Of/with

Question

Specific of what you want to do so I can plan everything out.  AndSpecific with what you want to do so I can plan everything out. Which one is correct and why?

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

Neither seems correct to me, but you have not given us a complete sentence; please do so.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

Specific of what you want to do so I can plan everything out. And

Specific with what you want to do so I can plan everything out.

Which one is correct and why?

Please note that 'specific' is an adjective.

eg This is my specifc problem.

'Specify' is the verb form.

eg Please specify your problem.

eg She specified her problem.

Neither of your sentences above is correct. Here are correct versions.

Specify what you want to do, so I can plan everything out.

Be specific about what you want to do, so I can plan everything out.

The 'out' is only used in casual English.

Clive

PreciousJones · Answer

What about these two:

Please be specific with what you want to do. And

Please be specific of what you want to do.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

You're welcome.

No.

Clive

PreciousJones · Answer

CliveHi,

You're welcome.

No.

Clive

Thanks Clive,

so youre saying:

Please be specific with what you want to do so I can plan everything out.

Is also incorrect? I swear to *** I've heard it used before... like: Please be specific with your answers.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

So youre saying:

Please be specific with what you want to do so I can plan everything out.

Is also incorrect? I swear to *** I've heard it used before... like: Please be specific with your answers. The idea here is 'Please use your answers as a way of giving being specific'.

That kind of meaning didn't seem to me to make sense in your other example.

After explaining this, let me also note that people (including me) say lots of things that use questionable grammar and meanings, and we all seem to communicate quite happily. Context usually makes our meanings pretty clear.

Clive

PreciousJones · Answer

CliveHi,
So youre saying:

Please be specific with what you want to do so I can plan everything out.

Is also incorrect? I swear to *** I've heard it used before... like: Please be specific with your answers. The idea here is 'Please use your answers as a way of giving being specific'.

That kind of meaning didn't seem to me to make sense in your other example.

After explaining this, let me also note that people (including me) say lots of things that use questionable grammar and meanings, and we all seem to communicate quite happily. Context usually makes our meanings pretty clear.

Clive

Hi Clive,

So are you saying: Please be specific with your answers is grammatically incorrect and doesn't make sense?

Clive · Answer

Hi,

So are you saying: Please be specific with your answers is grammatically incorrect and doesn't make sense? No, thta's not what I said at all. This sentence is fine. What I said is that that kind of meaning, which I explained, didn't seem to me to make sense in your other example, which was

Please be specific with what you want to do so I can plan everything out.

I also had a typo in my earlier post. When I said

The idea here is 'Please use your answers as a way of giving being specific', I forgot to delete the word 'giving'.

Clive

Of/with

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions