athletic/athletics

[kukinecka]

Hello everyone,

I have a problem with word formation, - My dad used to be really fit and was on his college ____________ team. ATHLETE

(btw, wouldn't be the preposition In better?)

The correct answer should be athletics, but why not athletic? Is there any difference?

In another exercise I have a sentence : They always paly in a very athletic way. --- Why not athletics? both words are used as adjectives!

Thank you very much for advice!!!

[2006]

Hello everyone,

I have a problem with word formation, - My dad used to be really fit and was on his college ____________ team. ATHLETE

(btw, wouldn't be the preposition In better?)
(btw, wouldn't the preposition 'in' be better?) (you could also italicize in to make it stand out)
No, we say people are 'on teams', not 'in teams'.

The correct answer should be athletics, but why not athletic? Is there any difference? Yes, "athletics" means 'sports/track and field'. It was (a sports)(an athletics) team.
An 'athletic team' means that the team members are athletic, and that is not what the sentence wants to express.

In another exercise I have a sentence : They always play in a very athletic way. --- Why not athletics? both words are used as adjectives! not in the same way (see below)

"athletic" is an adjective.
"athletics" is a noun, but like most nouns can sometimes function as an adjective. (for example, 'the athletics department')

But "athletics" can not modify the noun "way".

2006