nervous

[English4everyone]

Can we use "nervous" with "with" and say, e.g. Whenever my children don't study, I get nervous with my children, as in I'm happy / angry with my children?

 

[Raymott]

Can we use "nervous" with "with" and say, e.g. Whenever my children don't study, I get nervous with [STRIKE]my children[/STRIKE] them, as in I'm happy / angry with my children?

It doesn't sound right to me. Note, you wouldn't repeat "my children".

"Whenever my children don't study, I worry about their futures."

 

[bhaisahab]

Can we use "nervous" with "with" and say, e.g. Whenever my children don't study, I get nervous with my children, as in I'm happy / angry with my children?

It's not natural English to use "nervous" in that way. You could say "I get annoyed with my children when they don't study".

 

[5jj]

Can we use "nervous" with "with" and say, e.g. Whenever my children don't study, I get nervous with my children, as in I'm happy / angry with my children?

No. Many European languages have a word similar in appearance to 'nervous' meaning 'on edge', 'tense', 'jittery', 'neurotic. In English, the word means this.

 

[English4everyone]

Thanks very much.
But a general question, can we use "nervous" and "with" together? I mean can "with" be a preposition for "nervous" in any context? If yes, could you please give an example?

 

[5jj]

You can say, "I was nervous with excitement/anticipation/etc", but it's more usual to say "The anticipation made me (feel) nervous".

It's also possible to say, "I was very nervous with my first baby - I always felt I was about to drop her".

Note that the meaning in both cases is "anxious/worried".

 

[Raymott]

Thanks very much.
But a general question, can we use "nervous" and "with" together? I mean can "with" be a preposition for "nervous" in any context? If yes, could you please give an example?

You asked it as a general question, with an example. (Good work). And you've been answered generally, using the example you gave.
In short, no.

PS: I note 5jj's reply, which I agree with. I had thought of "I get nervous with my mother-in-law staying over." But this means "I get nervous when my mother-in-law stays over. That is, it's not really a "nervous with" collocation. I think the "first baby" example is of this type.

 

[5jj]

You asked it as a general question, with an example. (Good work). And you've been answered generally, using the example you gave.
In short, no.

I have given a couple of examples in which it's possible but, in general terms, I agree with Raymott's response.

 

[English4everyone]

You can say, "I was nervous with excitement/anticipation/etc", but it's more usual to say "The anticipation made me (feel) nervous".

It's also possible to say, "I was very nervous with my first baby - I always felt I was about to drop her".

Note that the meaning in both cases is "anxious/worried".

Just another point, I think it's possible and correct to replace "with" in your example about the baby with "about", isn't it? Does it make sense?