When do we use “adept in” and “adept at”?
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I was reading a chapter on choosing the appropriate preposition and found there are two different uses of adept with two different prepositions, namely “in” and “at”.
The examples that were given did not help me to understand the difference well.
word-choice word-usage prepositions adjectives
edited Jan 16 '18 at 7:46
sumelic
50.7k8121228
asked Aug 7 '16 at 20:54
Humayun Al RasheidHumayun Al Rasheid
21113
add a comment |
I was reading a chapter on choosing the appropriate preposition and found there are two different uses of adept with two different prepositions, namely “in” and “at”.
The examples that were given did not help me to understand the difference well.
word-choice word-usage prepositions adjectives
edited Jan 16 '18 at 7:46
sumelic
50.7k8121228
asked Aug 7 '16 at 20:54
Humayun Al RasheidHumayun Al Rasheid
21113
I think you're quite right. Even finding the more common pairing on Google ('adept in fishing', say) doesn't guarantee the best answer, and dictionaries below OED level seem of little use. The few Google Ngram pairs I've checked suggest choices I'd feel happier with.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:06
Adept in a field. Adept at a skill.
– Hot Licks
2 hours ago
add a comment |
I was reading a chapter on choosing the appropriate preposition and found there are two different uses of adept with two different prepositions, namely “in” and “at”.
The examples that were given did not help me to understand the difference well.
word-choice word-usage prepositions adjectives
edited Jan 16 '18 at 7:46
sumelic
50.7k8121228
asked Aug 7 '16 at 20:54
Humayun Al RasheidHumayun Al Rasheid
21113
I was reading a chapter on choosing the appropriate preposition and found there are two different uses of adept with two different prepositions, namely “in” and “at”.
The examples that were given did not help me to understand the difference well.
word-choice word-usage prepositions adjectives
word-choice word-usage prepositions adjectives
edited Jan 16 '18 at 7:46
sumelic
50.7k8121228
asked Aug 7 '16 at 20:54
Humayun Al RasheidHumayun Al Rasheid
21113
edited Jan 16 '18 at 7:46
sumelic
50.7k8121228
asked Aug 7 '16 at 20:54
Humayun Al RasheidHumayun Al Rasheid
21113
edited Jan 16 '18 at 7:46
sumelic
50.7k8121228
edited Jan 16 '18 at 7:46
sumelic
50.7k8121228
edited Jan 16 '18 at 7:46
sumelic
50.7k8121228
50.7k8121228
asked Aug 7 '16 at 20:54
Humayun Al RasheidHumayun Al Rasheid
21113
asked Aug 7 '16 at 20:54
Humayun Al RasheidHumayun Al Rasheid
21113
asked Aug 7 '16 at 20:54
Humayun Al RasheidHumayun Al Rasheid
21113
21113
I think you're quite right. Even finding the more common pairing on Google ('adept in fishing', say) doesn't guarantee the best answer, and dictionaries below OED level seem of little use. The few Google Ngram pairs I've checked suggest choices I'd feel happier with.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:06
Adept in a field. Adept at a skill.
– Hot Licks
2 hours ago
add a comment |
I think you're quite right. Even finding the more common pairing on Google ('adept in fishing', say) doesn't guarantee the best answer, and dictionaries below OED level seem of little use. The few Google Ngram pairs I've checked suggest choices I'd feel happier with.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:06
Adept in a field. Adept at a skill.
– Hot Licks
2 hours ago
I think you're quite right. Even finding the more common pairing on Google ('adept in fishing', say) doesn't guarantee the best answer, and dictionaries below OED level seem of little use. The few Google Ngram pairs I've checked suggest choices I'd feel happier with.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:06
I think you're quite right. Even finding the more common pairing on Google ('adept in fishing', say) doesn't guarantee the best answer, and dictionaries below OED level seem of little use. The few Google Ngram pairs I've checked suggest choices I'd feel happier with.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:06
Adept in a field. Adept at a skill.
– Hot Licks
2 hours ago
Adept in a field. Adept at a skill.
– Hot Licks
2 hours ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
In short popularity wise two uses can be discerned:
Adept at word ending in -ing; E.g. I am adept at answering.
