Is “I am abysmal at writing” grammatically correct?
It sounds wrong to me - I would consider "My writing is abysmal" or "I write abysmally" as the correct forms.
"I am abysmal at writing" sounds like "I am fast at eating"
Is it correct or wrong? If not, what grammatical rule applies here?
grammaticality
asked 4 hours ago
rep_movsd
1033
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It sounds wrong to me - I would consider "My writing is abysmal" or "I write abysmally" as the correct forms.
"I am abysmal at writing" sounds like "I am fast at eating"
Is it correct or wrong? If not, what grammatical rule applies here?
grammaticality
asked 4 hours ago
rep_movsd
1033
New contributor
rep_movsd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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1
This is not a question of grammar, but of style. Both sentences are grammatical enough. "I am fast at eating" sounds a bit off, but that's probably because the adjective is a tad unusual there. Cf. "I am good at eating" which sounds fine, at least to my ear. More idiomatic would be "I am a fast eater."
– Robusto
4 hours ago
add a comment |
It sounds wrong to me - I would consider "My writing is abysmal" or "I write abysmally" as the correct forms.
"I am abysmal at writing" sounds like "I am fast at eating"
Is it correct or wrong? If not, what grammatical rule applies here?
grammaticality
asked 4 hours ago
rep_movsd
1033
New contributor
rep_movsd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
It sounds wrong to me - I would consider "My writing is abysmal" or "I write abysmally" as the correct forms.
"I am abysmal at writing" sounds like "I am fast at eating"
Is it correct or wrong? If not, what grammatical rule applies here?
grammaticality
grammaticality
asked 4 hours ago
rep_movsd
1033
New contributor
rep_movsd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 4 hours ago
rep_movsd
1033
New contributor
rep_movsd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 4 hours ago
rep_movsd
1033
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rep_movsd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 4 hours ago
rep_movsd
1033
asked 4 hours ago
rep_movsd
1033
1033
New contributor
rep_movsd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
rep_movsd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
rep_movsd is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
This is not a question of grammar, but of style. Both sentences are grammatical enough. "I am fast at eating" sounds a bit off, but that's probably because the adjective is a tad unusual there. Cf. "I am good at eating" which sounds fine, at least to my ear. More idiomatic would be "I am a fast eater."
– Robusto
4 hours ago
add a comment |
1
This is not a question of grammar, but of style. Both sentences are grammatical enough. "I am fast at eating" sounds a bit off, but that's probably because the adjective is a tad unusual there. Cf. "I am good at eating" which sounds fine, at least to my ear. More idiomatic would be "I am a fast eater."
– Robusto
4 hours ago
1
1
This is not a question of grammar, but of style. Both sentences are grammatical enough. "I am fast at eating" sounds a bit off, but that's probably because the adjective is a tad unusual there. Cf. "I am good at eating" which sounds fine, at least to my ear. More idiomatic would be "I am a fast eater."
– Robusto
4 hours ago
This is not a question of grammar, but of style. Both sentences are grammatical enough. "I am fast at eating" sounds a bit off, but that's probably because the adjective is a tad unusual there. Cf. "I am good at eating" which sounds fine, at least to my ear. More idiomatic would be "I am a fast eater."
– Robusto
4 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
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If someone told me
I am abysmal at writing.
I might ask them why they think that, but I wouldn't blink at the usage. Indeed, a ton of variants can be generated in a similar mold:
I am great at sharpshooting.
I am superb at bowling.
I am horrible at eating neatly.
In this kind of expression, it works because the adjective is evaluative and a sign of quality: how good or bad am I at the given activity? Your example sounds more awkward because "fast" isn't in itself evaluative. That could be good or bad, depending on whether I'm eating in a fine restaurant or wolfing down a burger to make it to a plane.
The Oxford English Dictionary (paywalled, or I would link) confirms this usage in at, prep.:
- Connecting adjectives of occupation and proficiency, or their substantives, with a thing or action.
Wiktionary's entry (number 11 in this subcategory) describes the same usage.
So the adjectives have to involve occupation and proficiency, and be connected to a thing or action that will accommodate them. This can take all kinds of forms, including being affixed to the end of a subject / copula / predicate adjective sentence.
answered 4 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
95710
add a comment |
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If someone told me
I am abysmal at writing.
