progress the ability

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'progress the ability' is technically correct, but may be confusing in context.
It is better to be more direct and use words like 'improve', 'develop', or 'enhance'. For example, "Practicing every day has helped to enhance my ability to play the guitar".

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Far from being marginalised by the march of progress, the ability to pass skills to your children is as important as ever.

The Economist

But the ability to progress, the ability to capture all the coins, the ability to build your kingdom — that takes some mastery".

TechCrunch

Despite the fact that natural immune surveillance mechanisms are activated during the early stages of BALB-neuT carcinogenesis [ 100– 103], tumors finally acquire the three immune hallmarks required to progress: the ability to thrive in a chronically inflamed TME, to suppress immune reactivity, and to evade immune recognition [ 104].

BioMed Research International

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The results indicated that as construction sites become more complex over time – as construction work progresses – the ability of learners to identify hazards decreases.

Visualization in Engineering

As the disease progresses the ability to care for oneself declines and carefully managed multidisciplinary caregiving becomes increasingly necessary.

Wikipedia

As the condition progresses, the ability to drive safely is eventually lost [ 5].

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

However, as disease progresses, the ability of a family to support death at home depends on many other factors.

BMC Palliative Care

As Alzheimer's progresses, the ability to do simple calculations such as balancing a checkbook is lost, along with remembering how to do simple tasks such as bathing or getting dressed.

WikiHow

Accompanying that explosive growth has been rapid progress in the ability to sift through the information.

The New York Times

First of all, I don't think of many things as more intrinsic to the long-range thrust of a company, to the development of a company as a place of innovation and creativity and progress than the ability to design your own products and build your own products.

The New York Times

WASHINGTON Iranan has reportedly begun to deploy a new generation of machinery to produce nuclear fuel, a development bound to intensify a debate in Washington about whether a recent National Intelligence Estimate accurately portrayed Tehran's progress toward the ability to build a nuclear weapon.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity, consider using stronger verbs like "improve", "develop", or "enhance" instead of "progress" to describe the act of advancing an ability.

Common error

Avoid relying solely on "progress" when describing skill enhancement. Employ a variety of verbs to add nuance and specificity to your writing. For example, instead of always saying "progress the ability", use terms such as "refine the skill", "cultivate the talent", or "expand the proficiency".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "progress the ability" functions as a verb-object construction, where "progress" acts as a transitive verb implying the action of advancing or developing something, and "ability" serves as the direct object, indicating what is being advanced. Ludwig provides examples of similar constructions.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

35%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Academia

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "progress the ability" is grammatically acceptable but can sound somewhat awkward. While understandable, alternative phrasings like "improve the ability" or "enhance the skill" are often preferred for greater clarity and naturalness. Ludwig AI suggests using more direct verbs for better impact. Its usage is relatively rare, appearing in a mix of news, science, and general contexts. When writing, consider using stronger and more varied verbs to describe skill development for added nuance and precision.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Enhance the skill

Replaces 'progress' with 'enhance' for a stronger emphasis on improvement.

Improve the capacity

Substitutes 'ability' with 'capacity', altering the noun while maintaining similar meaning.

Develop the talent

Employs 'develop' in place of 'progress' and 'talent' instead of 'ability', suggesting growth and aptitude.

Advance the skill set

Uses 'advance' to convey forward movement and 'skill set' to broaden the scope of abilities.

Cultivate the aptitude

Replaces 'progress' with 'cultivate', indicating a nurturing of innate potential.

Foster the competence

Substitutes 'progress' with 'foster' and 'ability' with 'competence', highlighting the development of practical skills.

Boost the capability

Uses 'boost' to imply an increase in power or effectiveness and 'capability' as a synonym for 'ability'.

Expand the proficiency

Replaces 'progress' with 'expand' and 'ability' with 'proficiency', focusing on widening the scope of expertise.

Hone the skill

Employs 'hone' to convey refining and perfecting the skill.

Refine the potential

Substitutes 'progress' with 'refine', indicating a process of improvement and precision.

FAQs

What are some alternatives to "progress the ability"?

You can use alternatives like "enhance the skill", "improve the capacity", or "develop the talent" depending on the context.

How can I use "progress the ability" in a sentence?

While grammatically sound, it's often clearer to say something like "We need to enhance our ability to adapt" or "Continued practice will improve your ability to perform under pressure."

Is "progress the ability" formal or informal?

The phrase is relatively neutral but may sound slightly awkward in very formal contexts. More direct alternatives might be preferable in such cases.

Which is more effective, "progress the ability" or "improve the ability"?

While both are understandable, "improve the ability" is generally considered more direct and natural-sounding in most contexts.