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Peaceblinkfriend Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

"How do you tell one apart from another?"

"How do you tell one apart from another?"

I think people usually say '...tell them apart...' but I was wondering if '...tell one apart from another..." works as well?

Thanks

PBF
  

Top answer

Either is good, but I think 'tell one apart from the other' is the correct usage, or if nothing else, the more common one. Perhaps 'tell one apart from the other' is more emphatic than 'tell them apart', and will denote that the person thinks the two things are extremely alike.

— Sausages

  • Either is good, but I think 'tell one apart from the other' is the correct usage, or if nothing else, the more common one.
  • Perhaps 'tell one apart from the other' is more emphatic than 'tell them apart', and will denote that the person thinks the two things are extremely alike.
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2 Answers
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Either is good, but I think 'tell one apart from the other' is the correct usage, or if nothing else, the more common one.

Perhaps 'tell one apart from the other' is more emphatic than 'tell them apart', and will denote that the person thinks the two things are extremely alike.
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Thanks for your reply, Sausages.

I agree that 'tell one apart from the other' sounds much more natural than my original sentence.

PBF
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