5 ms·
It is grammatically correct in English to say, "I'm taking classes to perfect my English." It is more common to say, "I'm taking classes to improve my English.
by yequalsx 14y ago
It is grammatically correct in English to say, "I'm taking classes to perfect my English." It is more common to say, "I'm taking classes to improve my English." To me, in English, saying that you are doing something to perfect a skill implies the belief of attaining near perfection. It's much stronger than saying that your goal is to improve. However, saying you are doing something to improve a skill sort of implies a lack of total commitment. It give the impression of an almost hobby aspect to the skill.
- lotharbot 14y agoI've heard "trying to perfect my _____" in common usage (western United States) quite a bit, usually with respect to specific narrow goals. It often has to do with cooking (perfecting a recipe), athletics (perfecting a maneuver), or games (perfecting a sequence of moves). The common thread is that there's a very specific problem with an attainable or near-attainable optimum. In contrast, "trying to improve my ________" seems to be used more with respect to general and broad goals. People speak of improving their marriage, improving their language proficiency, improving their work-related skills, and so on.