00 / Prepositions
Dependent Prepositions (adjectives)
Dependent prepositions are specific words that must follow certain adjectives to connect them to a noun or pronoun. Learning these fixed pairs helps you speak and write more naturally in English.
B1Intermediate
01 / Overview
In English, many adjectives are followed by a specific preposition. These are called dependent prepositions because the choice of preposition depends entirely on the adjective that comes before it. There is often no logical rule for why a specific preposition is used, so it is best to learn them as fixed pairs.
02 / Form
subject + be + adjective + preposition + object
The preposition connects the adjective to an object, which can be a noun, a pronoun, or a gerund (-ing form).
03 / Common Adjective Pairs
04 / Common mistakes
I am interested on photography.
I am interested in photography.
The adjective 'interested' always takes the preposition 'in'.
She is good in English.
She is good at English.
Use 'at' after 'good' or 'bad' when talking about skills or abilities.
It depends of the weather.
It depends on the weather.
While 'depend' is a verb, learners often confuse it with adjectives; 'dependent' also takes 'on'.
05 / Practice
Complete the sentence: My brother is very keen ___ cycling.
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Answer: on
Why: The adjective 'keen' is followed by the preposition 'on' to show enthusiasm for an activity.
Complete the sentence: I am worried ___ my upcoming exam.
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Answer: about
Why: We use 'about' after 'worried' to indicate the cause of the anxiety.
Complete the sentence: This town is famous ___ its ancient castle.
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Answer: for
Why: The adjective 'famous' requires the preposition 'for' to identify the reason for the fame.