Afraid: feeling fear

The idea

Use afraid of the dark for a thing and afraid to ask for an action. It normally follows a verb such as be or feel: the child is afraid.

Examples

• The child is afraid of the dark.
• She was afraid to ask a question.
• I am not afraid of the dog.
• He felt afraid before the trip.
• Are you afraid to speak?
• We were afraid of missing the train.

Watch out

Feeling afraid does not by itself establish that a danger is real or that the feared event happened.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the preposition before the thing feared. The child is afraid ___ the dark. (of / from)

   Show answer or example answer

   of

   Of introduces the thing feared here.

2. Choose the word introducing an action. She was afraid ___ ask a question. (to / of)

   Show answer or example answer

   to

   To introduces the action in afraid to ask.

3. Decide whether fear proves the event happened. They were afraid of missing the train. Does that alone prove they missed it? (no / yes)

   Show answer or example answer

   no

   Fear alone does not establish that the event happened.

Use it today

Describe something someone is afraid of or afraid to do.