Overview
Many adjectives are followed by a fixed preposition: interested in, good at, afraid of, proud of, responsible for, aware of, similar to. These collocations must be learned as fixed phrases because the choice of preposition cannot always be predicted by logic.
Key Adj + Prep Collocations
- ofafraid of, aware of, capable of, fond of, proud of, tired of
- ininterested in, involved in, experienced in, qualified in
- atgood at, bad at, skilled at, surprised at, shocked at
- forresponsible for, famous for, ready for, grateful for
More Patterns
- withfamiliar with, satisfied with, bored with, pleased with
- aboutworried about, excited about, serious about, concerned about
- tosimilar to, opposed to, related to, open to, committed to
- fromdifferent from, free from, absent from, exempt from
Common Mistakes
- ❌ different than → ✅ different from (standard formal BrE)
- ❌ interested on → ✅ interested in
- ❌ good in maths → ✅ good at maths
When to use
Descriptions
She is skilled at negotiation and experienced in project management.
Academic writing
The authors are aware of the limitations of this approach.
Job applications
I am passionate about sustainability and committed to excellence.
Formal emails
We are grateful for your prompt response.