Many English adjectives need a specific preposition before their complement — the noun, pronoun, or gerund that completes their meaning. There is no general rule that predicts which preposition goes with which adjective: interested takes in, proud takes of, ready takes for. These combinations must be learned as fixed pairs, much like verb + preposition collocations.
The sections below group the most useful adjective + preposition pairs by the preposition they take.
Of
The preposition of follows adjectives that express fear, awareness, ability, and emotional reactions to something the speaker already has or knows.
Common pairs: afraid of, aware of, capable of, fond of, full of, jealous of, proud of, scared of, short of, sure of, tired of.
Note the difference between tired of (bored, fed up) and tired from (physically exhausted): I'm tired of waiting vs. I'm tired from running.
About
Adjectives of emotion and attitude often take about when explaining the cause of the feeling.
Common pairs: angry about, curious about, excited about, happy about, nervous about, serious about, worried about.
At
Use at with adjectives that describe skill, ability, or a reaction to something unexpected.
Common pairs: good at, bad at, amazed at, surprised at, shocked at, brilliant at, terrible at.
When angry describes a reaction to something someone did, it can take at with a person: She was angry at him for lying. With a situation, use about: She was angry about the delay.
In
The preposition in follows adjectives that express involvement, participation, or a field of interest.
Common pairs: interested in, involved in, rich in, successful in.
For
Use for with adjectives that describe reputation, readiness, responsibility, and benefit.
Common pairs: famous for, good for, bad for, grateful for, ready for, responsible for, sorry for.
Note that good/bad take different prepositions depending on meaning. Good at describes skill (She's good at maths), while good for describes benefit (Exercise is good for you).
With
Adjectives that describe satisfaction, familiarity, or an interpersonal reaction often take with.
Common pairs: angry with, bored with, disappointed with, familiar with, patient with, pleased with, satisfied with.
When angry is directed at a person, both angry with and angry at are correct. British English slightly prefers with; American English slightly prefers at. Both are standard.
To
Use to with adjectives that describe a connection, similarity, or behaviour toward someone.
Common pairs: addicted to, allergic to, close to, kind to, married to, polite to, rude to, similar to, used to.
The phrase used to after be means "accustomed to": I'm used to the noise. This is different from the modal structure used to + infinitive that describes past habits.
From
A small group of adjectives take from, usually expressing difference or distance.
Common pairs: different from, far from, safe from.
A note on different: different from is the most widely accepted form. Different to is common in British English, and different than appears in American English. All three are used, but from is the safest choice in writing.
Verb forms after adjective + preposition
When a verb follows an adjective + preposition combination, it takes the -ing form. A preposition cannot be followed by a bare infinitive.
This rule has no exceptions: if a preposition sits between the adjective and the verb, the verb is always a gerund.
Common mistakes
Wrong preposition
Missing preposition
Wrong verb form after preposition
Confusing good at / good for