FROM Use the following adjectives followed by 'from'.

different from someone / something Example: His photographs are very different from his paintings.

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