Grammar: Groups and phrases: Adjective group

Structure of the adjective group

Adjective + prepositional phrase

Adjective groups are often formed by adding a prepositional phrase Glossary to the adjective:

Granny is  angry with the ghost.
adjective + prepositional phrase

Kitty is afraid of ghosts.
adjective + prepositional phrase

Grumpy is safe from harm.
adjective + prepositional phrase

Certain adjectives are often followed by a particular preposition. Note  

Here is a list of some common ones:

Adjectives followed by with Adjectives followed by at

Adjectives followed by about

 Adjectives followed by in
angry with
bored with
delighted with
familiar with
pleased with
satisfied with		 angry at
annoyed at
clever at
excited at
good at
hopeless at
poor at
surprised at

 annoyed about
anxious about
certain about
curious about
glad about
happy about
nervous about
pleased about
sad about
serious about
sorry about
worried about		 alone in
careful in
covered in
disappointed in
dressed in
fluent in
interested in
involved in
lucky in
successful in

Adjectives followed by for

 Adjectives followed by from Adjectives followed by to Adjectives followed by of
bad for
eager for
famous for
good for
grateful for
happy for
healthy for
late for
lucky for
necessary for
perfect for
ready for
responsible for
sad for
safe for
sorry for
useful for		 cold from
damp from
dead from
different from
dirty from
distant from
far from
free from
hot from
ill from
pale from
safe from
separate from
weak from
weary from
wet from		 attached to
attracted to
close to
cruel to
equal to
identical to
kind to
loyal to
nasty to
near to
next to
nice to
opposite to
related to
rude to
sensitive to
similar to
used to		 afraid of
ashamed of
aware of
careful of
certain of
fond of
frightened of
full of
guilty of
jealous of
kind of
proud of
short of
shy of
suspicious of
tired of

While these adjectives are generally followed by preposition + noun group, they can also often be followed by preposition + -ing verb:

Adjective followed by preposition + noun Adjective followed by -ing verb
They were anxious about her safety. They were anxious about leaving her alone.
He was weak from hunger. He was weak from not eating.
She was guilty of theft. She was guilty of stealing food.
We are bored with the game. We are bored with playing the game.

 

Tell me more ...

Adjective + adverb of degree
 Adjective + comparative
Adjective + prepositional phrase
Adjective + clause
Adjective + adjective


To give us feedback about this section, click here or on the Comment button at the top of the screen.

If you have any questions about this section, visit the Language Corner.

If you have any questions or suggestions about how to teach this section, send a message to the Teaching Corner.