Preposition With

[cahiz84]

Hello

Where can I gain further information of the proper use of the preposition "with" in GAMT? i feel that normally, when an choice uses with, it is a wrong choice.

thanks

[JonathanSchneider]

The preposition "with" can come up in a lot of different ways on this test. I would not avoid choices just because they contain the word "with." However, I would keep the following in mind:

1) When we see a preposition split (eg, we have to make a choice among "with" "at" and "from"), we are usually dealing with an idiom. You have to choose which preposition matches that particular idiom. "With" will be correct in some but not all of these cases; you have to evaluate each individually.

2) Look for parallelism with prepositions. Occasionally, we can avoid deciding on an idiom because the idiomatic form is repeated in the non-underlined portion of the sentence. When this is the case, ask: is the second portion parallel to the first? If so, then the underlined portion must match.

3) Whenever you have a long series of prepositional phrases, it might be better to switch to a "that" clause to improve clarity.

[crackgmat09]

With is generally used when you are dealing with people. For example agree with, come with, go with, argue with, disagree with, fight with...etc.

There is then another category which is for comparison....
Compare to and compare with (refer to manhattan english guide)

[JonathanSchneider]

Interesting point. Keep in mind though that the preposition generally matches to the word that comes *before* the preposition, idiomatically. So, in the cases you provided, "with" is really matching to "agree," "come," "fight," etc. Of course, "agree to" is different from "agree with," and you're right that we use the latter for an agreement *with* a person. However, we could also say "I agree with the general principles outlined in the treaty." So, while your observation is a good one, be careful not to think about it as a rule.