‘Compare with’ and ‘compare to’ are often used interchangeably, and neither is likely to seriously mislead a reader. However, there is in fact a difference between that can be useful to keep in mind. Compare to is best used when the purpose is to draw attention to similarities – most famously, perhaps, ‘Shall I compare … Read more
This one is a standard check for most editors and is a very common source of confusion across almost all fields of writing – one is just as likely to encounter misuse in a scholarly journal as in a newspaper article. Infer means to deduce or conclude something (i.e., from evidence, logic etc.). Imply means … Read more
‘Compare with’ and ‘compare to’ are often used interchangeably, and neither is likely to seriously mislead a reader. However, there is in fact a difference between that can be useful to keep in mind. Compare to is best used when the purpose is to draw attention to similarities – most famously, perhaps, ‘Shall I compare … Read more
Continual means ongoing but intermittent or sporadic – if someone pokes their head in the door every five minutes when you are trying to read, they are continually annoying you. If you can use ‘repeatedly’ as a synonym then the phenomenon is continual. Continuous means ongoing without interruption or pause – if someone sits next … Read more