Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[xiziqctu]

Dear teachers,

I have a question about below words.
Those are similar vocabularies but they are different.
I try to categorize them.
Can teachers help me to check whether I categorize them correct or not and is there any easier way to distinguish them while using them?

ABILITY

ability: the state of being able to do something; someone's level of skill at doing something

capacity: someone�s ability to do something

competence: the ability to do something well

capability: the natural ability, skill, or power that makes a machine, person, or organization able to do something, especially something difficult


LEARN

skill: an ability to do something well, especially because you have learned and practiced it



NATURAL

talent: a natural ability to do something well

faculty: a particular skill that someone has; a natural ability, such as the ability to see, hear, or think clearly


Well, I also have another question.
"I want to progress my English ability" and "I want to improve my English skills."
What�s the difference between them? Or there's no difference between them?



With best regards,
Ivy

[Eric Thompson]

Dear xiziqctu, Your definitions about abilities are very nice. Do you understand them and can use those words, or to say it another way, do you have the ability to use those words?....concerning your last question, I think 'I want to improve my English ability' is better than the other one. The other one could be improved these ways, 'I want to progress in my English ability' and 'I want to make progress in my English ability'. ('progress' is normally intransitive, so a preposition like 'in' is place between it and the object 'ability'.) ok? -- Eric