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B1 PRELIMINARY · VOCABULARY · READING PART 5

Words that go with prepositions

Adjectives and verbs with their prepositions: good at, afraid of, depend on, arrive at.

Finn the puffin with glasses and a book, your vocabulary teacher
Finn says

Many words always go with the same preposition. In Reading Part 5, the word after the gap often tells you which option is right – so learn them in pairs!

Adjective + preposition

good at / bad at
skills
She's good at drawing.
interested in
liking to learn about
I'm interested in history.
afraid of / scared of
fear
He's afraid of spiders.
proud of / tired of
feelings
We're proud of you.
famous for
known because of
The town is famous for its cheese.

Verb + preposition

listen to / wait for
listen to music or a person · wait for a bus or a person
I waited for you for an hour!
depend on / believe in
it changes because of · think something is true or good
It depends on the weather.
arrive in / arrive at
in a city or country · at a building or place
We arrived in Rome / at the hotel.

How it comes up in Part 5

In Reading Part 5 you choose the word (A, B, C or D) that best fits each gap. The four options often have similar meanings, so knowing which words go together is what gets you the mark.

My brother is very good at football.
A at B in C on D for

Good at + a skill.

The city is famous for its beautiful old bridges.
A famous B known as C popular D well

Famous for = known because of something.

Whether we go to the beach depends on the weather.
A depends B relies C needs D waits

Depend on.

Common mistakes

  • ✗ I'm interested on music.✓ I'm interested in music.We say 'interested in'.
  • ✗ We arrived to the airport at 6.✓ We arrived at the airport at 6.Arrive at a building or place, in a city.
  • ✗ Wait me here, please.✓ Wait for me here, please.'Wait for' someone.
Finn the puffin, smiling kindly
Finn's exam tip

Make a list in your notebook with the word and its preposition together: 'good at', 'afraid of', 'wait for'. If the preposition comes after the gap, choose the word that goes with it.

Quick check

Choose the word that best fits each gap.

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