"skilled in" vs "skilled at"

[newbie]

Hi,

What's the difference between "skilled in" and "skilled at"?
And which usage is more natural/common?

Many thanks
Newbie

 

[rapsodia85]

It is just optional.

 

[banderas]

Hi,

What's the difference between "skilled in" and "skilled at"?
And which usage is more natural/common?

Many thanks
Newbie

There are no strict rules but tendency to use "skilled at doing something" and "skilled in something (in a field)".
He is skilled in diplomacy.
He is an experienced diplomat skilled at revealing little.

 

[bhaisahab]

There are no strict rules but tendency to use "skilled at doing something" and "skilled in something (in a field)".
He is skilled in diplomacy.
He is an experienced diplomat skilled at revealing little.

I agree.:-D

 

[newbie]

He is an experienced diplomat skilled at revealing little.

=> Excuse me but I don't understand this sentence very clearly. What does it mean "revealing little"?

Many thanks
Newbie

 

[2006]

=> Excuse me but I don't understand this sentence very clearly. What does it mean "revealing little"?

Many thanks
Newbie

Say 'What does "revealing little" mean?'
It means not giving out much information.

 

[newbie]

Say 'What does "revealing little" mean?'

Thanks a lot, 2006. Actually I've heard people say "what does it mean X" for many times, and so I myself also use it very often (no teacher objects to it so far). Now I just want to ask this: Is the use of "what does X mean" more formal than "what does it mean X"?

Many thanks once again.
Newbie.

 

[banderas]

Now I just want to ask this: Is the use of
"what does X mean" :tick:

"what does it mean X"?:cross:

d

 

[tzfujimino]

"What does it mean by X?" is OK, I think.:-D

I'm not a native speaker of English, so please forgive me if I'm wrong.

 

[tedtmc]

not a teacher nor native speaker

What does it mean by X? is not OK
What do you mean by X? is OK
X - what does it mean? is OK

 

[banderas]

What do you mean by X? is OK

Or What do you mean X?

 

[tzfujimino]

Thank you!

Ah...yes....

I mean sth by (saying/stating) sth.
･･･What do you mean by (saying/stating) sth?:-D

Well...what I mean is....

"What does it mean by.....?" is not OK because....

"by...." is redundant. "it" and "...." are the same thing, therefore, there's no need to add "by...."

Am I correct?

 

[rapsodia85]

In every dictionary you will find it optional and your sentences don't change it in any way...

 

[bhaisahab]

In every dictionary you will find it optional and your sentences don't change it in any way...

Absolutely correct.

 

[2006]

Thanks a lot, 2006. Actually I've heard people say "what does it mean X" for many times, and so I myself also use it very often (no teacher objects to it so far). Perhaps your teachers are not native speakers (who speak standard English).
Now I just want to ask this: Is the use of "what does X mean" more formal than "what does it mean X"? It is not a matter of formality; it is a matter using of correct English. There no reason to use "it" and "X" in your question! "What does X mean?" is correct.

Many thanks once again.
Newbie.

2006

 

[Soup]

"What does it mean by X?" is OK, I think.:-D

I'm not a native speaker of English, so please forgive me if I'm wrong.

Ex: What does it mean by X? :cross:
Ex: What do you mean by X? :tick:
​

Newbie's sentence What does it mean "revealing little"? if spoken is fine; however, if written it should have a comma,

Ex: What does it mean, revealing little? :tick:

​

The comma tells us that revealing little is an afterthought: the author is spelling out/stating the pronoun's referent; it = revealing little.


A more economical way to put it, as 2006 has shown, is

Ex: What does revealing little mean? :tick:
​

 

[Soup]

"What does it mean by.....?" is not OK because....

"by...." is redundant. "it" and "...." are the same thing, therefore, there's no need to add "by...."

Am I correct?

Yes, if you're talking about Newbie's question *what does it mean revealing little? It's ungrammatical if we forget to separatethe added information revealing little from the clause. Note, however,

Max: I was typing away on the computer when a screen popped up saying, "Toggle?" What does it/the computer mean by that? :tick:


​