Adjective + Preposition: Interested IN, Good AT, Afraid OF
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Certain adjectives always pair with specific prepositions, and you must memorize these combinations as single units to sound natural.
- Use 'Interested in' for hobbies or topics: I am interested in photography.
- Use 'Good at' for skills or abilities: She is good at playing chess.
- Use 'Afraid of' for fears or phobias: They are afraid of spiders.
Many adjectives are fixed with a specific preposition. These collocations must be memorised — the preposition is not interchangeable.
at
good at, bad at, skilled at
surprised at, amazed at
of
afraid of, scared of
proud of, ashamed of
tired of, full of, aware of
in
interested in, involved in
experienced in, disappointed in
with
happy with, satisfied with
bored with, familiar with
angry with (person)
about
worried about, excited about
curious about, serious about
angry about (situation)
for
responsible for, famous for
ready for, grateful for
sorry for (action)
After Adjective + Preposition: Use Noun or Gerund
She is good at swimming.
He is afraid of flying.
They are interested in learning new skills.
Basic Adjective + Preposition Structure
| Subject | Verb (to be) | Adjective | Preposition | Object |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
I
|
am
|
good
|
at
|
tennis
|
|
You
|
are
|
interested
|
in
|
reading
|
|
He
|
is
|
afraid
|
of
|
spiders
|
|
She
|
is
|
proud
|
of
|
her work
|
|
We
|
are
|
tired
|
of
|
waiting
|
|
They
|
are
|
happy
|
with
|
the news
|
Common Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction |
|---|---|
|
I am
|
I'm
|
|
You are
|
You're
|
|
He is
|
He's
|
|
She is
|
She's
|
|
It is
|
It's
|
|
We are
|
We're
|
|
They are
|
They're
|
Meanings
These are fixed expressions where an adjective is followed by a specific preposition to connect to a noun or verb phrase.
Skill/Ability
Expressing competence in an activity.
“I am good at math.”
“He is bad at singing.”
Emotional State
Expressing feelings toward a subject.
“She is interested in history.”
“We are bored of this movie.”
Social Connection
Expressing relationships or attitudes toward others.
“He is kind to his neighbors.”
“She is angry with her brother.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
S + be + Adj + Prep + Obj
|
I am interested in art.
|
|
Negative
|
S + be + not + Adj + Prep + Obj
|
I am not interested in art.
|
|
Question
|
Be + S + Adj + Prep + Obj?
|
Are you interested in art?
|
|
Short Answer (Yes)
|
Yes, S + be.
|
Yes, I am.
|
|
Short Answer (No)
|
No, S + be + not.
|
No, I'm not.
|
|
Gerund Usage
|
S + be + Adj + Prep + -ing
|
I am good at swimming.
|
|
Noun Usage
|
S + be + Adj + Prep + Noun
|
I am good at sports.
|
Formality Spectrum
The candidate is proficient in data analysis. (Job interview vs. casual chat)
The candidate is good at data analysis. (Job interview vs. casual chat)
She's great at crunching numbers. (Job interview vs. casual chat)
She's a beast at data. (Job interview vs. casual chat)
Adjective-Preposition Connections
Preposition 'AT'
- Good Bueno
- Bad Malo
Preposition 'IN'
- Interested Interesado
- Experienced Experimentado
Preposition 'OF'
- Afraid Con miedo
- Proud Orgulloso
Examples by Level
I am good at soccer.
She is afraid of cats.
He is interested in music.
They are happy with the result.
Are you good at cooking?
I am not interested in that movie.
We are proud of our progress.
She is tired of waiting.
He is very keen on learning new languages.
I am disappointed with the service.
They are responsible for the project.
She is famous for her singing voice.
The team is capable of winning the championship.
I am indifferent to his opinion.
He is anxious about the upcoming exam.
She is accustomed to the cold weather.
He is deeply engrossed in his research.
They are averse to taking unnecessary risks.
I am somewhat skeptical of his claims.
