Adjective and Preposition Combinations

In English, some adjectives naturally go with specific prepositions. For example, we say “interested in”, not “interested on.” These word pairs are called adjective + preposition combinations, and they’re very common in everyday English. Learning them helps you sound more natural and fluent when speaking or writing.

What Are Adjective + Preposition Combinations?

An adjective + preposition combination connects a feeling, opinion, or description (the adjective) with the object of that feeling or opinion (introduced by a preposition).

Structure:
👉 Adjective + Preposition + Object

Examples:

• She is good at dancing.
• They are afraid of spiders.
• He’s interested in science.

Each adjective usually pairs with a specific preposition. Using the wrong one can make your English sound unnatural or even change the meaning.

Common Adjective and Preposition Combinations

Adjectives + OF

• Accused of
• Ashamed of
• Aware of
• Afraid of
• Capable of
• Careful of
• Envious of
• Fond of
• Full of
• Guilty of
• Hopeful of
• Innocent of
• Incapable of
• Jealous of
• Nervous of
• Proud of
• Scared of
• Sick of
• Silly of
• Sure of
• Suspicious of
• Terrified of
• Typical of
• Unaware of

Adjectives + AT

• Annoyed at
• Amazed at
• Angry at
• Astonished at
• Awful at
• Bad at
• Brilliant at
• Clever at
• Delighted at
• Disappointed at
• Excellent at
• Excited at
• Good at
• Hopeless at
• Lucky at
• Skillful at
• Slow at
• Surprised at
• Terrible at

Adjectives + FROM

• Absent from
• Derived from
• Different from
• Free from
• Made from
• Safe from

Adjectives + BY

• Amazed by
• Astonished by
• Delighted by
• Disturbed by
• Excited by
• Fascinated by
• Impressed by
• Inspired by
• Puzzled by
• Shocked by
• Surprised by

Adjectives + IN

• Comfortable in
• Connected in
• Disappointed in
• Excellent in
• Experienced in
• Interested in
• Impolite in
• Polite in
• Present in
• Skilled in
• Slow in
• Successful in
• Talented in

Tips for ESL Learners

Memorize them as chunks
Don’t study the adjective and preposition separately. Learn them together, such as interested in, afraid of, and good at.

Notice patterns while reading and listening
Pay attention to how native speakers use these combinations in books, movies, podcasts, and everyday conversations.

Create your own examples
Write sentences about your own life, for example:

I’m excited about my birthday.

He’s worried about his exams.

Practice regularly
Complete fill-in-the-blank exercises, matching activities, or short quizzes to reinforce the correct adjective-preposition combinations.