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Billy Pilgrim
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
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 Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 1:16 am Post subject: |
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| some waygug-in wrote: |
Hey, two can play at that game.
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/compareto.html
These are sometimes interchangeable, but when you are stressing similarities between the items compared, the most common word is ��to��: "She compared his home-made wine to toxic waste.�� If you are examining both similarities and differences, use ��with��: ��The teacher compared Steve��s exam with Robert��s to see whether they had cheated.��
Are you confused yet? I am.  |
Just using your example:
She compared his home-made wine to toxic waste - this has the connotation of her merely making a sensory connection between the two things
She compared his home-made wine with toxic waste - this tends to suggest she is undertaking an actual analysis of the similarities and differences between the two things. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 2:31 am Post subject: |
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I got that off the web site......... personally, I think they are interchangeable in most cases and in cases where there is a difference....................well, it's a very subtle difference.
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Billy Pilgrim
Joined: 08 Sep 2004
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| Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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| some waygug-in wrote: |
I got that off the web site......... personally, I think they are interchangeable in most cases and in cases where there is a difference....................well, it's a very subtle difference.
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I don't think they are really interchangeable, but that's not to say I use them correctly myself. 
The difference in meaning IS subtle, but it's definitely there, as the two different sentences I present above show. |
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Wangja
Joined: 17 May 2004
Location: Seoul, Yongsan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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| To put it into perspective, interchangeability here is something you'd expect from GWB but not form your lawyer. |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2005 7:19 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with you, but I would not question my students' usage of one over the other unless they were very advanced.
Compared to teaching in a hagwon, a real school is like heaven.
or
Compared with teaching in a hagwon, a real school is heavenly.
I would not say that one is right or wrong. However, I personally would say "compared to" for the above case. But that's just a personal preference. |
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lastat06513
Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Location: Sensus amo Caesar , etiamnunc victus amo uni plebian
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| Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2005 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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To- to direct an object, action or idea in a certain/ specific direction.
With- A combination of ideas, actions or objects
Compare + to= To show the direct difference between 2 or more objects, ideas or actions.
Ex: I am having a harder time learning Korean compared to learning Japanese.
Compare + with= To show an indirect difference (or possible difference) between 2 or more objects, etc.
Ex: I would have a harder time learning Korean compared with learning Japanese.
Chances are, I am DEAD wrong about this; But hey....I am an English teacher, not a language specialist... |
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