A puzzling question

Question

This film is familiar ........me. I think I had watched it before.

a) to b) with

I go for 'b'. In fact the difference between 'familiar to' and 'familiar with' is not clear to me. I hope you will explain it.

Clive · Accepted Answer

This film is familiar ...to.....me. I think I have seen it before This sounds like you are saying this while you are are sitting in the cinema.

This film was familiar ...to.....me. I think I had seen / saw it before. This sounds like you are saying this after the film has finished.

The verb 'see' is more idiomatic than 'watch' when talking about films.

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The preposition 'to' is commonly used with 'familiar'. In other words, it too is idiomatic.

familiar with is possible. But compare the following sentence structures.

eg I am familiar with Shakespeare's plays. I know them well.

Shakespeare's plays are familiar to me. I know them well.

Clive

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