Adaptable at or in or to doing something
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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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
What is your quote trying to say?
– Lawrence
yesterday
Do you mean adept?
– jimm101
yesterday
add a comment |
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
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
grammaticality prepositions
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
add a comment |
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
add a comment |
3 Answers
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oldest
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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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The correct preposition to use with to be adaptable is to. The first and second examples are incorrect.
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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]
add a comment |
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
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."
add a comment |
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."
add a comment |
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."
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."
edited Dec 5 '14 at 11:53
answered Dec 5 '14 at 11:18
Brian HitchcockBrian Hitchcock
12.6k11636
12.6k11636
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The correct preposition to use with to be adaptable is to. The first and second examples are incorrect.
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The correct preposition to use with to be adaptable is to. The first and second examples are incorrect.
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The correct preposition to use with to be adaptable is to. The first and second examples are incorrect.
The correct preposition to use with to be adaptable is to. The first and second examples are incorrect.
answered Dec 4 '14 at 23:09
Nick2253Nick2253
4,2281829
4,2281829
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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]
add a comment |
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]
add a comment |
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]
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]
edited Dec 5 '14 at 3:23
answered Dec 5 '14 at 2:37
Erik KowalErik Kowal
25.5k13885
25.5k13885
add a comment |
add a comment |
What is your quote trying to say?
– Lawrence
yesterday
Do you mean adept?
– jimm101
yesterday