The Grammar Gardener

Do you like to weed unwieldy sentences to sow your wild commas? Dig into punctuation with the Grammar Gardener.

The Grammar Gardener is available to answer your nagging grammar questions. To pose your question, email the Grammar Gardener. This page is updated with answers to reader questions about all things grammatical.

Dear Grammar Gardener,

I have a usage question regarding "ability" and "abilities." The sentence is:

Our programs affirm participants' ability/abilities to communicate their values and make responsible decisions.

Which is correct?

--Christina

Hi Christina,

Thank you for your usage question.

Given that "to communicate their values" is one activity (even though it has many different elements that comprise it), ability is the preferred usage here since it is singular.

--Grammar Gardener