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.