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Prepositions after adjectives

How to use “poor” with prepositions

Poor combines with several prepositions, but each has a different meaning. Poor at and poor in are especially common.

Quick answer

Common meanings of “poor” with prepositions

Use poor at for lack of skill, poor in for lack of resources or qualities, poor for for suitability, and poor to mainly in expressions about treatment or attitude.

I am poor at maths.
The soil is poor in nutrients.
This area is poor for farming.
He was poor to his assistants.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
poor at + activity

Talking about lack of skill

Poor at describes weak ability in an activity or subject.

She is poor at remembering names.
He was poor at public speaking.
2
poor in + quality

Showing lack of resources or qualities

Poor in means lacking something valuable or necessary.

The diet is poor in protein.
The region is poor in natural resources.
3
poor for + purpose

Describing weak suitability

Poor for means not suitable or beneficial for something.

The weather is poor for hiking.
This material is poor for insulation.
4
poor to + person

Describing behaviour toward someone

Poor to can describe unkind or unfair treatment, though bad to is more common in everyday English.

He was poor to his employees.
She felt she had been poor to her friends.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
poor in
The land is poor in nutrients.
Lacking resources or qualities.
poor of
The district is poor of infrastructure.
This combination is nonstandard in current English. Use poor in instead.
poor for
This climate is poor for agriculture.
Not suitable for a purpose.
poor at
I am poor at drawing.
Lacking skill.
poor to
He was poor to his staff.
Describes treatment toward people; bad to is often more natural.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using “poor of” instead of “poor in”

English uses poor in to show lack of resources or qualities.

✕ The area is poor of water. ✓ The area is poor in water.

Confusing “poor at” and “poor in”

Poor at is for skill; poor in is for resources or qualities.

✕ She is poor in tennis. ✓ She is poor at tennis.

Using “poor for” with people instead of purposes

Poor for usually refers to suitability, not behaviour toward people.

✕ He was poor for his children. ✓ He was poor to his children.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The soil is poor ___ minerals.
2. I am poor ___ remembering faces.
3. This road is poor ___ heavy traffic.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between poor at and poor in?

Poor at refers to skill, while poor in refers to lacking resources or qualities.

Is “poor of” correct?

No. Current English normally uses poor in instead.

Can I say “poor to someone”?

Yes, but bad to someone is more common in everyday English.

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