Dear experts,

Could you comment on the difference in meaning (if any) between EXPERIENCE IN SOMETHING and EXPERIENCE OF SOMETHING

Thank you,
Yuri

To have "experience in something" is to have knowledge or skill of a particular job or activity as a result of having done the work or the activity many times in the past or for a long enough time in the past. In addition, it can be assumed that the skills and knowledge will continue in the future.

For example:

"¢ Katrina should win the skating competition. She has had a lot of experience in skating before crowds, while her opponents have had very little.

"¢ The company is looking for a salesman who has experience in South America, and who can speak Spanish and Portuguese fluently.

"¢ In spite of the fact that she had had no experience in the kitchen, Jessica cooked a spectacular dinner for twenty of her husband's business associates. The next day, her husband received a promotion.

"¢ The president has had no experience in traveling abroad, and should send a qualified representative to handle the delicate cultural issues.
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On the other hand, to have "experience of" something refers to something that happens to you or something that you do, especially something important that affects you.

"¢ His experience of the horrors or war has left him with permanent psychological damage.

"¢ After Dave was widowed, he wanted to marry again soon. His experience of marriage was so positive and so total that he felt he couldn't live as a single man.

"¢ I saw a woman on TV last night who said she had an experience of communicating directly with her dead mother.

"¢ Helena's experience of seeing gorillas in the wild last year influenced her deeply. Now she is preparing to be part of an expedition that studies the behavior of gorillas in their native habitat.

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There is also "experience with," "experience at," and "experience in regard to." There may be other prepositions that follow "experience," too, but they don't come to mind immediately. Anybody?

Rachel