Adept in the noun of whatever; E.g. I am adept in the art of answering.
A dive into the digitized google corpus reveals some patterns:
- adept in verb(ing) results in 5k hits
- adept at verb(ing) results in 55k hits
Therefore at is widely more common when followed by such a verb.
Adept in/at, followed by the noun of, the result is different.
- adept in the noun of results in 4.7k hits
- adept at the noun of results in meager 900 hits
After these two that are pretty clear I looked at adept at/in noun and here it gets murkier. On the first look at seems to be winning with 6.3k hits versus 2k hits for in. However a lot of those are nominalized verbs ending on -ing (7 out of the top 10). The other three are self as used in self-whatever (management, study...), problem in what looks to exclusively problem solving and finally mathematics. The last also claims the top three spot in the adept in search. That leaves 158 'at' vs 110 'in' for mathematics. Politics is 95 'at' to 66 'in'. Music however '137' in to just 50 'at'.
The only obvious pattern seems that noun or verb, if the word ends on -ing use adept at.
On a speculative note it might be shifting towards adept at noun, since a lot of entries in the adept in noun results are more obscure, old or fantasy based (alchemy, astrology, occult, sorcery, necromancy, woodcraft), they also seem more negative over all (deceit, crime, villainy, intrigue, politics ;)).
answered Aug 8 '16 at 14:21
HelmarHelmar
4,96472362
While the question has been closed on grounds I am not able to relate to, this answer has finally clarified this long sought-after question with both empiricism and humour. Thanks!
– dakab
Aug 31 '16 at 19:42
add a comment |
Well, shooting from the hip here, I'd guess that it should sound correct, but that answer is of no help to someone looking for a rule or a non-native English speaker.
I'll say that you'd use in when talking about a general skill and at when being more specific. Some examples which sound right to my ear:
He's adept at puzzle=making.
She's adept in the field of study regarding puzzle-making.
He's adept at making others look foolish.
She's adept in the art of making her adversaries look foolish.
answered Aug 7 '16 at 21:58
ChowzenChowzen
1437
2
While I think there's an element of truth in what you say, it's worse suggesting a rule that doesn't really work than making a less precise claim. If you compare Google hits for "adept in dancing" and "adept at dancing", you'll see they are approximately equal. Also, 'adept in needlework' and 'adept at needlework' give roughly similar results. 'Adept in sports' and 'adept at sports' are neck-and-neck. / Answers of the 'shooting-from-the-hip' variety are never exactly appreciated on ELU.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 22:14
@Edwin Ashworth It sounds to me like 2.5 million people out there are wrong. I do freelance copywriting and proofreading for extra cash and I would definitely at least suggest that "adept at the art of" be changed. It just sounds bad.
– Chowzen
Aug 7 '16 at 22:16
1
I think you make a valid point; the downvote isn't mine (though I'd guess it's for an unsupported answer). I've tried to find at least a partial pattern, linking say 'adept in' to 'skilled in' (followed by more 'verby' ing-forms, fields rather than particulars) and 'adept at' to 'good at', but results I wouldn't expect keep appearing in Google data. 'Skilled in chess' is the favoured form (19 / 20 relevant hits in the first two pages of 30 000 hits). 'Adept in fishing' seems to outperform the at-version.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:02
These two Google Ngrams provide more substantial evidence (than raw Google data) that 'adept at the art of' is becoming as acceptable as 'adept in the art of'. I'm with you in preferring the latter, but am anti-prescriptivist enough not to consider the alternative incorrect.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:16
@EdwinAshworth -- I never said that anything was "incorrect," I was going with what "sounds right to my ear." Also, by the by, the day you find me using Google Ngrams to determine whether a sentence sounds good or not is the day you'll find me dead at my desk, a letter opener protruding from my lifeless chest. :)
– Chowzen
Aug 7 '16 at 23:24
|
show 6 more comments
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
In short popularity wise two uses can be discerned:
Adept at word ending in -ing; E.g. I am adept at answering.
Adept in the noun of whatever; E.g. I am adept in the art of answering.
A dive into the digitized google corpus reveals some patterns:
- adept in verb(ing) results in 5k hits
- adept at verb(ing) results in 55k hits
Therefore at is widely more common when followed by such a verb.
Adept in/at, followed by the noun of, the result is different.
- adept in the noun of results in 4.7k hits
- adept at the noun of results in meager 900 hits
After these two that are pretty clear I looked at adept at/in noun and here it gets murkier. On the first look at seems to be winning with 6.3k hits versus 2k hits for in. However a lot of those are nominalized verbs ending on -ing (7 out of the top 10). The other three are self as used in self-whatever (management, study...), problem in what looks to exclusively problem solving and finally mathematics. The last also claims the top three spot in the adept in search. That leaves 158 'at' vs 110 'in' for mathematics. Politics is 95 'at' to 66 'in'. Music however '137' in to just 50 'at'.
The only obvious pattern seems that noun or verb, if the word ends on -ing use adept at.
On a speculative note it might be shifting towards adept at noun, since a lot of entries in the adept in noun results are more obscure, old or fantasy based (alchemy, astrology, occult, sorcery, necromancy, woodcraft), they also seem more negative over all (deceit, crime, villainy, intrigue, politics ;)).
answered Aug 8 '16 at 14:21
HelmarHelmar
4,96472362
While the question has been closed on grounds I am not able to relate to, this answer has finally clarified this long sought-after question with both empiricism and humour. Thanks!
– dakab
Aug 31 '16 at 19:42
add a comment |
In short popularity wise two uses can be discerned:
Adept at word ending in -ing; E.g. I am adept at answering.
Adept in the noun of whatever; E.g. I am adept in the art of answering.
A dive into the digitized google corpus reveals some patterns:
- adept in verb(ing) results in 5k hits
- adept at verb(ing) results in 55k hits
Therefore at is widely more common when followed by such a verb.
Adept in/at, followed by the noun of, the result is different.
- adept in the noun of results in 4.7k hits
- adept at the noun of results in meager 900 hits
After these two that are pretty clear I looked at adept at/in noun and here it gets murkier. On the first look at seems to be winning with 6.3k hits versus 2k hits for in. However a lot of those are nominalized verbs ending on -ing (7 out of the top 10). The other three are self as used in self-whatever (management, study...), problem in what looks to exclusively problem solving and finally mathematics. The last also claims the top three spot in the adept in search. That leaves 158 'at' vs 110 'in' for mathematics. Politics is 95 'at' to 66 'in'. Music however '137' in to just 50 'at'.
The only obvious pattern seems that noun or verb, if the word ends on -ing use adept at.
On a speculative note it might be shifting towards adept at noun, since a lot of entries in the adept in noun results are more obscure, old or fantasy based (alchemy, astrology, occult, sorcery, necromancy, woodcraft), they also seem more negative over all (deceit, crime, villainy, intrigue, politics ;)).
answered Aug 8 '16 at 14:21
HelmarHelmar
4,96472362
While the question has been closed on grounds I am not able to relate to, this answer has finally clarified this long sought-after question with both empiricism and humour. Thanks!
– dakab
Aug 31 '16 at 19:42
add a comment |
In short popularity wise two uses can be discerned:
Adept at word ending in -ing; E.g. I am adept at answering.
Adept in the noun of whatever; E.g. I am adept in the art of answering.
A dive into the digitized google corpus reveals some patterns:
- adept in verb(ing) results in 5k hits
- adept at verb(ing) results in 55k hits
Therefore at is widely more common when followed by such a verb.
Adept in/at, followed by the noun of, the result is different.
- adept in the noun of results in 4.7k hits
- adept at the noun of results in meager 900 hits
After these two that are pretty clear I looked at adept at/in noun and here it gets murkier. On the first look at seems to be winning with 6.3k hits versus 2k hits for in. However a lot of those are nominalized verbs ending on -ing (7 out of the top 10). The other three are self as used in self-whatever (management, study...), problem in what looks to exclusively problem solving and finally mathematics. The last also claims the top three spot in the adept in search. That leaves 158 'at' vs 110 'in' for mathematics. Politics is 95 'at' to 66 'in'. Music however '137' in to just 50 'at'.
The only obvious pattern seems that noun or verb, if the word ends on -ing use adept at.
On a speculative note it might be shifting towards adept at noun, since a lot of entries in the adept in noun results are more obscure, old or fantasy based (alchemy, astrology, occult, sorcery, necromancy, woodcraft), they also seem more negative over all (deceit, crime, villainy, intrigue, politics ;)).
answered Aug 8 '16 at 14:21
HelmarHelmar
4,96472362
In short popularity wise two uses can be discerned:
Adept at word ending in -ing; E.g. I am adept at answering.
Adept in the noun of whatever; E.g. I am adept in the art of answering.
A dive into the digitized google corpus reveals some patterns:
- adept in verb(ing) results in 5k hits
- adept at verb(ing) results in 55k hits
Therefore at is widely more common when followed by such a verb.
Adept in/at, followed by the noun of, the result is different.
- adept in the noun of results in 4.7k hits
- adept at the noun of results in meager 900 hits
After these two that are pretty clear I looked at adept at/in noun and here it gets murkier. On the first look at seems to be winning with 6.3k hits versus 2k hits for in. However a lot of those are nominalized verbs ending on -ing (7 out of the top 10). The other three are self as used in self-whatever (management, study...), problem in what looks to exclusively problem solving and finally mathematics. The last also claims the top three spot in the adept in search. That leaves 158 'at' vs 110 'in' for mathematics. Politics is 95 'at' to 66 'in'. Music however '137' in to just 50 'at'.
The only obvious pattern seems that noun or verb, if the word ends on -ing use adept at.
On a speculative note it might be shifting towards adept at noun, since a lot of entries in the adept in noun results are more obscure, old or fantasy based (alchemy, astrology, occult, sorcery, necromancy, woodcraft), they also seem more negative over all (deceit, crime, villainy, intrigue, politics ;)).
answered Aug 8 '16 at 14:21
HelmarHelmar
4,96472362
answered Aug 8 '16 at 14:21
HelmarHelmar
4,96472362
answered Aug 8 '16 at 14:21
HelmarHelmar
4,96472362
answered Aug 8 '16 at 14:21
HelmarHelmar
4,96472362
4,96472362
While the question has been closed on grounds I am not able to relate to, this answer has finally clarified this long sought-after question with both empiricism and humour. Thanks!
– dakab
Aug 31 '16 at 19:42
add a comment |
While the question has been closed on grounds I am not able to relate to, this answer has finally clarified this long sought-after question with both empiricism and humour. Thanks!
– dakab
Aug 31 '16 at 19:42
While the question has been closed on grounds I am not able to relate to, this answer has finally clarified this long sought-after question with both empiricism and humour. Thanks!
– dakab
Aug 31 '16 at 19:42
While the question has been closed on grounds I am not able to relate to, this answer has finally clarified this long sought-after question with both empiricism and humour. Thanks!
– dakab
Aug 31 '16 at 19:42
add a comment |
Well, shooting from the hip here, I'd guess that it should sound correct, but that answer is of no help to someone looking for a rule or a non-native English speaker.
I'll say that you'd use in when talking about a general skill and at when being more specific. Some examples which sound right to my ear:
He's adept at puzzle=making.
She's adept in the field of study regarding puzzle-making.
He's adept at making others look foolish.
She's adept in the art of making her adversaries look foolish.
answered Aug 7 '16 at 21:58
ChowzenChowzen
1437
2
While I think there's an element of truth in what you say, it's worse suggesting a rule that doesn't really work than making a less precise claim. If you compare Google hits for "adept in dancing" and "adept at dancing", you'll see they are approximately equal. Also, 'adept in needlework' and 'adept at needlework' give roughly similar results. 'Adept in sports' and 'adept at sports' are neck-and-neck. / Answers of the 'shooting-from-the-hip' variety are never exactly appreciated on ELU.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 22:14
@Edwin Ashworth It sounds to me like 2.5 million people out there are wrong. I do freelance copywriting and proofreading for extra cash and I would definitely at least suggest that "adept at the art of" be changed. It just sounds bad.
– Chowzen
Aug 7 '16 at 22:16
1
I think you make a valid point; the downvote isn't mine (though I'd guess it's for an unsupported answer). I've tried to find at least a partial pattern, linking say 'adept in' to 'skilled in' (followed by more 'verby' ing-forms, fields rather than particulars) and 'adept at' to 'good at', but results I wouldn't expect keep appearing in Google data. 'Skilled in chess' is the favoured form (19 / 20 relevant hits in the first two pages of 30 000 hits). 'Adept in fishing' seems to outperform the at-version.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:02
These two Google Ngrams provide more substantial evidence (than raw Google data) that 'adept at the art of' is becoming as acceptable as 'adept in the art of'. I'm with you in preferring the latter, but am anti-prescriptivist enough not to consider the alternative incorrect.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:16
@EdwinAshworth -- I never said that anything was "incorrect," I was going with what "sounds right to my ear." Also, by the by, the day you find me using Google Ngrams to determine whether a sentence sounds good or not is the day you'll find me dead at my desk, a letter opener protruding from my lifeless chest. :)
– Chowzen
Aug 7 '16 at 23:24
|
show 6 more comments
Well, shooting from the hip here, I'd guess that it should sound correct, but that answer is of no help to someone looking for a rule or a non-native English speaker.
I'll say that you'd use in when talking about a general skill and at when being more specific. Some examples which sound right to my ear:
He's adept at puzzle=making.
She's adept in the field of study regarding puzzle-making.
He's adept at making others look foolish.
She's adept in the art of making her adversaries look foolish.
answered Aug 7 '16 at 21:58
ChowzenChowzen
1437
2
While I think there's an element of truth in what you say, it's worse suggesting a rule that doesn't really work than making a less precise claim. If you compare Google hits for "adept in dancing" and "adept at dancing", you'll see they are approximately equal. Also, 'adept in needlework' and 'adept at needlework' give roughly similar results. 'Adept in sports' and 'adept at sports' are neck-and-neck. / Answers of the 'shooting-from-the-hip' variety are never exactly appreciated on ELU.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 22:14
@Edwin Ashworth It sounds to me like 2.5 million people out there are wrong. I do freelance copywriting and proofreading for extra cash and I would definitely at least suggest that "adept at the art of" be changed. It just sounds bad.
– Chowzen
Aug 7 '16 at 22:16
1
I think you make a valid point; the downvote isn't mine (though I'd guess it's for an unsupported answer). I've tried to find at least a partial pattern, linking say 'adept in' to 'skilled in' (followed by more 'verby' ing-forms, fields rather than particulars) and 'adept at' to 'good at', but results I wouldn't expect keep appearing in Google data. 'Skilled in chess' is the favoured form (19 / 20 relevant hits in the first two pages of 30 000 hits). 'Adept in fishing' seems to outperform the at-version.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:02
These two Google Ngrams provide more substantial evidence (than raw Google data) that 'adept at the art of' is becoming as acceptable as 'adept in the art of'. I'm with you in preferring the latter, but am anti-prescriptivist enough not to consider the alternative incorrect.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:16
@EdwinAshworth -- I never said that anything was "incorrect," I was going with what "sounds right to my ear." Also, by the by, the day you find me using Google Ngrams to determine whether a sentence sounds good or not is the day you'll find me dead at my desk, a letter opener protruding from my lifeless chest. :)
– Chowzen
Aug 7 '16 at 23:24
|
show 6 more comments
Well, shooting from the hip here, I'd guess that it should sound correct, but that answer is of no help to someone looking for a rule or a non-native English speaker.
I'll say that you'd use in when talking about a general skill and at when being more specific. Some examples which sound right to my ear:
He's adept at puzzle=making.
She's adept in the field of study regarding puzzle-making.
He's adept at making others look foolish.
She's adept in the art of making her adversaries look foolish.
answered Aug 7 '16 at 21:58
ChowzenChowzen
1437
Well, shooting from the hip here, I'd guess that it should sound correct, but that answer is of no help to someone looking for a rule or a non-native English speaker.
I'll say that you'd use in when talking about a general skill and at when being more specific. Some examples which sound right to my ear:
He's adept at puzzle=making.
She's adept in the field of study regarding puzzle-making.
He's adept at making others look foolish.
She's adept in the art of making her adversaries look foolish.
answered Aug 7 '16 at 21:58
ChowzenChowzen
1437
edited 2 hours ago
answered Aug 7 '16 at 21:58
ChowzenChowzen
1437
answered Aug 7 '16 at 21:58
ChowzenChowzen
1437
answered Aug 7 '16 at 21:58
ChowzenChowzen
1437
1437
2
While I think there's an element of truth in what you say, it's worse suggesting a rule that doesn't really work than making a less precise claim. If you compare Google hits for "adept in dancing" and "adept at dancing", you'll see they are approximately equal. Also, 'adept in needlework' and 'adept at needlework' give roughly similar results. 'Adept in sports' and 'adept at sports' are neck-and-neck. / Answers of the 'shooting-from-the-hip' variety are never exactly appreciated on ELU.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 22:14
@Edwin Ashworth It sounds to me like 2.5 million people out there are wrong. I do freelance copywriting and proofreading for extra cash and I would definitely at least suggest that "adept at the art of" be changed. It just sounds bad.
– Chowzen
Aug 7 '16 at 22:16
1
I think you make a valid point; the downvote isn't mine (though I'd guess it's for an unsupported answer). I've tried to find at least a partial pattern, linking say 'adept in' to 'skilled in' (followed by more 'verby' ing-forms, fields rather than particulars) and 'adept at' to 'good at', but results I wouldn't expect keep appearing in Google data. 'Skilled in chess' is the favoured form (19 / 20 relevant hits in the first two pages of 30 000 hits). 'Adept in fishing' seems to outperform the at-version.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:02
These two Google Ngrams provide more substantial evidence (than raw Google data) that 'adept at the art of' is becoming as acceptable as 'adept in the art of'. I'm with you in preferring the latter, but am anti-prescriptivist enough not to consider the alternative incorrect.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:16
@EdwinAshworth -- I never said that anything was "incorrect," I was going with what "sounds right to my ear." Also, by the by, the day you find me using Google Ngrams to determine whether a sentence sounds good or not is the day you'll find me dead at my desk, a letter opener protruding from my lifeless chest. :)
– Chowzen
Aug 7 '16 at 23:24
|
show 6 more comments
2
While I think there's an element of truth in what you say, it's worse suggesting a rule that doesn't really work than making a less precise claim. If you compare Google hits for "adept in dancing" and "adept at dancing", you'll see they are approximately equal. Also, 'adept in needlework' and 'adept at needlework' give roughly similar results. 'Adept in sports' and 'adept at sports' are neck-and-neck. / Answers of the 'shooting-from-the-hip' variety are never exactly appreciated on ELU.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 22:14
@Edwin Ashworth It sounds to me like 2.5 million people out there are wrong. I do freelance copywriting and proofreading for extra cash and I would definitely at least suggest that "adept at the art of" be changed. It just sounds bad.
