Key Difference – With vs Along With
With is a commonly used preposition in English. Along with is a phrase that is formed by combining the two prepositions with and along. Along with means in addition to or together with. In most scenarios, along with can be replaced by with, but with cannot be replaced by along with. This is the key difference between with and along with.
What Does With Mean?
The preposition with have a large number of meanings and can be used in numerous contexts. Given below are some of its commonest meanings.
Accompanied by (another person or thing)
I went with her to the party.
She shared an apartment with three other girls.
We had a nice steak with a bottle of red wine.
Having or possessing (something)
The man with the beard is Annalise’ uncle.
The newly married couple is looking for a house with a pool.
She was wearing a silky white blouse with a navy blue jacket.
In opposition to
He fought with another group of boys.
I had a huge fight with my sister.
In a manner characterized by
She jumped with pleasure.
He always behaved with honesty and integrity.
The candidates spoke with enthusiasm, but his speech was not logical.
The girl with blonde hair is Kate’s sister.
What Does Along With Mean?
The phrase along with basically have two meanings:
In addition to (something or someone)
The plane carried heavy radar equipment along with full fuel tanks.
He was nominated along with six other candidates.
Together with (something or someone)
I worked along with several of my friends to finish this project on time.
She used Indian spices along with Italian herbs.
Interchangeability of With and Along With
Along with can be replaced by with in most cases, especially when along with has the same meaning as together with; however, with cannot be replaced by along with in many contexts since it has numerous meanings.
He spoke with enthusiasm. He spoke along with enthusiasm.
She used lavender honey along with rosemary. She used lavender honey with rosemary.
She filled the bowl with water. She filled the bowl along with water.
He carried a pen knife along with a lighter, torch, and a pen. He carried a pen knife with a lighter, torch, and a pen.
In this last sentence, the meaning implied by ‘along with’ is not exactly conveyed with ‘with’. The first sentence says that he carried a pen knife in addition to a lighter, torch and a pen. The second one doesn’t convey this meaning clearly.
She used turmeric and garlic along with some herbs.
What is the difference Between With and Along With?
Meaning:
With has many meanings including accompanied by, having or possessing, in opposition to, in a manner characterized by, etc.
Along with means in addition to or together with.
Interchangeability:
With cannot be replaced by along with in many cases.
Along with can be replaced by with in many instances.
Grammatical Category:
With is a preposition.
Along with is a phrase.
Image Courtesy: Pixabay