PREPOSITIONS
Adjective and noun + preposition
Many adjectives and nouns need one fixed preposition: afraid of, good at, similar to, a reason for. Learn each pair as one chunk, because a wrong preposition sounds odd.
| Adjective + preposition | Noun + preposition | |
|---|---|---|
| + | She is afraid of spiders. | There is a problem with the bus. |
| − | She isn't afraid of spiders. | There isn't a problem with the bus. |
| ? | Is she afraid of spiders? | Is there a problem with the bus? |
- The preposition stays with its word in questions and negatives
- After the preposition use a noun or an -ing verb: afraid of flying
Colours in the rules
- subject Who or what does it: I, she, my brother.
- verb The action or state: walk, work, go.
- adjective Describes a noun: big, quiet, ready.
- other words Time words and the rest of the pattern.
B1 Worried about, afraid of, fed up with
Feeling adjectives take a fixed preposition: worried about, excited about, afraid of, proud of, fed up with. Angry with is for a person and angry about is for a thing.
subject be worried / proud about / of / with noun / -ing
Examples
- I'm worried about the exam.Why: Worried goes with about.
- She is proud of her son.Why: Proud goes with of.
Common mistake
Wrong:He is afraid from dogs.
Right:He is afraid of dogs.
B1 Good at, good for, kind to
The preposition after good changes the meaning: good at is a skill and good for is a benefit. After kind, nice and rude use to for a person.
subject be good at / for / to noun / -ing
Examples
- He is good at drawing.Why: Good at talks about a skill.
- Fruit is good for your health.Why: Good for talks about a benefit.
Common mistake
Wrong:Sleep is good to your health.
Right:Sleep is good for your health.
B1 Different from, similar to, married to
Say similar to, married to, close to and different from. After different, British speakers also say to, but from is correct everywhere.
subject be similar / married to / from noun
Examples
- My phone is similar to yours.Why: Similar always goes with to.
- Her accent is different from mine.Why: Different goes with from.
Common mistake
Wrong:She is married with a pilot.
Right:She is married to a pilot.
B1 A reason for, a problem with, an answer to
Many nouns take a fixed preposition too: a reason for, a problem with, an answer to, an example of, an invitation to. Learn the noun and the preposition together.
a / the reason / problem for / with / to / of noun / -ing
Examples
- I have a problem with my phone.Why: Problem goes with with.
- She sent an invitation to the party.Why: Invitation goes with to.
Common mistake
Wrong:Tom knows the answer of the question.
Right:Tom knows the answer to the question.
B2 An increase in, a demand for, an effect on
Reports and articles use nouns with a fixed preposition: an increase in prices, a demand for housing, an effect on health, damage to a roof.
a / an increase / effect in / for / on / to noun
Examples
- There was an increase in the price of oil.Why: Increase takes in before the thing that changes.
- Sleep has an effect on your mood.Why: Effect takes on before what is affected.
Common mistake
Wrong:The storm caused damage on the roof.
Right:The storm caused damage to the roof.
Practice all rules
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