within their capabilities

USAGE SUMMARY

"within their capabilities" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to describe the limitations of someone's skills, talents, or resources. For example: "The students worked hard to complete the assignment within their capabilities."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

You have to edit within their capabilities, particularly with fiction writers.

The New Yorker

Borough heads also had a concrete goal within their capabilities: making their boroughs safe no more.

Harvard Business Review

They have it within their capabilities to come back in 30 years with the guarantee of complete energy independence – all alternative and sustainable for ever.

The Guardian

As long as the Murali story holds sway, however, Sri Lanka will believe that a second World Cup win is within their capabilities.

The Guardian - Sport

They have it within their capabilities of coming back in 30 years with the guarantee of complete energy independence – all alternative and sustainable forever.

The Guardian

They have it within their capabilities to come back in 30 years with the guarantee of complete energy independence – all alternative and sustainable for ever.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

The Pakistanis were struggling manfully to block these routes to fighters, General Franks said, but only "within (their) capability"."America now owns a piece of Afghanistan," said one American commander, incautiouslyAs the marines dug themselves in, one of their commanders made the incautious comment that "America now owns a piece of Afghanistan".

The Economist

While the design and construction of a nuclear device is very likely beyond the capabilities of Al Qaeda, ISIS or any other militant jihadist group, the use of radiological dispersal devices, so called dirty bombs, is well within their capability.

Huffington Post

To carry out these projects each unit in the organization has a Work Improvement Team to tackle issues within their capability and jurisdiction that impact negatively on productivity.

Global Health Action

Fifa's internal bodies have done all they can within the scope of their capabilities, and they are continuing with their work," he said.

The Guardian - Sport

Defining the role of each type of retailer present in a health system within the frame of their capabilities and the given legal context is an important first step in improving quality and access.

BMC Public Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "within their capabilities" to set realistic expectations in project planning and team assignments. This ensures tasks are aligned with available skills and resources.

Common error

Avoid assuming that tasks are "within their capabilities" without a thorough assessment of individual skills and available resources. This can lead to project delays and substandard results.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "within their capabilities" functions as a prepositional phrase that modifies a verb or noun, indicating the scope or limit of an action or attribute. As confirmed by Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically sound and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

37%

Formal & Business

13%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "within their capabilities" is a versatile and grammatically correct phrase used to describe the limits of someone's skills, talents, or resources. As verified by Ludwig, its common use across news, science, and business highlights its broad applicability. To use it effectively, ensure that assignments and expectations are aligned with available skills and resources, thereby preventing overestimations. Alternatives such as ""within their capacity"" or ""within their reach"" can provide nuanced variations, depending on the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

within their capacity

Replaces "capabilities" with "capacity", focusing on the available amount of something.

within their skill set

Specifically refers to the range of skills someone possesses.

within their competency

Highlights the skills and knowledge required to perform a task.

within their power

Emphasizes the control or authority someone has to do something.

according to their skillset

Specifies that actions or outcomes are determined by available skills.

within their reach

Highlights that something is achievable or accessible to them.

within their means

Focuses on having the necessary resources, particularly financial.

to the extent of their abilities

Emphasizes the degree to which someone can perform based on their abilities.

within their limitations

Focuses on the constraints or boundaries of their abilities.

subject to their skills

Highlights their skills will define the performance.

FAQs

How can I use "within their capabilities" in a sentence?

You can use "within their capabilities" to indicate the limits of someone's skills or resources, such as: "The team was assigned tasks "within their capabilities" to ensure successful project completion".

What are some alternatives to "within their capabilities"?

Alternatives include "within their capacity", "within their power", or "within their reach", depending on the specific context.

Is it better to say "within their capabilities" or "within their capacity"?

Both "within their capabilities" and "within their capacity" are correct, but "capabilities" refers more to skills, while "capacity" relates to available resources or space. Choose the one that best fits the context.

How does "within their capabilities" differ from "within their potential"?

"Within their capabilities" refers to current skills and resources, while "within their potential" refers to future abilities that have not yet been fully developed or realized.