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Future332 Posted 10 years ago
Grammar

Substitute with/for

Is there any difference with using
With or For after substitute.
For example, Can I say:
What can you substitute the word"beautiful" for?
Or should I say with?
Thanks.
  

Top answer

What can you substitute the word "beautiful" for? is asking for a word that can be replaced by "beautiful". What can you substitute the word "beautiful" with?

— GPY

  • What can you substitute the word "beautiful" for?
  • is asking for a word that can be replaced by "beautiful".
  • What can you substitute the word "beautiful" with?
  • would probably be understood as asking for a word that can replace "beautiful".
  • Personally I find this "backwards" use of "substitute" inherently confusing, and I would not recommend it.
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4 Answers
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What can you substitute the word "beautiful" for? is asking for a word that can be replaced by "beautiful".

What can you substitute the word "beautiful" with? would probably be understood as asking for a word that can replace "beautiful". Personally I find this "backwards" use of "substitute" inherently confusing, and I would not recommend it.
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future332Substitute with/for
for, not with.

What word can substitute for the word "beautiful"?
Can I substitute "pretty" for "beautiful"?

One thing substitutes for another. / Someone substitutes one thing for another.

CJ
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CalifJim, are you saying that to use substitute with is not grammatical?
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future332CalifJim, are you saying that to use substitute with is not grammatical?
It may be grammatical, but it's not natural — not to my ear anyway.

It's "replace with". I'm going to replace these old plates with new ones.

CJ
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