The verb COMPARE means examining two or more things to see how they are different and/or similar.
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When comparing things that are different in nature, use TO:
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- Why do you keep comparing yourself to your sister? (You are two different people, no point in making comparisons.)
- Shall I compare you to a summer’s day? (A person and a day are two very different things.)
- The way he delivered his speech could be compared to a waterfall hitting the rocks with great force. (A speech and a waterfall are two things very different in nature.)
- I’m so insignificant compared to Superman. (I’m not a superhero, we are different in nature.)
When comparing things that are similar in nature, use WITH:
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- London is a boring city compared with Paris. (Both London and Paris are big, cosmopolitan cities- they are similar in nature.)
- Why don’t we compare Mr Smith’s CV with Mr Patterson’s CV to help us choose the right candidate? (The two CVs are similar in nature.)
- I can’t compare Suzy with Charlotte, they’re both my daughters and I love them. (The two girls are similar in nature: both are my daughters.)
- My parents are quite strict, but they’re not so bad compared with yours. (I’m talking about similar things: parents.)
