Good and bad
Posted by EE on March 19, 2003
In Reply to: Good and bad posted by R. Berg on March 19, 2003
: : : : : What is/are the correct preposition(s) after good and bad? Good at/bad in...? Others correct too? Thanks.
: : : : All correct:
:
: : : Andy is good at catching fly balls.
: : : : Charlie is bad at keeping
secrets.
: : : : Green vegetables are good for you.
: : : : Aspirin is good
for a headache.
: : : : Political instability is bad for the stock market.
:
: : : Fresh herbs are good in potato soup.
: : : Also, he's been very good to me.
: : : There's no one correct preposition, as you'll have noted, and it all comes down to meaning.
: : : Good at = skilled at or proficient in.
: : :
Good for = has a beneficial effect upon.
: : : Good in = enjoyable, with the
location or situation being subsequently defined (herbs are good in soup, Olivier
was good in "Hamlet")
: : : Good to = kindly or well-behaved towards.
: : Is it correct to write: I am bad in math.? Or should it be: I am bad at math.?
: : Also, how do you use good with?
: : Thanks.
: "I am bad at math" (or "I
am poor at math") means "I don't do math well." However, one would say, correctly,
"I make too many mistakes in math."
: "I am bad in math" would seldom be heard.
You might use that to report that you do poorly in a math CLASS at school.
:
"Good with tools" or "good with children" means competent when interacting with
tools/children.
R. Berg,
Thanks very much for the useuful info.
EE