可以说"increase one's writing abilities吗
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回复: 可以说"increase one's writing abilities吗
I am not saying that what is found in a corpus is always "correct" - here are some examples of "ability" collocating with "increase" from the BNC.
ASH 1091 The horse may also snort, which clears the respiratory tract, thereby increasing his smelling ability and also allowing ease of breathing if the object proves to be dangerous and flight is necessary.
AYK 233 Increase your mental ability : Research has shown that, all other things being equal, the person who exercises regularly performs better in tests requiring mental agility.
B05 375 It would be a pity if our spirituality did not increase in us the ability sometimes to laugh, especially at ourselves!
B10 1143 If your child does something you do not like, such as losing her temper too easily, you may increase her ability to think first and hold her temper by penalizing her consistently for failing to do so; in this way you are providing an “incentive” for her efforts to keep her cool.
B2G 1579 It is unwise for the average psychic to try to increase psychic ability.
B3G 1447 A gentle form of exercise, such as Yoga and Tai Chi, will also increase ability to relax — an effective way of coping with conditions such a high blood pressure.
B78 956 This will cut the cost of solar cells by more than half, and increase their ability to convert light to electricity.
C9R 1876 Redirect the stressful tension or release it, and you increase your ability.
CAL 930 We should aim to increase people 's ability to participate in, and gain the rewards of, wealth creation, rather than limit ourselves to what is, at best, the palliative of redistributive taxation.
CEF 1838 Seek training and learning to increase your ability and specialist knowledge.
CJ3 1651 Thus, unlike the others, the mountain goat does not have to walk continuously on the sides of its hooves : when it is leaping or running, the side of the hoof will give, bringing a much greater area of the toe into contact with the ground and greatly increasing the animal 's ability to keep a grip on the icy rock.
ED5 1579 Either finance local services from central funds and cease to pretend that local autonomy exists, or increase the ability of local authorities to raise their own income.
EEF 941 Improved communications have increased the ability of firms in some sectors to provide a service at a distance, as for mail-order shopping and database management.
FAH 1969 Accelerated rates of change demand improved organization and procedures to increase the ability to adapt to new conditions and to conserve money by well-designed, economical manufacturing; keeping this in focus often requires a single vision.
FBP 674 It is also possible that Grb2 or Sos proteins are modified by other signals emitted from activated receptors to compromise or increase their ability to couple.
FE6 1336 This will have two major benefits : first, the amount of data transferred can be considerably reduced; second, the presentation of any of the necessary information will greatly increase the designer 's ability to make a correct assessment of the design problem.
FP0 2892 “Do n't forget, Marron,” the captain said harshly, “the bluelight is supposed to increase your ability to select appropriate options — you know, make you more decisive.
G0U 1726 to enlarge abilities : organisations increase productive ability because they make possible both :
GWJ 1472 They point out that services need to be aware of carers ' histories and their responses to stress, and that retirement may not necessarily increase a person 's ability or willingness to become an informal carer.
GX3 229 These include : awareness in information technology, materials and other widely applicable technologies; support for technology transfer infrastructure, including strengthening industrial units and technology audits in Higher Education Institutes; and programmes which increase the ability of firms to undertake technology transfer, including the Teacher Company Scheme, the Consultancy Initiative and Managing in the '90s.
HAC 1097 Spells may be cast at your own character to increase ability.
HH2 1551 Vickers ' analysis suggests that paradoxically this creation of new agencies to regulate such activities has actually increased the ability of government to intervene in certain areas of the economy.
HP4 1268 “The rights issue will substantially increase our ability to fund recovery and to set the Group on course for long-term growth.
HP5 298 The unit increases our ability to manufacture unleaded motor spirit.
I am not saying that what is found in a corpus is always "correct" - here are some examples of "ability" collocating with "increase" from the BNC.
ASH 1091 The horse may also snort, which clears the respiratory tract, thereby increasing his smelling ability and also allowing ease of breathing if the object proves to be dangerous and flight is necessary.
AYK 233 Increase your mental ability : Research has shown that, all other things being equal, the person who exercises regularly performs better in tests requiring mental agility.
B05 375 It would be a pity if our spirituality did not increase in us the ability sometimes to laugh, especially at ourselves!
B10 1143 If your child does something you do not like, such as losing her temper too easily, you may increase her ability to think first and hold her temper by penalizing her consistently for failing to do so; in this way you are providing an “incentive” for her efforts to keep her cool.
B2G 1579 It is unwise for the average psychic to try to increase psychic ability.
B3G 1447 A gentle form of exercise, such as Yoga and Tai Chi, will also increase ability to relax — an effective way of coping with conditions such a high blood pressure.
B78 956 This will cut the cost of solar cells by more than half, and increase their ability to convert light to electricity.
C9R 1876 Redirect the stressful tension or release it, and you increase your ability.
CAL 930 We should aim to increase people 's ability to participate in, and gain the rewards of, wealth creation, rather than limit ourselves to what is, at best, the palliative of redistributive taxation.
CEF 1838 Seek training and learning to increase your ability and specialist knowledge.
CJ3 1651 Thus, unlike the others, the mountain goat does not have to walk continuously on the sides of its hooves : when it is leaping or running, the side of the hoof will give, bringing a much greater area of the toe into contact with the ground and greatly increasing the animal 's ability to keep a grip on the icy rock.
ED5 1579 Either finance local services from central funds and cease to pretend that local autonomy exists, or increase the ability of local authorities to raise their own income.
EEF 941 Improved communications have increased the ability of firms in some sectors to provide a service at a distance, as for mail-order shopping and database management.
FAH 1969 Accelerated rates of change demand improved organization and procedures to increase the ability to adapt to new conditions and to conserve money by well-designed, economical manufacturing; keeping this in focus often requires a single vision.
FBP 674 It is also possible that Grb2 or Sos proteins are modified by other signals emitted from activated receptors to compromise or increase their ability to couple.
FE6 1336 This will have two major benefits : first, the amount of data transferred can be considerably reduced; second, the presentation of any of the necessary information will greatly increase the designer 's ability to make a correct assessment of the design problem.
FP0 2892 “Do n't forget, Marron,” the captain said harshly, “the bluelight is supposed to increase your ability to select appropriate options — you know, make you more decisive.
G0U 1726 to enlarge abilities : organisations increase productive ability because they make possible both :
GWJ 1472 They point out that services need to be aware of carers ' histories and their responses to stress, and that retirement may not necessarily increase a person 's ability or willingness to become an informal carer.
GX3 229 These include : awareness in information technology, materials and other widely applicable technologies; support for technology transfer infrastructure, including strengthening industrial units and technology audits in Higher Education Institutes; and programmes which increase the ability of firms to undertake technology transfer, including the Teacher Company Scheme, the Consultancy Initiative and Managing in the '90s.
HAC 1097 Spells may be cast at your own character to increase ability.
HH2 1551 Vickers ' analysis suggests that paradoxically this creation of new agencies to regulate such activities has actually increased the ability of government to intervene in certain areas of the economy.
HP4 1268 “The rights issue will substantially increase our ability to fund recovery and to set the Group on course for long-term growth.
HP5 298 The unit increases our ability to manufacture unleaded motor spirit.
回复: 可以说"increase one's writing abilities吗
The experts insist that "improve one's writing" rather than "increase" or "raise one's writing ability" is native English. We all know it is safe to say "improve one's writing ability", but what would you do if many of our students use "inrease one's writing ability"? Can we rely on the corpus to convince them? Or is there some other way we can do? Thanks
The experts insist that "improve one's writing" rather than "increase" or "raise one's writing ability" is native English. We all know it is safe to say "improve one's writing ability", but what would you do if many of our students use "inrease one's writing ability"? Can we rely on the corpus to convince them? Or is there some other way we can do? Thanks
回复: Re: 可以说"increase one's writing abilities吗
Absolutely. In term of V+O combination, my intuitions (which can be tested against a corpus) are that "improve" or "develop" are more "idiomatic" than "increase" when it collocate with "ability" of individuals; "writing" also collocates with "ability". The most obvious "problem" is the plural "abilities" - of course we cannot say "writing abilities" is "wrong" (see the BNS example ...both the quality of the quartet and the young New Yorker's evident writing abilities); it's just atypical. "reading and writing abilities" would be more acceptable.
BTW - I think "improve one's writing skills" would be better than "increase one's writing ability".
Absolutely. In term of V+O combination, my intuitions (which can be tested against a corpus) are that "improve" or "develop" are more "idiomatic" than "increase" when it collocate with "ability" of individuals; "writing" also collocates with "ability". The most obvious "problem" is the plural "abilities" - of course we cannot say "writing abilities" is "wrong" (see the BNS example ...both the quality of the quartet and the young New Yorker's evident writing abilities); it's just atypical. "reading and writing abilities" would be more acceptable.
BTW - I think "improve one's writing skills" would be better than "increase one's writing ability".
回复: Re: 可以说"increase one's writing abilities吗
Yes. The expert's option is also "improve one's writing skills". My question is: On what basis can we decide that "inrease one's writing ability" is wrong (but not less good), as the experts hold? Experience? Intuition?
As I plan to introduce corpus into my teaching, I hope experts here can help me solve the problem. Thanks.
Yes. The expert's option is also "improve one's writing skills". My question is: On what basis can we decide that "inrease one's writing ability" is wrong (but not less good), as the experts hold? Experience? Intuition?
As I plan to introduce corpus into my teaching, I hope experts here can help me solve the problem. Thanks.
回复: 可以说"increase one's writing abilities吗
"increase one's writing ability" is NOT wrong. It is just less typical or central ("less good"). You can check a well designed corpus for statistical tendency. This is where a corpus can be of use - intuitions are notoriously unreliable in matters of frequencies and quantification.
"increase one's writing ability" is NOT wrong. It is just less typical or central ("less good"). You can check a well designed corpus for statistical tendency. This is where a corpus can be of use - intuitions are notoriously unreliable in matters of frequencies and quantification.
回复: 可以说"increase one's writing abilities吗
Refer to its frequency in a corpus, compare and show the result to your students to convince them.The more frequently it is used the more idiomatic it should be, thus more acceptable.
Refer to its frequency in a corpus, compare and show the result to your students to convince them.The more frequently it is used the more idiomatic it should be, thus more acceptable.