Combinations of verbs/adjectives with fixed prepositions.
good at, interested in, proud of, afraid of, listen to, wait for
not afraid of
What are you interested in?
Fixed phrases like on time, in time, by chance, on foot.
on time, in time, by car, on foot, for example, in fact
not on time
Did you arrive on time?
| Example / Question | Positive / Short Answer | Negative / Short Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Adj + Prep: interested | interested in music | Not: interested with |
| Adj + Prep: afraid | afraid of dogs | Not: afraid with |
| Transport: walking | on foot | Not: by foot |
| Rule | Base / Standard Form | Applied Form |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed Collocation Rule | Prepositional combinations are collocations and cannot be translated literally word-for-word from Vietnamese! | good at math (NOT "good in math" or "good with math") |
Use correct prepositional pairings for natural communication.
"On time" means at the planned exact schedule ("The train arrived on time"). "In time" means early enough before a deadline ("We arrived in time to see the opening").