ability at

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the sentence "ability at" is not correct and cannot be used in written English.
In English, one can use the phrase "ability to" when referring to someone's capability of doing something, as in, "He has the ability to speak three languages fluently."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Academia

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

I don't doubt his ability at all.

The Guardian - Sport

"We need to have ability at the quarterback position.

The New York Times - Sports

"He had this great ability at the stove, great confidence.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Weber displayed musical ability at an early age.

Britannica

Born in Wisconsin, Joe McCarthy displayed application and ability at school and college.

The New York Times - Books

The failure to test the cutting ability at the depth and temperature in question?

The New Yorker

"But we had a group of adults here lately with no athletic ability at all.

The New York Times - Sports

Bendik himself is well aware of the critics who question his ability at MLS level.

The Guardian - Sport

Sadly that would also require Small Talk to have some ability at darts.

The Guardian - Sport

He also showed his ability at farce in Switching Channels (1988) and Noises Off (1992).

The Guardian

She bathed, taking pleasure in her ability at 93 still to do so.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "ability to" instead of "ability at". This ensures grammatical correctness and clarity.

Common error

Avoid using prepositions like "at", "in", or "with" after "ability". The correct and standard construction is "ability to" followed by a verb.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "ability at" functions as a noun phrase followed by a preposition. However, it's grammatically incorrect as the standard construction is "ability to" followed by a verb. Ludwig AI also confirms this grammatical issue.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

30%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

10%

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "ability at" appears in various sources, it is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI highlights that the correct usage is "ability to" followed by a verb. Although prevalent in News & Media, Science and Academia, as well as Encyclopedias and Wiki sources, it's advisable to use "ability to" or alternative phrases like "skill in", "proficiency in", or "expertise in" for clarity and grammatical accuracy. Always prefer "ability to" in formal and professional contexts to maintain correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ability to

Corrects the grammatical error replacing the preposition "at" with the proper preposition "to".

skill in

Replaces "ability" with "skill" and uses the preposition "in" instead of "at".

proficiency in

Uses "proficiency" to denote a high level of competence and "in" as the preposition.

expertise in

Focuses on specialized knowledge and uses "in" as the preposition.

competence in

Highlights the quality of being adequately qualified and uses the preposition "in".

aptitude for

Emphasizes a natural talent and uses the preposition "for".

talent for

Refers to a natural, innate ability and uses the preposition "for".

capacity for

Indicates the potential to develop an ability and uses the preposition "for".

adeptness at

Emphasizes skillfulness and replaces "ability" with "adeptness", maintaining the "at" preposition.

knack for

Refers to a special skill or ease in doing something and uses the preposition "for".

FAQs

How can I correctly use the word "ability" in a sentence?

The correct form is "ability to" followed by a verb. For example, "He has the "ability to learn" quickly."

Is it grammatically correct to say "ability at"?

No, the correct preposition to use with "ability" is "to". Saying "ability at" is considered grammatically incorrect.

What are some alternatives to using "ability at" in a sentence?

Instead of "ability at", you can use phrases like "skill in", "proficiency in", or "expertise in", depending on the context.

What's the difference between "ability to" and "skill in"?

"Ability to" generally refers to the capacity to do something, while "skill in" emphasizes a developed competence in a particular area. Both are related but can have subtle differences in connotation.