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In article <199409062134 -dot- OAA25500 -at- ix -dot- ix -dot- netcom -dot- com>,
John Taylor <jaytay -at- ix -dot- netcom -dot- com> wrote:
>And while I'm at it, why is it that "using" is preferred in constructions like
>this and "with" (as in "You can graph an expression in a document WITH the
>Graphic Calculator") seems inadequate? Is it something to do with the idea that
>a piece of software isn't simply a tool or instrument, like a pen or a hammer?
>(I mean, you wouldn't say "Write using a pen." You'd say "with.")
>But if it isn't an instrument, what is it?
Is there a continuous gradation through the following?
Explain this concept using as few words as possible
Explain this concept using Standard English
Explain this concept using your hands
Explain this concept using pen and paper
In any of these "with" would sound a little odd - possibly
just because it isn't adjacent to the verb - but it would
be odder in the first two than the last two.
(Incidentally I vote for the grammatical construct being
an implied "by").
