Adjectives & Prepositions
Some adjectives go with certain prepositions. There is no real pattern – you need to learn them as you meet them. Here are some examples but remember that there are many other adjective + preposition combinations that are not covered here.With ‘at’
I’m quite good at English but I’m bad at maths and I’m terrible at physics.
With ‘for’
Jogging is good for your health but smoking is bad for you. The town is famous for its cheese.As well as ‘good for’, ‘bad for’ and ‘famous for’ we also say ‘qualified for’ ‘ready for’, ‘responsible for’, ‘suitable for’ and several others.
With ‘of’
I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself, thank you. I’m very fond of this old sweatshirt.As well as ‘capable of’ and ‘fond of’ we also say ‘aware of’, ‘full of’, ‘tired of’ and several others.
With ‘with’
We’re very pleased with your progress. You’re not still angry with me are you?As well as ‘pleased with’ and ‘angry with’ we also say ‘bored with’, ‘delighted with’, ‘satisfied with’ and several others.
With ‘to’
She’s the one who’s married to a doctor, isn’t she? You’ll be responsible to the head of the Finance department.Notice that you can be responsible for something but responsible to someone. Other common adjective + preposition combinations include ‘interested in’ and ‘keen on’. It’s a good idea to make a note of new combinations in your vocabulary notebook as you meet them. Remember too that a preposition is followed by a noun or a gerund (‘ing’ form).
Adjectives ending in -ed and –ing
-ed and –ing adjectives
Adjectives that end ‘-ed’ (e.g. ‘bored’, ‘interested’) and adjectives that end ‘-ing’ (e.g. ‘boring’, ‘interesting’) are often confused. -ed adjectives Adjectives that end ‘-ed’ describe emotions – they tell us how people feel about something.- I was very bored in the maths lesson. I almost fell asleep.
- He was surprised to see Helen. She’d told him she was going to Australia.
- Feeling tired and depressed, he went to bed.
- Have you seen that film? It’s absolutely terrifying.
- I could listen to him for hours. He’s one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met.
- I can’t eat this! It’s disgusting! What is it?
- He talks about the weather for hours. He’s so boring.
- NOT
I was very boring at the party so I went home.
- amused
- amusing
- annoyed
- annoying
- confused
- confusing
- disappointed
- disappointing
- excited
- exciting
- exhausted
- exhausting
- frightened
- frightening
- satisfied
- satisfying
- shocked
- shocking
Verbs followed by ‘ing’ or by ‘to + infinitive’ 1
When one verb is followed by another, the second verb can either be an infinitive or an –ing form. Some verbs can be followed by only an infinitive , others by only an –ing form and some by both but with a change in meaning. To know which structure to use, you can consult a good dictionary but here are some common examples. Verb + infinitive- I want to speak to the manager.
- She’s learning to ride a horse.
- He offered to help us wash up.
- I enjoy travelling.
- He admitted stealing the necklace.
- I don’t mind waiting if you’re busy.
- I started to work here in 1994.
- I started working here in 1994.
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