Survey Anyone...

Originally posted by Nordlys
Thanks!

I didn't mean to be smug, but I thought about your Norwegian teacher.😉

Originally posted by HandyAndy
Compare to means metaphorical similarity, such as comparing a voice to thunder. Compare with involves like kinds, such as comparing your chess ability with another player. Both are possible, but in this case only one is correct.

When correcting people it's best if you are in fact correct.

http://www.bartelby.com/64/C003/066.html

So you sort of got the distinction right (metaphorical similarity is usually comparing two different things) but note where it says "usually", "traditionally held" and "not incorrect." .

Originally posted by XanthosNZ
When correcting people it's best if you are in fact correct.

http://www.bartelby.com/64/C003/066.html

So you sort of got the distinction right (metaphorical similarity is usually comparing two different things) but note where it says "usually", "traditionally held" and "not incorrect." .

Let me get this straight.. I'm correct, sort of, about the distinction between "compare with" and "compare to" -- but not about the correctness of either in certain circumstances. Let's say "preferable" instead of "correct" and I stand corrected, sort of.

Originally posted by HandyAndy
I didn't mean to be smug, but I thought about your Norwegian teacher.😉

My thanks were sincere. I wish people would correct me more frequently.

Originally posted by Nordlys
My thanks were sincere. I wish people would correct me more frequently.

Well, start making some mistakes.



Like Andy Pandy. 😉

Originally posted by Nordlys
My thanks were sincere. I wish people would correct me more frequently.

Far be it from me. If I had a dollar for every mistake I ever made I'd have enough money to hire a chess coach. Several chess coaches. And a couple of yachts.

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
Well, start making some mistakes.



Like Andy Pandy. 😉

When it comes to mistakes, Andy Pandy is an International Grandmaster.🙂

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
Well, start making some mistakes.

You probably won't find many spelling mistakes, but I am sure there are plenty of cases where I use the wrong tense, preposition, expression etc. And sentences or expressions which are not incorrect, but just sound awkward, are worth pointing out as well.

Originally posted by Nordlys
You probably won't find many spelling mistakes, but I am sure there are plenty of cases where I use the wrong tense, preposition, expression etc. And sentences or expressions which are not incorrect, but just sound awkward, are worth pointing out as well.

And sentences or expressions that are not incorrect, but just sound awkward, are worth pointing out as well.

😉

Originally posted by blakbuzzrd
And sentences or expressions [b]that are not incorrect, but just sound awkward, are worth pointing out as well.

😉[/b]

Ah, yes, thanks! I still have difficulties to figure out which one to use in some contexts.

Originally posted by blakbuzzrd
And sentences or expressions [b]that are not incorrect, but just sound awkward, are worth pointing out as well.

😉[/b]

I don't think there's anything wrong with that, but I'll let someone else tell you.

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
I don't think there's anything wrong with that, but I'll let someone else tell you.

In most cases you can get away with interchanging that and which. The best usage, though, is to use that to introduce essential restrictive clauses in a sentence. Which, on the other hand, is best used for nonessential clauses.

Here's another version of Nordlys's sentence, modeling the above principle:

And sentences or expressions that are not incorrect, but which just sound awkward, are worth pointing out as well.

Originally posted by blakbuzzrd
In most cases you can get away with interchanging that and which. The best usage, though, is to use that to introduce essential restrictive clauses in a sentence. Which, on the other hand, is best used for nonessential clauses.

Here's another version of Nordlys's sentence, modeling the above principle:

And sentences or ex ...[text shortened]... at are not incorrect, but which just sound awkward, are worth pointing out as well.[/b]

True enough, but according to the Columbia Journalism Review, the that/which distinction is not gospel for many British writers. It's an American thing.

Originally posted by blakbuzzrd
In most cases you can get away with interchanging that and which. The best usage, though, is to use that to introduce essential restrictive clauses in a sentence. Which, on the other hand, is best used for nonessential clauses.

Bowmann once sent me a long article about it. It's just not always easy to put it into practice.

Originally posted by Nordlys
Bowmann once sent me a long article about it. It's just not always easy to put it into practice.

In this case, trust your judgment. Go with what sounds better to you.