Adaptable at or in or to doing something












1















I am confused with what is the correct expression to use, is it better saying "I am adaptable at using smth", "I am adaptable on using smth" or "I am adaptable to using smth"?



The third sounds completely wrong to me but a British guy said its the correct, I used the first but I am really confused so I want to hear opinions.










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  • What is your quote trying to say?

    – Lawrence
    yesterday













  • Do you mean adept?

    – jimm101
    yesterday
















1















I am confused with what is the correct expression to use, is it better saying "I am adaptable at using smth", "I am adaptable on using smth" or "I am adaptable to using smth"?



The third sounds completely wrong to me but a British guy said its the correct, I used the first but I am really confused so I want to hear opinions.










share|improve this question























  • What is your quote trying to say?

    – Lawrence
    yesterday













  • Do you mean adept?

    – jimm101
    yesterday














1












1








1








I am confused with what is the correct expression to use, is it better saying "I am adaptable at using smth", "I am adaptable on using smth" or "I am adaptable to using smth"?



The third sounds completely wrong to me but a British guy said its the correct, I used the first but I am really confused so I want to hear opinions.










share|improve this question














I am confused with what is the correct expression to use, is it better saying "I am adaptable at using smth", "I am adaptable on using smth" or "I am adaptable to using smth"?



The third sounds completely wrong to me but a British guy said its the correct, I used the first but I am really confused so I want to hear opinions.







grammaticality prepositions






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share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked Dec 4 '14 at 22:50









n an a

62




62













  • What is your quote trying to say?

    – Lawrence
    yesterday













  • Do you mean adept?

    – jimm101
    yesterday



















  • What is your quote trying to say?

    – Lawrence
    yesterday













  • Do you mean adept?

    – jimm101
    yesterday

















What is your quote trying to say?

– Lawrence
yesterday







What is your quote trying to say?

– Lawrence
yesterday















Do you mean adept?

– jimm101
yesterday





Do you mean adept?

– jimm101
yesterday










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes


















1














If you say (1) "I am adaptable at using smth", it means that you can use smth in many different ways. If you say (2) "I am adaptable to using smth", it means that you have not previously used smth (perhaps you used jns to do the same thing), but that you could easily learn to use smth. I would not use (3) "I am adaptable on using smth." —this is ungrammatical. But if you meant that you are not opposed to using smth, and could be persuaded to use it, you might say "I am FLEXIBLE on the QUESTION of [using/whether to use] smth." or "I am AMENABLE to using smth."






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    0














    The correct preposition to use with to be adaptable is to. The first and second examples are incorrect.






    share|improve this answer































      0














      The problem is that your starting point is wrong, because it is not idiomatic English.



      Instead, try:




      I can adapt to X




      and




      I can adapt to using X




      or, where the subject has less active involvement with the entity being used:




      I can adapt to the use of X




      'To be adaptable to' can be used in two different ways:



      1) It implies that some entity is being passively adapted to some situation or process. Because living organisms cannot generally be treated this way, it is most often used with inanimate nouns, not animate nouns:




      This decor is adaptable to many different interior layouts



      The salary formula I'm using is adaptable to any size of workforce




      (However, I think the following variation based on adapt sounds more natural:




      This decor can be adapted to many different interior layouts



      The salary formula I'm using can be adapted to any size of workforce)




      2) It implies that some (generally animate) entity is actively capable of adapting to something:




      Rats are highly adaptable to different environments



      Dogs and children are both highly adaptable [= capable of adapting to new circumstances]







      share|improve this answer

































        3 Answers
        3






        active

        oldest

        votes








        3 Answers
        3






        active

        oldest

        votes









        active

        oldest

        votes






        active

        oldest

        votes









        1














        If you say (1) "I am adaptable at using smth", it means that you can use smth in many different ways. If you say (2) "I am adaptable to using smth", it means that you have not previously used smth (perhaps you used jns to do the same thing), but that you could easily learn to use smth. I would not use (3) "I am adaptable on using smth." —this is ungrammatical. But if you meant that you are not opposed to using smth, and could be persuaded to use it, you might say "I am FLEXIBLE on the QUESTION of [using/whether to use] smth." or "I am AMENABLE to using smth."






        share|improve this answer






























          1














          If you say (1) "I am adaptable at using smth", it means that you can use smth in many different ways. If you say (2) "I am adaptable to using smth", it means that you have not previously used smth (perhaps you used jns to do the same thing), but that you could easily learn to use smth. I would not use (3) "I am adaptable on using smth." —this is ungrammatical. But if you meant that you are not opposed to using smth, and could be persuaded to use it, you might say "I am FLEXIBLE on the QUESTION of [using/whether to use] smth." or "I am AMENABLE to using smth."






          share|improve this answer




























            1












            1








            1







            If you say (1) "I am adaptable at using smth", it means that you can use smth in many different ways. If you say (2) "I am adaptable to using smth", it means that you have not previously used smth (perhaps you used jns to do the same thing), but that you could easily learn to use smth. I would not use (3) "I am adaptable on using smth." —this is ungrammatical. But if you meant that you are not opposed to using smth, and could be persuaded to use it, you might say "I am FLEXIBLE on the QUESTION of [using/whether to use] smth." or "I am AMENABLE to using smth."






            share|improve this answer















            If you say (1) "I am adaptable at using smth", it means that you can use smth in many different ways. If you say (2) "I am adaptable to using smth", it means that you have not previously used smth (perhaps you used jns to do the same thing), but that you could easily learn to use smth. I would not use (3) "I am adaptable on using smth." —this is ungrammatical. But if you meant that you are not opposed to using smth, and could be persuaded to use it, you might say "I am FLEXIBLE on the QUESTION of [using/whether to use] smth." or "I am AMENABLE to using smth."







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited Dec 5 '14 at 11:53

























            answered Dec 5 '14 at 11:18









            Brian HitchcockBrian Hitchcock

            12.6k11636




            12.6k11636

























                0














                The correct preposition to use with to be adaptable is to. The first and second examples are incorrect.






                share|improve this answer




























                  0














                  The correct preposition to use with to be adaptable is to. The first and second examples are incorrect.






                  share|improve this answer


























                    0












                    0








                    0







                    The correct preposition to use with to be adaptable is to. The first and second examples are incorrect.






                    share|improve this answer













                    The correct preposition to use with to be adaptable is to. The first and second examples are incorrect.







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered Dec 4 '14 at 23:09









                    Nick2253Nick2253

                    4,2281829




                    4,2281829























                        0














                        The problem is that your starting point is wrong, because it is not idiomatic English.



                        Instead, try:




                        I can adapt to X




                        and




                        I can adapt to using X




                        or, where the subject has less active involvement with the entity being used:




                        I can adapt to the use of X




                        'To be adaptable to' can be used in two different ways:



                        1) It implies that some entity is being passively adapted to some situation or process. Because living organisms cannot generally be treated this way, it is most often used with inanimate nouns, not animate nouns:




                        This decor is adaptable to many different interior layouts



                        The salary formula I'm using is adaptable to any size of workforce




                        (However, I think the following variation based on adapt sounds more natural:




                        This decor can be adapted to many different interior layouts



                        The salary formula I'm using can be adapted to any size of workforce)




                        2) It implies that some (generally animate) entity is actively capable of adapting to something:




                        Rats are highly adaptable to different environments



                        Dogs and children are both highly adaptable [= capable of adapting to new circumstances]







                        share|improve this answer






























                          0














                          The problem is that your starting point is wrong, because it is not idiomatic English.



                          Instead, try:




                          I can adapt to X




                          and




                          I can adapt to using X




                          or, where the subject has less active involvement with the entity being used:




                          I can adapt to the use of X




                          'To be adaptable to' can be used in two different ways:



                          1) It implies that some entity is being passively adapted to some situation or process. Because living organisms cannot generally be treated this way, it is most often used with inanimate nouns, not animate nouns:




                          This decor is adaptable to many different interior layouts



                          The salary formula I'm using is adaptable to any size of workforce




                          (However, I think the following variation based on adapt sounds more natural:




                          This decor can be adapted to many different interior layouts



                          The salary formula I'm using can be adapted to any size of workforce)




                          2) It implies that some (generally animate) entity is actively capable of adapting to something:




                          Rats are highly adaptable to different environments



                          Dogs and children are both highly adaptable [= capable of adapting to new circumstances]







                          share|improve this answer




























                            0












                            0








                            0







                            The problem is that your starting point is wrong, because it is not idiomatic English.



                            Instead, try:




                            I can adapt to X




                            and




                            I can adapt to using X




                            or, where the subject has less active involvement with the entity being used:




                            I can adapt to the use of X




                            'To be adaptable to' can be used in two different ways:



                            1) It implies that some entity is being passively adapted to some situation or process. Because living organisms cannot generally be treated this way, it is most often used with inanimate nouns, not animate nouns:




                            This decor is adaptable to many different interior layouts



                            The salary formula I'm using is adaptable to any size of workforce




                            (However, I think the following variation based on adapt sounds more natural:




                            This decor can be adapted to many different interior layouts



                            The salary formula I'm using can be adapted to any size of workforce)




                            2) It implies that some (generally animate) entity is actively capable of adapting to something:




                            Rats are highly adaptable to different environments



                            Dogs and children are both highly adaptable [= capable of adapting to new circumstances]







                            share|improve this answer















                            The problem is that your starting point is wrong, because it is not idiomatic English.



                            Instead, try:




                            I can adapt to X




                            and




                            I can adapt to using X




                            or, where the subject has less active involvement with the entity being used:




                            I can adapt to the use of X




                            'To be adaptable to' can be used in two different ways:



                            1) It implies that some entity is being passively adapted to some situation or process. Because living organisms cannot generally be treated this way, it is most often used with inanimate nouns, not animate nouns:




                            This decor is adaptable to many different interior layouts



                            The salary formula I'm using is adaptable to any size of workforce




                            (However, I think the following variation based on adapt sounds more natural:




                            This decor can be adapted to many different interior layouts



                            The salary formula I'm using can be adapted to any size of workforce)




                            2) It implies that some (generally animate) entity is actively capable of adapting to something:




                            Rats are highly adaptable to different environments



                            Dogs and children are both highly adaptable [= capable of adapting to new circumstances]








                            share|improve this answer














                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer








                            edited Dec 5 '14 at 3:23

























                            answered Dec 5 '14 at 2:37









                            Erik KowalErik Kowal

                            25.5k13885




                            25.5k13885















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