0
Chariot Posted 20 years ago
Vocabulary

compare

compare with, compare to

How would you differentiate them? Thanks.
  

Top answer

When you compare two things that are not alike , you use compare to For example: We are not talking the same thing if we compare apples to oranges When you compare two things that are similar , you use compare with We want to compare your copy with the original to make sure that it is not a bogus document The following usage note from American Heritage Dictionary will discuss these points in more details. Usage Note : Compare usually takes the preposition to when it refers to the activity of describing the resemblances between unlike things : He compared her to a summer day. Scientists sometimes compare the human brain to a computer .

  • When you compare two things that are not alike , you use compare to For example: We are not talking the same thing if we compare apples to oranges When you compare two things that are similar , you use compare with We want to compare your copy with the original to make sure that it is not a bogus document The following usage note from American Heritage Dictionary will discuss these points in more details.
  • Usage Note : Compare usually takes the preposition to when it refers to the activity of describing the resemblances between unlike things : He compared her to a summer day.
  • Scientists sometimes compare the human brain to a computer .
  • It takes with when it refers to the act of examining two like things in order to discern their similarities or differences: The police compared the forged signature with the original .
  • The committee will have to compare the Senate's version of the bill with the version that was passed by the House .
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

1 Answers
0
When you compare two things that are not alike, you use compare to

For example: We are not talking the same thing if we compare apples to oranges

When you compare two things that are similar, you use

Related Questions