Prepositions after an Adjective in English - TOEIC® Preparation
In English, some adjectives are followed by specific prepositions to express a particular relationship or connection between the adjective and the rest of the sentence.
The most common prepositions used after adjectives are "of," "for," "with," "to," "about," "in," and "at." To know which preposition to use, one of the most effective methods is to memorize the following lists.
Knowing these lists is extremely important for the TOEIC®, as you will find many questions on this topic (especially in the reading section).
1. Form
There are 2 ways to use a preposition after an adjective:
- CASE 1 - Adjective and preposition followed by a noun (or a noun phrase)
- « She is anxious about her exam. »
- CASE 2 - Adjective and preposition followed by a verb: this verb is in the gerund form (ending in -ing)
- « He is interested in learning new languages. »
2. List of adjectives followed by a preposition (to memorize)
| Adjective + Preposition |
|---|
| accustomed to |
| amazed at/by |
| anxious about |
| ashamed of |
| astonished at/by |
| bored with |
| concerned about/for |
| delighted with |
| disappointed with/in |
| familiar with |
| fed up with |
| grateful for |
| jealous of |
| keen on |
| late for |
| nervous about |
| patient with |
| prepared for |
| puzzled by |
| related to |
| relevant to |
| satisfied with |
| sick of |
| similar to |
| surprised at/by |
| typical of |
| unhappy with |
| upset about/by |
| worried about |
3. Multiple prepositions following the same adjective
Some adjectives can be followed by multiple prepositions. The choice of preposition depends on the context of the sentence and the meaning you want to convey.
Here is a list of adjectives followed by multiple prepositions:
3.1. Annoyed about / with
| Adjective + Preposition | Exemple |
|---|---|
| annoyed about (something) | I'm annoyed about the noise |
| annoyed with (someone) | I'm annoyed with my colleague for not meeting the deadline. |
3.2. Responsible for / to
| Adjective + Preposition | Exemple |
|---|---|
| responsible for (something) | I'm responsible for the noise |
| responsible to (someone) | He is responsible to the manager for completing the project on time. |
3.3. Sorry for / about
| Adjective + Preposition | Exemple |
|---|---|
| sorry for (-ing something) | I'm sorry for being late to the meeting. |
| sorry about (something) | I'm sorry about the misunderstanding earlier. |
3.4. Thankful for / to
| Adjective + Preposition | Exemple |
|---|---|
| thankful for (something) | I'm thankful for your help. |
| thankful to (someone) | I'm thankful to the manager for completing the project on time. |
3.5. Good/bad for / at/ with
| Adjective + Preposition | Exemple |
|---|---|
| good/bad for (something) | I'm good for the job. |
| good/bad at (something) | I'm good at playing the guitar. |
| good/bad with (someone) | I'm good with the team. |
Conclusion
These lists are very useful for the TOEIC®, so even if it seems complicated to memorize them, it is worth it because you can easily gain TOEIC® points by knowing them.
We know it can be hard to memorize all this, which is why we are working on games to help you memorize these lists. If you want to try these games, click the button to join the platform below!
In the meantime, if you are looking for other lists like this, feel free to check out these other articles:
- How to choose between the gerund (verb ending in -ing) and the infinitive (list to memorize) - TOEIC® Preparation
- Which preposition to choose after a verb in English (list to memorize) - TOEIC® Preparation
- Which preposition to choose before or after a noun in English (list to memorize) - TOEIC® Preparation