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Guest Posted 22 years ago
Grammar
Prepositional usage
This has always bugged me.
When you write a phrase like the following:
"similarities with and differences from their own culture"
are both prepositions necessary? In this case it feels right, but there have been other times where it sounds forced and/or awkward. Is there a rule about this kind of thing?
When you write a phrase like the following:
"similarities with and differences from their own culture"
are both prepositions necessary? In this case it feels right, but there have been other times where it sounds forced and/or awkward. Is there a rule about this kind of thing?
Top answer
Most would write 'similarities to and differences from', for the sake of symmetry; however, you could rephrase as 'similarities and differences of their cultures' The general rule is that if the words of the compound (in this case 'similarities' and 'differences') require different prepositions, then they must each have their own; if they take the same preposition, then the first one can be omitted.
- Most would write 'similarities to and differences from', for the sake of symmetry; however, you could rephrase as 'similarities and differences of their cultures' The general rule is that if the words of the compound (in this case 'similarities' and 'differences') require different prepositions, then they must each have their own; if they take the same preposition, then the first one can be omitted.
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1 Answers
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Most would write 'similarities to and differences from', for the sake of symmetry; however, you could rephrase as 'similarities and differences of their cultures'
The general rule is that if the words of the compound (in this case 'similarities' and 'differences') require different prepositions, then they must each have their own; if they take the same preposition, then the firs
The general rule is that if the words of the compound (in this case 'similarities' and 'differences') require different prepositions, then they must each have their own; if they take the same preposition, then the firs
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