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Grammar fix

soft skills

people skills

Abilities that help you work well with others, like communicating clearly, solving problems, and being a good team member.

collocationB1common

Hear it in context

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

  • Employers often look for candidates with strong soft skills, such as teamwork and good communication.work
  • In my opinion, soft skills like time management and adaptability are just as important as technical knowledge in most jobs.IELTS speaking

Fix the pattern

Pattern: soft skills (plural noun)

WrongCommunication is a soft skill ability.

RightCommunication is a soft skill.

A 'soft skill' is already an ability — don't add 'ability'.

Patternsoft skills (plural noun)

Use it right

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff Employers increasingly value non-technical interpersonal abilities.

Natural Employers really value soft skills now.

'Soft skills' is the standard term; spelling it out is clunky.

Build natural chunks

Words that usually travel with it.

  • soft skills
    developvaluelike communicationversus

Don't confuse it

Soft skills are different from 'hard skills', which are specific technical abilities or knowledge.

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