– Chowzen
Aug 7 '16 at 22:16
1
I think you make a valid point; the downvote isn't mine (though I'd guess it's for an unsupported answer). I've tried to find at least a partial pattern, linking say 'adept in' to 'skilled in' (followed by more 'verby' ing-forms, fields rather than particulars) and 'adept at' to 'good at', but results I wouldn't expect keep appearing in Google data. 'Skilled in chess' is the favoured form (19 / 20 relevant hits in the first two pages of 30 000 hits). 'Adept in fishing' seems to outperform the at-version.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:02
These two Google Ngrams provide more substantial evidence (than raw Google data) that 'adept at the art of' is becoming as acceptable as 'adept in the art of'. I'm with you in preferring the latter, but am anti-prescriptivist enough not to consider the alternative incorrect.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:16
@EdwinAshworth -- I never said that anything was "incorrect," I was going with what "sounds right to my ear." Also, by the by, the day you find me using Google Ngrams to determine whether a sentence sounds good or not is the day you'll find me dead at my desk, a letter opener protruding from my lifeless chest. :)
– Chowzen
Aug 7 '16 at 23:24
2
2
While I think there's an element of truth in what you say, it's worse suggesting a rule that doesn't really work than making a less precise claim. If you compare Google hits for "adept in dancing" and "adept at dancing", you'll see they are approximately equal. Also, 'adept in needlework' and 'adept at needlework' give roughly similar results. 'Adept in sports' and 'adept at sports' are neck-and-neck. / Answers of the 'shooting-from-the-hip' variety are never exactly appreciated on ELU.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 22:14
While I think there's an element of truth in what you say, it's worse suggesting a rule that doesn't really work than making a less precise claim. If you compare Google hits for "adept in dancing" and "adept at dancing", you'll see they are approximately equal. Also, 'adept in needlework' and 'adept at needlework' give roughly similar results. 'Adept in sports' and 'adept at sports' are neck-and-neck. / Answers of the 'shooting-from-the-hip' variety are never exactly appreciated on ELU.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 22:14
@Edwin Ashworth It sounds to me like 2.5 million people out there are wrong. I do freelance copywriting and proofreading for extra cash and I would definitely at least suggest that "adept at the art of" be changed. It just sounds bad.
– Chowzen
Aug 7 '16 at 22:16
@Edwin Ashworth It sounds to me like 2.5 million people out there are wrong. I do freelance copywriting and proofreading for extra cash and I would definitely at least suggest that "adept at the art of" be changed. It just sounds bad.
– Chowzen
Aug 7 '16 at 22:16
1
1
I think you make a valid point; the downvote isn't mine (though I'd guess it's for an unsupported answer). I've tried to find at least a partial pattern, linking say 'adept in' to 'skilled in' (followed by more 'verby' ing-forms, fields rather than particulars) and 'adept at' to 'good at', but results I wouldn't expect keep appearing in Google data. 'Skilled in chess' is the favoured form (19 / 20 relevant hits in the first two pages of 30 000 hits). 'Adept in fishing' seems to outperform the at-version.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:02
I think you make a valid point; the downvote isn't mine (though I'd guess it's for an unsupported answer). I've tried to find at least a partial pattern, linking say 'adept in' to 'skilled in' (followed by more 'verby' ing-forms, fields rather than particulars) and 'adept at' to 'good at', but results I wouldn't expect keep appearing in Google data. 'Skilled in chess' is the favoured form (19 / 20 relevant hits in the first two pages of 30 000 hits). 'Adept in fishing' seems to outperform the at-version.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:02
These two Google Ngrams provide more substantial evidence (than raw Google data) that 'adept at the art of' is becoming as acceptable as 'adept in the art of'. I'm with you in preferring the latter, but am anti-prescriptivist enough not to consider the alternative incorrect.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:16
These two Google Ngrams provide more substantial evidence (than raw Google data) that 'adept at the art of' is becoming as acceptable as 'adept in the art of'. I'm with you in preferring the latter, but am anti-prescriptivist enough not to consider the alternative incorrect.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:16
@EdwinAshworth -- I never said that anything was "incorrect," I was going with what "sounds right to my ear." Also, by the by, the day you find me using Google Ngrams to determine whether a sentence sounds good or not is the day you'll find me dead at my desk, a letter opener protruding from my lifeless chest. :)
– Chowzen
Aug 7 '16 at 23:24
@EdwinAshworth -- I never said that anything was "incorrect," I was going with what "sounds right to my ear." Also, by the by, the day you find me using Google Ngrams to determine whether a sentence sounds good or not is the day you'll find me dead at my desk, a letter opener protruding from my lifeless chest. :)
– Chowzen
Aug 7 '16 at 23:24
|
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I think you're quite right. Even finding the more common pairing on Google ('adept in fishing', say) doesn't guarantee the best answer, and dictionaries below OED level seem of little use. The few Google Ngram pairs I've checked suggest choices I'd feel happier with.
– Edwin Ashworth
Aug 7 '16 at 23:06
Adept in a field. Adept at a skill.
– Hot Licks
2 hours ago