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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?
In my experience, "with" can be ambiguous in some contexts. For example,
"Reboot the system with the xyz server"
could mean either of the following:
"Reboot the system that has the xyz server installed"
"Reboot the system by using the xyz server."
(Please, no comments if my examples are impossible in a real-world context!)
Incidentally, when I worked closely with colleagues in the UK (who, I think,
tend to be more conservative in their language), they insisted on inserting
"by" in front of every "using," as did a long-experienced US editor. So
perhaps the original construct was "by using ...," as several of you have
suggested.
--Heli
========================================================
Heli L. Roosild Network Imaging Systems
helir -at- msmailhq -dot- netimage -dot- com Herndon VA 22070