I might ask them why they think that, but I wouldn't blink at the usage. Indeed, a ton of variants can be generated in a similar mold:
I am great at sharpshooting.
I am superb at bowling.
I am horrible at eating neatly.
In this kind of expression, it works because the adjective is evaluative and a sign of quality: how good or bad am I at the given activity? Your example sounds more awkward because "fast" isn't in itself evaluative. That could be good or bad, depending on whether I'm eating in a fine restaurant or wolfing down a burger to make it to a plane.
The Oxford English Dictionary (paywalled, or I would link) confirms this usage in at, prep.:
- Connecting adjectives of occupation and proficiency, or their substantives, with a thing or action.
Wiktionary's entry (number 11 in this subcategory) describes the same usage.
So the adjectives have to involve occupation and proficiency, and be connected to a thing or action that will accommodate them. This can take all kinds of forms, including being affixed to the end of a subject / copula / predicate adjective sentence.
answered 4 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
95710
add a comment |
If someone told me
I am abysmal at writing.
I might ask them why they think that, but I wouldn't blink at the usage. Indeed, a ton of variants can be generated in a similar mold:
I am great at sharpshooting.
I am superb at bowling.
I am horrible at eating neatly.
In this kind of expression, it works because the adjective is evaluative and a sign of quality: how good or bad am I at the given activity? Your example sounds more awkward because "fast" isn't in itself evaluative. That could be good or bad, depending on whether I'm eating in a fine restaurant or wolfing down a burger to make it to a plane.
The Oxford English Dictionary (paywalled, or I would link) confirms this usage in at, prep.:
- Connecting adjectives of occupation and proficiency, or their substantives, with a thing or action.
Wiktionary's entry (number 11 in this subcategory) describes the same usage.
So the adjectives have to involve occupation and proficiency, and be connected to a thing or action that will accommodate them. This can take all kinds of forms, including being affixed to the end of a subject / copula / predicate adjective sentence.
answered 4 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
95710
add a comment |
If someone told me
I am abysmal at writing.
I might ask them why they think that, but I wouldn't blink at the usage. Indeed, a ton of variants can be generated in a similar mold:
I am great at sharpshooting.
I am superb at bowling.
I am horrible at eating neatly.
In this kind of expression, it works because the adjective is evaluative and a sign of quality: how good or bad am I at the given activity? Your example sounds more awkward because "fast" isn't in itself evaluative. That could be good or bad, depending on whether I'm eating in a fine restaurant or wolfing down a burger to make it to a plane.
The Oxford English Dictionary (paywalled, or I would link) confirms this usage in at, prep.:
- Connecting adjectives of occupation and proficiency, or their substantives, with a thing or action.
Wiktionary's entry (number 11 in this subcategory) describes the same usage.
So the adjectives have to involve occupation and proficiency, and be connected to a thing or action that will accommodate them. This can take all kinds of forms, including being affixed to the end of a subject / copula / predicate adjective sentence.
answered 4 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
95710
If someone told me
I am abysmal at writing.
I might ask them why they think that, but I wouldn't blink at the usage. Indeed, a ton of variants can be generated in a similar mold:
I am great at sharpshooting.
I am superb at bowling.
I am horrible at eating neatly.
In this kind of expression, it works because the adjective is evaluative and a sign of quality: how good or bad am I at the given activity? Your example sounds more awkward because "fast" isn't in itself evaluative. That could be good or bad, depending on whether I'm eating in a fine restaurant or wolfing down a burger to make it to a plane.
The Oxford English Dictionary (paywalled, or I would link) confirms this usage in at, prep.:
- Connecting adjectives of occupation and proficiency, or their substantives, with a thing or action.
Wiktionary's entry (number 11 in this subcategory) describes the same usage.
So the adjectives have to involve occupation and proficiency, and be connected to a thing or action that will accommodate them. This can take all kinds of forms, including being affixed to the end of a subject / copula / predicate adjective sentence.
answered 4 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
95710
answered 4 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
95710
answered 4 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
95710
answered 4 hours ago
TaliesinMerlin
95710
95710
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add a comment |
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1
This is not a question of grammar, but of style. Both sentences are grammatical enough. "I am fast at eating" sounds a bit off, but that's probably because the adjective is a tad unusual there. Cf. "I am good at eating" which sounds fine, at least to my ear. More idiomatic would be "I am a fast eater."
– Robusto
4 hours ago