She is prone to making mistakes under pressure.
The policy is detrimental to the environment.
He is oblivious to the social cues.
The findings are consistent with previous studies.
She is inextricably linked to the organization.
Easily Confused
Both use prepositions, but they have different structures.
Learners mix up the adjective forms.
Learners confuse skill (at) with benefit (for).
Common Mistakes
I am good in math.
I am good at math.
She is afraid for spiders.
She is afraid of spiders.
I am interest in art.
I am interested in art.
He is proud for his son.
He is proud of his son.
I am good at play tennis.
I am good at playing tennis.
Are you interested to go?
Are you interested in going?
She is tired to wait.
She is tired of waiting.
I am keen to sports.
I am keen on sports.
He is responsible to clean.
He is responsible for cleaning.
They are satisfied of the result.
They are satisfied with the result.
He is averse to take risks.
He is averse to taking risks.
The result is consistent to the theory.
The result is consistent with the theory.
She is oblivious of the danger.
She is oblivious to the danger.
Sentence Patterns
I am good at ___.
She is interested in ___.
They are tired of ___.
He is proud of ___.
Real World Usage
I am experienced in managing teams.
I am obsessed with this new song!
Are you interested in going out?
The results are consistent with the hypothesis.
I am interested in booking a tour.
I am satisfied with my order.
Don't translate
Watch the -ing
Learn in chunks
Listen to natives
Smart Tips
Always use 'good at'.
Always use 'interested in'.
Always use 'afraid of'.
Add -ing to the verb.
Pronunciation
Linking
The preposition often links to the next word, especially if it starts with a vowel.
Statement
I am GOOD at ↘ tennis.
Neutral information.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of the preposition as a 'glue' that sticks the adjective to the rest of the sentence.
Visual Association
Imagine a giant magnet (the adjective) that only attracts a specific metal piece (the preposition). If you try to use the wrong piece, it just falls off.
Rhyme
When you're good at a skill, or interested in a thrill, the preposition is the pill that helps you speak with skill.
Story
Sarah was good at painting. She was interested in art history. She was proud of her work, but she was afraid of showing it to the public.
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences about yourself using 5 different adjective-preposition pairs in the next 5 minutes.
Cultural Notes
British speakers often use 'keen on' where Americans might say 'interested in'.
Americans frequently use 'obsessed with' in casual conversation.
In international business, 'responsible for' is the standard term.
These collocations evolved from Old English where prepositions were used to denote the relationship between adjectives and their objects.
Conversation Starters
What are you good at?
What are you interested in these days?
Are you afraid of anything?
What are you proud of achieving this year?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
I am interested ___ photography.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
He is afraid for spiders.
proud / of / I / am / work / my
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
I am good at singing.
She is ___ with the service.
He is capable ___ winning.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesI am interested ___ photography.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
He is afraid for spiders.
proud / of / I / am / work / my
Good / Interested / Afraid / Tired
I am good at singing.
She is ___ with the service.
He is capable ___ winning.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
English prepositions are specific to the adjective. Using 'to' will sound unnatural.
There are hundreds, but focus on the top 50 first.
No, the preposition is tied to the adjective, not the object.
No, you must use the -ing form (gerund).
Mostly the same, but there are minor differences like 'keen on' vs 'interested in'.
You have to memorize them as chunks.
People will understand you, but you won't sound fluent.
Sometimes, but it's safer to treat them as unique pairs.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Bueno en / Interesado en
Spanish doesn't distinguish between 'at' and 'in' as strictly as English.
Bon à / Intéressé par
French uses 'par' for interest, while English uses 'in'.
Gut in / Interessiert an
German prepositions are often tied to grammatical cases.
Particle usage (ga/ni)
English uses separate words (prepositions) while Japanese uses suffixes.
Prepositional prefixes
Arabic prepositions are often fused to the following word.
Verb-based structures
Chinese does not have a direct equivalent to the English prepositional system.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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