Originally posted by Suzianne Compared to whom? You?
Yeah, I thought so.
Not exactly.
Do try to remain calm. (Hint: Four posts in a row? Someone's upset.)
Sorry, this is a grammar point. In poetry we have things like: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day.", but for a literal or scientific comparison, which I think you intended, correct usage is 'compared with'. This was pointed out to me a few years ago and now I know it does my head in whenever I see 'compared to' instead of 'compared with'. When I was younger I wanted to change the world, as I get older I discover all I really care about is the difference between less and fewer...
Originally posted by DeepThought Sorry, this is a grammar point. In poetry we have things like: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day.", but for a literal or scientific comparison, which I think you intended, correct usage is 'compared with'. This was pointed out to me a few years ago and now I know it does my head in whenever I see 'compared to' instead of 'compared with'. When I ...[text shortened]... d, as I get older I discover all I really care about is the difference between less and fewer...
When you "compare with" you are comparing similar things.
When you "compare to" you are comparing dissimilar things.
"Compare to" is not always automatically wrong, it depends what is being discussed, and as always, what context.