{"id":12208,"date":"2022-11-19T23:50:13","date_gmt":"2022-11-19T20:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/starlanguageblog.com\/?p=12208"},"modified":"2022-11-19T23:50:13","modified_gmt":"2022-11-19T20:50:13","slug":"proficient-in-or-with-a-or-an-before-u","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.starlanguageblog.com\/proficient-in-or-with-a-or-an-before-u\/","title":{"rendered":"Proficient in Or with? a Or an Before u?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Proficient in Or with? a Or an Before u?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Proficient has been in the English language since 1526 when it was initially used to describe someone skilled at playing music. It comes from the Latin word<\/a> proficient, which means progressing or making progress.<\/span><\/p>\n

The word’s root can also be found in English words such as proficient and progression. It carries the same meaning today \u2013 an expert or a highly qualified individual with expertise in their field.<\/span><\/p>\n

English language rules<\/span><\/h2>\n

There needs to be some clarification about whether to use the word proficient in grammar, syntax, and spelling. The word proficient can be used as both a noun and an adjective. As a noun, it means skilled at something, competent enough to do something well.<\/span><\/p>\n

When discussing a subject, the phrase “proficient in” is commonly used: “proficient in science,” “proficient in auto mechanics,” and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n

When discussing a tool, the phrase “proficient with” is used: “proficient with a hammer,” “proficient with the violin.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The phrase “proficient at” refers to a specific activity: “proficient at swimming” or “proficient at building houses.”<\/span><\/p>\n

With is an instrumental usage, as if English is a tool \u2014 proficient with knives, proficient with horses, proficient with languages, mainly English. Perfectly cromulent, but I suspect not frequently encountered.<\/span><\/p>\n

At is a punctual locative, referring to a specific location in a larger area or metaphoric space (e.g., in May, on Tuesday, at 2:34 p.m.) \u2014 proficient at locating his deer every year, proficient at locating the flaw in my argument, proficient at language<\/a> and language games.<\/span><\/p>\n

In general, proficient (or skilled) cannot take just any clause or phrase as its object; it must be some activity that is learnable, repeatable, and worth repeating. For example, *proficient in going down to Joe’s and bringing me a ham on rye right now, *proficient in being late three times out of four, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

I’m sure there is a slew of other constraints governing the object of in with proficient, and best of luck in figuring them out.<\/span><\/p>\n

Proficient in vs. Proficient with<\/span><\/h2>\n

The word proficient can be used as either an adjective or an adverb and have different meanings. For example, if the word proficient is used as an adjective, it means competent, skilled, experienced, or competent.<\/span><\/p>\n

If the word proficient is used as an adverb, to a very large extent, extremely, very, very well, very, very high.<\/span><\/p>\n