As compared to / As compared with

[MoussaR234]

Hi Guys, Almost all GMAT tutors have explicitly stated that using "As" or "When" with compared/contrasted + to/with is not correct. However, i have seen this in one correct answer in MGMT CAT:

Studies of test scores show that watching television has a markedly positive effect on children whose parents speak English as a second language, as compared to those whose native language is English.

Correct answer: with children whose parents are native English speakers

(please note that "as" here is NOT underlined. )

I am lost .... which combination of As/When + Compared/Contrasted + With/To is correct?

Thanks

[gtckim]

I believe both "compared to" and "compared with" are acceptable idioms.

All of your questions are addressed in this thread though - https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... 15187.html

[Chelsey Cooley]

The issue with your example actually doesn't have much to do with "as", etc. It's wrong because of a logical error in the comparison.

"Studies of test scores show that watching television has a markedly positive effect on children whose parents speak English as a second language, as compared to those whose native language is English."

In this incorrect sentence, we're trying to compare two groups of children: children whose parents speak English as a second language, and children whose parents speak English natively. But as written, the second half of the comparison is logically wrong: if "those" refers to children, then it doesn't make much sense to compare children whose parents are ESL with children who are native speakers (there might, for instance, be some overlap between those groups). If "those" refers to parents, then we're comparing children to parents, which also doesn't make sense.

The correct version successfully compares one group of children to another distinct group of children.

My understanding is that "compared with" and "compared to" are more or less equivalent on the GMAT, and "as compared" is one of those things that's probably wrong but that you shouldn't base an entire answer on.

[vibhavn265]

"As compared with" is termed as unidiomatic usage in many other sites, can someone clarify that this usage is correct.I have seen this in many questions that "as compared with" is wrong. Please help.Thanks

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

This is one of those sticking points of old-fashioned English usage: the difference between 'compare to' and 'compare with'. Traditionally, 'compare to' means to state that one thing is similar to another thing. The classic example of this is Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? The idiom 'compare to' means liken.

The idiom 'compare with' is used for a neutral comparison or for a contrast. For example, This year's winter is a cold one, especially when compared with last year's. Here, the emphasis is that the two winters are different.

For most of us, this distinction is not one that we observe in our everyday language. At this point, sticklers for English usage throw up their hands and complain about the modern generation failing to respect the English language. Alas! Alack!

This is, however, the kind of thing that GMAT cares about and I can find three 2021 Official Guide problems that involve it.