Adjective + OF, FOR & TO (Part 2)

Beyond the most common phrases, English has many less frequent adjective + preposition combinations with of, for, and to that appear regularly in formal and academic contexts. With of: "ashamed of" (feeling shame), "suspicious of" (not trusting), "guilty of" (responsible for wrongdoing), "innocent of" (not responsible), "protective of" (wanting to keep safe), and "envious of" (wanting what someone else has). With for: "praised for," "criticised for," "punished for," "rewarded for," and "nominated for" all describe reasons someone receives positive or negative attention.

With to, this group includes adjectives of comparison and habit: "superior to," "inferior to" (never "superior than" or "inferior than"), "accustomed to," "prone to," and "resistant to." English uses "to" rather than "than" with "superior" and "inferior" because these words come from Latin and follow different grammar patterns. These less common phrases appear frequently in Cambridge B2 First and C1 Advanced Use of English papers, particularly in key word transformation tasks. Learning them gives you a clear advantage in formal writing and examination contexts where examiners expect precise preposition use.