ability to evaluate

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "ability to evaluate" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when discussing someone's skill or capacity to assess or judge something effectively. Example: "Her ability to evaluate complex data sets has greatly improved our research outcomes."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

His subsequent observations showed an innate ability to evaluate.

The New York Times - Sports

"This lack of information hindered their ability to evaluate the overall situation," the draft report says.

The New York Times

Guys here trust his ability to evaluate talent and put people in the right positions".

The New York Times - Sports

The result I used to do that was the ability to evaluate the derivative of a polynomial.

The Guardian

What a critic needs most is independence, the ability to evaluate a work on her, and its, own terms.

The New Yorker

"The No. 1 criterion is to have the ability to evaluate talent at the major league level," Duquette said.

The New York Times - Sports

One of Davis's strengths in running the Raiders has been his ability to evaluate talent, young and old.

The New York Times - Sports

That approach, Chief Justice Rabner said, overstates "the jury's innate ability to evaluate eyewitness testimony".

The New York Times

Independent scientists say limited access has hampered their ability to evaluate the systems.

The New York Times

The process of creating often obscures and contaminates the ability to evaluate.

The New Yorker

But he added that he would not agree to revisions that limited his office's ability to evaluate more than 8,000 contracts a year.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a specific skill, follow "ability to evaluate" with a clear object of evaluation to provide context. For instance, "ability to evaluate market trends" is more informative than just "ability to evaluate".

Common error

Avoid using "ability to evaluate" in overly broad or general statements without specific context. This can make your writing vague and less impactful. Instead, specify what is being evaluated and the criteria used.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "ability to evaluate" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It describes the capacity or skill to assess, judge, or appraise something. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

38%

News & Media

34%

Formal & Business

28%

Less common in

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "ability to evaluate" is a grammatically sound and frequently used noun phrase that describes the capacity to assess or judge something. As Ludwig AI validates, it's appropriate for use in diverse contexts, particularly in professional, academic, and scientific writing. While versatile, it's essential to provide specific context to avoid vagueness. Alternatives like "capacity to assess" and "skill in assessing" can be used to add variety. The phrase's high frequency across authoritative sources underscores its importance in conveying competence and critical thinking.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

capacity to assess

Replaces "ability" with "capacity" and "evaluate" with "assess", emphasizing the potential or power to judge.

skill in assessing

Highlights the proficiency in judging, using "skill" instead of "ability" and "assessing" for "evaluate".

competence in judging

Focuses on the adequacy or qualification in making judgments, substituting "ability" with "competence" and "evaluate" with "judge".

proficiency in appraising

Emphasizes the expertise in estimating the value or quality, swapping "ability" with "proficiency" and "evaluate" with "appraise".

aptitude for analyzing

Highlights the natural tendency or talent for detailed examination, replacing "ability" with "aptitude" and "evaluate" with "analyze".

talent for discerning

Focuses on the innate gift for recognizing or perceiving distinctions, using "talent" instead of "ability" and "discerning" for "evaluate".

power to determine

Emphasizes the authority or strength to decide or conclude, substituting "ability" with "power" and "evaluate" with "determine".

facility in interpreting

Highlights the ease and skill in explaining or understanding, replacing "ability" with "facility" and "evaluate" with "interpret".

knack for understanding

Focuses on the clever trick or artful skill in grasping the meaning, using "knack" instead of "ability" and "understanding" for "evaluate".

potential for judging

Emphasizes the latent qualities or capacity to form an opinion or estimation, substituting "ability" with "potential" and keeping "judging".

FAQs

How can I use "ability to evaluate" in a sentence?

Use "ability to evaluate" to describe someone's capacity to assess situations, information, or objects. For example, "Her "ability to evaluate" financial risks made her an invaluable asset to the company."

What can I say instead of "ability to evaluate"?

You can use alternatives like "capacity to assess", "skill in assessing", or "competence in judging" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "ability to evaluate" or "ability of evaluating"?

"Ability to evaluate" is the correct and more common form. "Ability of evaluating" is grammatically incorrect.

What's the difference between "ability to evaluate" and "willingness to evaluate"?

"Ability to evaluate" refers to the capability or skill to assess something, while "willingness to evaluate" refers to the readiness or inclination to perform an assessment. One is about competence, the other about disposition.