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Ansonguy Posted 4 years ago
Grammar

Difference between [by computer] and [by a computer]

(1) Applicants were randomly selected by computer.

(2) Applicants were randomly selected by a computer.

What is the difference in meaning between 'by computer' and 'by a computer'? Thank you for your help.

  

Top answer

ansonguy What is the difference in meaning very little. In the second sentence, the writer would be able to point to the one single machine that ran the program that performed the selection processing. In the first sentence, there was some application that ran on some computer somewhere, or maybe even a whole slew of them on a network.

  • ansonguy What is the difference in meaning very little.
  • In the second sentence, the writer would be able to point to the one single machine that ran the program that performed the selection processing.
  • In the first sentence, there was some application that ran on some computer somewhere, or maybe even a whole slew of them on a network.
  • But it was not a person or group of people that put names in a hat and picked them out blindfolded.
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1 Answers
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ansonguyWhat is the difference in meaning

very little.

In the second sentence, the writer would be able to point to the one single machine that ran the program that performed the selection processing.

In the first sentence, there was some application that ran on some computer somewhere, or maybe even a whole slew of them on a network. But

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