Q. I am having a disagreement with a fellow editor. I say either of these is fine: “It will assist you to identify the skills you already possess.” “It will assist you in identifying the skills you already possess.” She says the former is incorrect and the latter should be used. What’s the deal?
A. The first sentence is ambiguous, so the second is better. The meaning of the first sentence could be either “This will help you identify skills,” or “Identifying your skills will help you.”