Adjective + Preposition Combinations: Surprised At, Angry At, Good At, Terrible at

ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION COMBINATIONS
There are many cases in which adjectives are combined with

prepositions – but there is no rule stating when to use
which combination. As you read and listen to more English, you will
become more and more familiar with how these adjective-prepositions
combinations are used.
Here are a few of the most common combinations of adjectives and

prepositions in English:
AT – SURPRISED AT, ANGRY AT, GOOD AT,

TERRIBLE AT
 I’m surprised at how fast my students are learning.
 My mother is angry at me because I forgot her birthday.
 Jamila is good at songwriting and painting.
 He’s terrible at math – he failed the class twice!
OF – PROUD OF, AFRAID OF, FOND OF, FULL
OF
 You practiced a lot and gave a great performance – I’m proud of you!
 Jewell is afraid of swimming in the ocean.
 The kids are very fond of the puppy.
 The mall is always full of teenagers on the weekend.
WITH – SATISFIED WITH, BUSY WITH, FED
UP WITH, ASSOCIATED WITH
 I wasn’t satisfied with the customer service at the bank.
 We’ve been working overtime lately because we’ve been busy with a
new project.
 I was fed up with my boyfriend’s lies, so I ended the relationship.
 There are many health risks associated with smoking.
IN – DISAPPOINTED IN, SKILLED IN,
INTERESTED IN, INVOLVED IN
 The teacher was disappointed in the behavior of the class.
 She was highly skilled in physics and chemistry.
 Giovanni is interested in classic English literature.
 Marlene is very involved in volunteer work.
*Notice that in can have a similar function to at. Ex) She’s skilled at soccer. She’s skilled in
playing soccer.
FOR – KNOWN FOR, GOOD FOR, TERRIBLE FOR,
EXCELLENT FOR
 Brazil is known for its wonderful music and friendly people.
 Chocolate and red wine are actually good for your heart!
 Looking at screens all day is bad for your eyesight.
 Playing memory games is excellent for improving your brain function.
TO – MARRIED TO, FRIENDLY TO, SIMILAR TO,
RUDE TO
 He’s married to an Australian woman.
 Everyone I met on the trip was friendly to me.
 The movie is very similar to the book.
 The little boy was punished after being rude to his grandfather.
Adjectives + Prepositions: OF
 Afraid of
 Ashamed of
 Aware of
 Capable of
 Certain of
 Conscious of
 Envious of
 Independent of
 Jealous of
 Proud of
 Silly of
 Typical of
Adjectives and Prepositions: FOR

 Eager for
 Eligible for
 Famous for
 Grateful for
 Notorious for
 Prepared for
 Ready for
 Renowned for
 Responsible for
 Respected for
 Suitable for
 Thankful for
Adjectives + Prepositions: WITH

 Associated with
 Bored with
 Blessed with
 Confronted with
 Crowded with
 Delighted with
 Disappointed with
 Fed up with
 Familiar with
 Pleased with
 Popular with
 Satisfied with
Adjectives and Prepositions: TO

 Attracted to
 Accustomed to
 Addicted to
 Allergic to
 Indifferent to
 Kind to
 Married to
 Receptive to
 Related to
 Similar to
 Superior to
 Unfriendly to
Adjectives + Prepositions: ABOUT

 Angry about
 Anxious about
 Enthusiastic about
 Excited about
 Furious about
 Happy about
 Nervous about
 Pessimistic about
 Sad about
 Serious about
 Upset about
 Worried about
Adjectives and Prepositions: IN
 Comfortable in
 Connected in
 Disappointed in
 Experienced in
 Interested in
 Polite/impolite in
 Present in
 Skilled in
 Slow in
 Successful in
 Talented in
Adjectives + Prepositions: BY
 Amazed by
 Delighted by
 Disturbed by
 Excited by
 Fascinated by
 Impressed by
 Inspired by
 Astonished by
 Shocked by
 Surprised by
Adjective Preposition Combinations: AT

 Amazed at
 Angry at
 Annoyed at
 Awful at
 Bad at
 Brilliant at
 Clever at
 Delighted at
 Disappointed at
 Excellent at
 Excited at
 Good at
 Hopeless at
 Mad at
 Present at
 Skilled at
 Successful at
 Surprised at
 Terrible at
 Slow at
 Lucky at
Adjectives and Prepositions: FROM

 Made from
 Different from
 Safe from
 Absent from
 Free from
Adjectives + Prepositions: ON
 Keen on
 Based on
 He’s brilliant at football.
 She is good at solving problems.
 Most fathers wish to be present at the birth of their child.
 Dustin is terrible at texting.
 The drought has made farmers anxious about the harvest.
 I’m not crazy about Chinese food.
 You don’t sound very enthusiastic about the idea.
 If there’s anything you’re not happy about, come and ask.
 Consumers are very nervous about the future.
 He’s very sensitive about his weight.
 Are you sure about that?
 He’s not worried about his upcoming examinations.
 What makes you think that you are qualified for this job?
 Charlie has a clever idea/plan for getting us out of our present difficulties.
 If Sarah is free for lunch I’ll take her out.
 She is so grateful for your help.
 The army are said to be ready for action.
 She’s famous for her watercolor paintings.
 The smell is very familiar to everyone who lives near a bakery
 You are free to come and go as you please.
 She had grown accustomed to his long absences.
 She remained bitterly apposed to the idea of moving abroad.
 He was disappointed to see she wasn’t at the party.
 I am extremely grateful to all the teachers for their help.

 Places on the bus are limited to 50 – so book early!
 I was sad to hear that they’d split up.
 It would be unreasonable to expect somebody to come at such short notice.
 He was quite certain of his attacker’s identity.
 What are you frightened of?
 You are in danger of being robbed.
 The house was made of wood with an iron roof.
 It’s very selfish of him to just expect that Polly will do all the childcare.
 It’s stupid of her to go out without a coat.
 How clever of you to buy chocolate chip cookies – they’re my favorites.
 The kids are busy with their homework.
 The fall in retail sales is directly connected with the decline in employment.
 He’s fed up with his job. He wants to quit.
 You should be generous with your time.
 Be careful with the glasses.
 There’s something wrong with the printer.
 The book was inspired by a real person.
 The teacher was surprised by the student’s question.
 Many people were shocked by the sex scenes in the film.
 There was a large crowd present in the auditorium.
 They were successful in winning the contract.
 He was connected in some way with that fraud scandal a couple of years back.

Adjective + Preposition Combinations: Surprised At, Angry At, Good At, Terrible at

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ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION COMBINATIONS

There are many cases in which adjectives are combined with

Here are a few of the most common combinations of adjectives and

AT – SURPRISED AT, ANGRY AT, GOOD AT,

Adjectives and Prepositions: FOR

Adjectives + Prepositions: WITH

Adjectives and Prepositions: TO

Adjectives + Prepositions: ABOUT

Adjectives and Prepositions: IN

Adjective Preposition Combinations: AT

Adjectives and Prepositions: FROM

 She is good at solving problems.

 Most fathers wish to be present at the birth of their child.

 Dustin is terrible at texting.

 The drought has made farmers anxious about the harvest.

 I’m not crazy about Chinese food.

 You don’t sound very enthusiastic about the idea.

 If there’s anything you’re not happy about, come and ask.

 Consumers are very nervous about the future.

 He’s very sensitive about his weight.

 Are you sure about that?

 He’s not worried about his upcoming examinations.

 If Sarah is free for lunch I’ll take her out.

 She is so grateful for your help.

 The army are said to be ready for action.

 She’s famous for her watercolor paintings.

 The smell is very familiar to everyone who lives near a bakery

 You are free to come and go as you please.

 She had grown accustomed to his long absences.

 She remained bitterly apposed to the idea of moving abroad.

 He was disappointed to see she wasn’t at the party.

 I am extremely grateful to all the teachers for their help.

 I was sad to hear that they’d split up.

 It would be unreasonable to expect somebody to come at such short notice.

 He was quite certain of his attacker’s identity.

 What are you frightened of?

 You are in danger of being robbed.

 The house was made of wood with an iron roof.

 It’s stupid of her to go out without a coat.

 How clever of you to buy chocolate chip cookies – they’re my favorites.

 The kids are busy with their homework.

 He’s fed up with his job. He wants to quit.

 You should be generous with your time.

 Be careful with the glasses.

 There’s something wrong with the printer.

 The book was inspired by a real person.

 The teacher was surprised by the student’s question.

 Many people were shocked by the sex scenes in the film.

 There was a large crowd present in the auditorium.

 They were successful in winning the contract.

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