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.
Overview
- good at, bad at, brilliant at, skilled at, terrible at
- amazed at, surprised at, shocked at
- afraid of, scared of, frightened of
- proud of, ashamed of
- tired of, sick of
- aware of, capable of, fond of
- full of, short of
- interested in, involved in
- experienced in, qualified in
- disappointed in (a person)
- happy with, satisfied with, pleased with
- bored with, frustrated with
- familiar with, obsessed with
- angry with (a person)
- worried about, anxious about, nervous about
- excited about, enthusiastic about
- curious about, serious about
- angry about (a situation)
- responsible for, famous for, known for
- ready for, prepared for
- grateful for, thankful for
- sorry for (an action you did)
- 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.
|
正式程度
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
按水平分级的例句
I am good at soccer.
Soy bueno en el fútbol.
She is afraid of cats.
Ella tiene miedo de los gatos.
He is interested in music.
Él está interesado en la música.
They are happy with the result.
Ellos están felices con el resultado.
Are you good at cooking?
¿Eres bueno cocinando?
I am not interested in that movie.
No estoy interesado en esa película.
We are proud of our progress.
Estamos orgullosos de nuestro progreso.
She is tired of waiting.
Ella está cansada de esperar.
He is very keen on learning new languages.
Él tiene mucho interés en aprender nuevos idiomas.
I am disappointed with the service.
Estoy decepcionado con el servicio.
They are responsible for the project.
Ellos son responsables del proyecto.
She is famous for her singing voice.
Ella es famosa por su voz al cantar.
The team is capable of winning the championship.
El equipo es capaz de ganar el campeonato.
I am indifferent to his opinion.
Soy indiferente a su opinión.
He is anxious about the upcoming exam.
Él está ansioso por el próximo examen.
She is accustomed to the cold weather.
Ella está acostumbrada al clima frío.
He is deeply engrossed in his research.
Él está profundamente absorto en su investigación.
They are averse to taking unnecessary risks.
Ellos son reacios a tomar riesgos innecesarios.
I am somewhat skeptical of his claims.
Soy algo escéptico sobre sus afirmaciones.
She is prone to making mistakes under pressure.
Ella es propensa a cometer errores bajo presión.
The policy is detrimental to the environment.
La política es perjudicial para el medio ambiente.
He is oblivious to the social cues.
Él es ajeno a las señales sociales.
The findings are consistent with previous studies.
Los hallazgos son consistentes con estudios previos.
She is inextricably linked to the organization.
Ella está inextricablemente vinculada a la organización.
容易混淆
Both use prepositions, but they have different structures.
Learners mix up the adjective forms.
Learners confuse skill (at) with benefit (for).
常见错误
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.
句型
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.
发音
Linking
The preposition often links to the next word, especially if it starts with a vowel.
Statement
I am GOOD at ↘ tennis.
Neutral information.
记住它
记忆技巧
Think of the preposition as a 'glue' that sticks the adjective to the rest of the sentence.
视觉联想
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
挑战
Write 5 sentences about yourself using 5 different adjective-preposition pairs in the next 5 minutes.
文化笔记
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.
对话开场白
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?
日记主题
常见错误
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
练习题
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
常见问题 (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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