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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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capable to improve

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "capable to improve" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct expression would be "capable of improving." Example: "The new software is capable of improving our workflow efficiency significantly."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

These results (Fig. 3a) suggest that an automatized measure (dlPFC-PL FCd) obtained by a single non-invasive 15-min fMRI is capable to improve patient stratification86.

Science & Research

Nature

The Results of this research show that adding the different percentages of Nano materials is capable to improve the mechanical behaviour of stone mastic asphalt, significantly.

The results demonstrate that the optimized TWB tubes are capable to improve energy absorption as well as enhance the reliability, potentially being an ideal structure for crashworthiness.

Although an improvement of 32% of EA and 0.9% of SEA were obtained for the lateral bending, still the design using aluminum honeycomb as filling was remarkably capable to improve the mechanical characteristics of CFRP tube structure.

The awareness of increasing constraints on the availability of resources as well as the increasing demand for access to welfare and wellbeing by developing countries and social groups make it evident the need for new economic models capable to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of resource use.

In these two figures is possible to see an interesting characteristics of (1~%) supervision, some samples are capable to improve the accuracy in more than (5~%), as the base in black in Fig. 8a and in blue in Fig. 8b.

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Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

This literature surveys Internet of Things oriented architectures that are capable enough to improve the understanding of related tool, technology, and methodology to facilitate developer's requirements.

But our economic growth will depend on using these increasingly capable technologies to improve our productivity to the point where workers can focus on the creative, value-add business issues that only humans can solve.

News & Media

Huffington Post

The results demonstrate that the optimized foam-filled bitubal tapered columns are capable to considerably improve capacity of energy absorption with an increased reliability, potentially being a structural configuration for energy absorber.

Various physical and chemical methods have been used, whereas advanced solid-state NMR techniques have not been applied yet, despite they are potentially capable to significantly improve the knowledge on black carbon (BC) and kerogen carbon (KC).

Indeed myocardial involvement in HIV infection has been variously attributed to several causes, including viral, toxic, nutritional and autoimmune, but no specific treatment capable to substantially improve patients' prognosis has been recognized so far.

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Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing something's ability to improve, consider the specific nuance you want to convey. "Able to enhance" is more straightforward, while "equipped to enhance" focuses on available resources.

Common error

Avoid using "capable to improve". The correct form is "capable of improving". Remember that 'capable' requires the preposition 'of' when followed by a verb, and the verb should be in its gerund form (-ing).

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

81%

Authority and reliability

3.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "capable to improve" functions as an adjective phrase intended to describe something that possesses the ability to make something better. However, according to Ludwig, this is a grammatically incorrect construction.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

70%

News & Media

18%

Academia

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "capable to improve" is used to express the potential for enhancement, Ludwig highlights that it is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "capable of improving". Despite its prevalence in some scientific and news sources, it's essential to use the accurate grammatical structure, especially in formal writing, and to select semantically similar alternatives like "able to enhance" or "equipped to enhance" to ensure clarity and credibility.

FAQs

How do I correctly use "capable" in a sentence?

When "capable" is followed by a verb, it should be followed by the preposition 'of' and the gerund form of the verb (e.g., "capable of improving").

What's a grammatically correct alternative to "capable to improve"?

The correct form is "capable of improving". Other alternatives include "able to enhance" or "equipped to enhance".

Is there a difference between "capable of improving" and "able to improve"?

While both convey the ability to enhance something, "capable of improving" suggests a general potential, while "able to improve" implies a more direct and immediate ability.

Can I use "capable to improve" in formal writing?

No, "capable to improve" is grammatically incorrect. In formal writing, always use "capable of improving" or a similar, grammatically sound alternative.

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Source & Trust

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Authority and reliability

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Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: