Adjective + preposition (fixed pairs) — Murphy Unit 130
Pattern
Section titled “Pattern”Adjective + fixed preposition = a unit. You can’t swap the preposition or drop it.
| Adjective | Preposition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| sorry for | for | I feel sorry for her. |
| afraid of | of | I’m afraid of dogs. |
| good at | at | She’s good at math. |
| bad at | at | He’s bad at cooking. |
| interested in | in | I’m interested in music. |
| bored with | with | I’m bored with this. |
| famous for | for | Famous for its beaches. |
| ready for | for | Ready for the exam. |
| responsible for | for | Responsible for the team. |
| different from | from | Different from mine. |
| fond of | of | Fond of chocolate. |
| keen on | on | Keen on football. |
| proud of | of | Proud of her. |
| jealous of | of | Jealous of her success. |
| envious of | of | Envious of his car. |
| aware of | of | Aware of the risk. |
| capable of | of | Capable of doing it. |
| guilty of | of | Guilty of the crime. |
| tired of | of | Tired of waiting. |
| full of | of | Full of water. |
| short of | of | Short of money. |
| typical of | of | Typical of him. |
| kind to | to | Kind to animals. |
| married to | to | Married to her. |
| similar to | to | Similar to yours. |
| close to | to | Close to the door. |
| due to | to | Due to the rain. |
| used to | to | Used to it. |
| opposite to | to | Opposite to the bank. |
“Sorry for” vs “Sorry about” — the trap
Section titled ““Sorry for” vs “Sorry about” — the trap”Both are real, but with different meanings:
| Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| sorry for [person] | pity for them | I feel sorry for her. |
| sorry about [situation] | apologetic / acknowledging | I’m sorry about the mess. / I’m sorry about your loss. |
The preposition changes the meaning:
- “sorry for someone” = you feel pity for them
- “sorry about something” = you’re apologetic / acknowledging an unfortunate event
Don’t mix them.
Test application
Section titled “Test application”I wouldn’t like to be in her position. I feel sorry ___ her.
Answer: for. “I feel sorry for her” = I feel pity for her.
Why not the others?
- about = apologetic / acknowledging a situation; wrong sense for a person
- with = not a fixed pair with “sorry”; wrong
- for ✓ = pity for a person
Cure-Dolly rule
Section titled “Cure-Dolly rule”Memorize adjective-preposition as fixed pairs. Each adjective has its own preposition (or none). Never guess.
Why Indonesian speakers get it wrong: Indonesian sayang (sorry) and takut (afraid) and tertarik (interested) don’t take prepositions — they take akan, pada, dengan. The English pattern forces you to know the preposition for each adjective, even when the meaning is similar.
Most-tested pairs (Murphy Units 130, 132, 134)
Section titled “Most-tested pairs (Murphy Units 130, 132, 134)”| Adjective | Preposition | Common collocation |
|---|---|---|
| sorry for | for | feel sorry for |
| afraid of | of | be afraid of |
| good at | at | be good at |
| interested in | in | be interested in |
| bored with / of | with or of | be bored with |
| different from | from | be different from |
| famous for | for | be famous for |
| ready for | for | be ready for |
| responsible for | for | be responsible for |
| tired of | of | be tired of |
| kind to | to | be kind to |
| married to | to | be married to |
| due to | to | be due to |
The marry family — verb vs participle vs event
Section titled “The marry family — verb vs participle vs event”Three forms, three patterns:
| pattern | spouse named how | example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| marry (verb) | transitive, direct object, no to | object | He married a doctor. ✗ married with/to her |
| be married (participle/adj) | state, needs to to name partner | to + person | He’s married to a doctor |
| get married (event) | intransitive, no object | — | They got married in June. ✗ got married her |
- married with = only for children/possessions: “married with two kids” (has two kids — no spouse info). ✗ married with a doctor.
- Time frame, no spouse: “We’ve been married for 20 years” (state, no to).
- Family pattern (all to): married to, engaged to, related to, devoted to, opposed to, used to. 結婚する vs 結婚している = と-marked partner in state.
Why “to”? — passive origin. be married is passive-formed (be + past participle). Source: marry X to Y (join/perform ceremony: “The priest married Tom to Kate”) → passive demotes the partner to a prepositional adjunct: Tom was married to Kate → froze into stative passive (He is married = state, like the window is broken). The participle can’t take a direct object — passive already consumed the object slot, so the partner needs the to-bridge. Same family, all join/bind verbs, all keep to: engaged to, related to, attached to, connected to, devoted to, opposed to.
When the preposition is dropped
Section titled “When the preposition is dropped”Some adjectives don’t need a preposition:
- She is tall. (no preposition)
- I am hungry. (no preposition)
- He is married. (no preposition unless followed by “to someone”)
The preposition appears only when an object/goal is named.
Source
Section titled “Source”Raymond Murphy, English Grammar in Use (4th ed.), Unit 130 — Adjective + preposition 1. Ebot lesson 2026-08-29: “I feel sorry ___ her” → for (fixed pair, pity for a person; contrast with “sorry about” for situations).