ability

The word "ability" is a noun that refers to the skills that a person has. What can he or she do? The word "ability" is related to the word "able."

• Describe your abilities. (What are you able to do?)
• She was hired for her abilities.
• Tom has the ability to play music by ear.
• The ability to speak two different languages well is a great accomplishment.
• What does the coach think about Jose’s ability to play soccer after his injury?
• The President is widely admired for his ability to manage a crisis.
• Sandra lacks the ability to sing well. (She’s not good at singing.)
• They have no ability to pay their bills this month.
• His inability to get to work on time is the reason why he was fired. (Use the prefix "in" to negate this word.)
• The company was criticized for its inability to fix the problem.
• If you don’t have the ability to lift heavy objects, you can’t become a firefighter.

He’s a firefighter.

Note: The "t" in "ability" sounds more like a "d" than a hard "t."

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October 1, 2013