Difference between 'Ability' and 'Capability'

nitin86

I'm not able to differentiate between 'ability' and 'capability'.

May I ask someone to please help.

Sulfur dioxide, a major contributor to acid rain, is an especially serious pollutant because it diminishes the respiratory system’s ability to deal with all other pollutants.

(A) an especially serious pollutant because it diminishes the respiratory system’s ability to deal
(B) an especially serious pollutant because of diminishing the respiratory system’s capability of dealing
(C) an especially serious pollutant because it diminishes the capability of the respiratory system in dealing
(D) a specially serious pollutant because it diminishes the capability of the respiratory system to deal
(E) a specially serious pollutant because of diminishing the respiratory system’s ability to deal

The correct answer is 'A'. How we reached at it ?

TIA
Nitin

PS - I tried searching for this on the forum, but could not find any helpful material

gmatguy16 · Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:49 am Post subject:

Nitin,if you are not able to distinguish bwteen ability and capability i am not able to distinguish between aspecially and specially..imo d

lunarpower

gmat765 · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 5:28 pm Post subject:

ability to, capability of, that is the difference.

barron · Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 3:58 am Post subject:

is there any difference between these 2 sentences
if these are also included as answer choics, which one would be more appropriate?

an especially serious pollutant because it diminishes the respiratory system’s ability to deal

an especially serious pollutant because of diminishing the respiratory system’s ability to deal

pvnkreddy

That's the only difference between A and C.

Just a concise way of putting the meaning.

diminishes the _____________ ability to
diminishes the capability of _____________ in

chidcguy · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 4:13 pm Post subject:

able to and capable of both mean the same, but the idiomatic usage is what makes the choices right or wrong

We do not need to change the adverb especially to specially which leads to a different meaning. D & E are out

B has a weird usage of because of.

Between A and C ability to deal is concise and capability of dealing sounds awkward.

I also felt that capability is nothing but the state of ability and when we have a direct reference to that state in a concise fashion we should stick with it. As some one said it's probably a GMAT preference. Just like GMAT prefers considered X Y to considered X as Y.

arorag · Posted: Mon May 12, 2008 7:23 pm Post subject: