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Tinanam0102 Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Skilled and skillful

Hi teachers,

In one article it says: "skilled" cannot be "very skilled", "most skilled", or "more skilled", however "skillful" can be used wtih very, most, and more.

And I'm confused because Merriam Webster's says: a very skilled writer.

My understanding is:

He's skilled at cooking

He's very/ more/ most skillful at cooking

but not

He's very/ more/ most skilled at cooking

Am I understanding it correctly?
  

Top answer

I'd follow Webster's. I don't think the prescription on 'skilled' as an ungradable adjective is valid anymore, if it ever was. Few ungradables are actually ungraded nowadays.

— Mister Micawber

  • I'd follow Webster's.
  • I don't think the prescription on 'skilled' as an ungradable adjective is valid anymore, if it ever was.
  • Few ungradables are actually ungraded nowadays.
  • 'Unique' may even be unique in that respect.
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7 Answers
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I'd follow Webster's. I don't think the prescription on 'skilled' as an ungradable adjective is valid anymore, if it ever was. Few ungradables are actually ungraded nowadays. 'Unique' may even be unique in that respect.
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I think "main, staple and free" also fall into that category. I'm quite sure that there are many others that I can't think of right now.
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Hi Mister Micawber,

Thanks for answering my question.

Can you please me a sentence where "skilled" is not but not "skillful"?

Thank you.

Tinanam
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I'm not sure there's any sentence where they are not possibly interchangeable, but there are certainly lots of collocated phrases that naturally take one or the other:

a skilled doctor/swordsman/craftsman; highly skilled (at); skillful with one's hands.
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Hi Mister Micawber,

Do you mean the collocation prefers

1. a skilled doctor/swordman/craftsman over a skillful doctor/swordman/craftman

2. highly skilled at over highly skillful at

3. skillful with one's hand over skilled with one's hand

Thanks

Tinanam
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To me, "skilled" has a higher registered than "skillful", I am not sure if that's what Mr.M was referring to by "upgradable"..

Usually, we use the word "skilled" with adverbs like "highly" and "extremely", among few others to describes ones professional qualifty. These references are mostly assocaited with highly valued professions such as engineers, pilots, surgeons, and so on. Skillful-
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