Steps/paths

Question

-Tell me the steps to follow and I'll do it.  -Tell me the paths to follow and I'll do it. Are these two sentences similar? Do they mean the same?

MountainHiker · Accepted Answer

Maj,

Tell me the steps to follow and I'll do it. - common.

There are a series of steps that must be performed to achieve the goal.

Tell me the paths to follow and I'll do it. - more commonly said with "path."

Tell me the path to follow and I'll do it.

That implies there are many paths, not all of which lead to the desired end-point. But if you follow the right path, you will arrive at the correct destination.

There is a famous poem by Robert Frost called [url="http://www.bartleby.com/119/1.html"]The Road Not Taken[/url]. It relates to your topic.

In English, we often talk about the fork in the road or path. Imagine yourself walking along a path that suddenly splits into two paths. That is called a fork. Often this a metaphor for life. You progress along a certain path, and then you have a choice to make. Again, this relates to Robert Frost's poem.

Then you have Yogi Berra, a famous baseball coach, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."

Hope that helps.

MountainHiker

Steps/paths

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