Is this sentence correct ?

[duiter]

Hi all,

Is this sentence correct ?

Comparing to car and bus, the percentage of train and tube remained stable

Many thanks

[Allen165]

Hi all,

Is this sentence correct ?

Comparing to car and bus, the percentage of train and tube remained stable

Many thanks

NOT A TEACHER.

Compared to cars and buses, the percentage of trains and tubes remained stable.

From a grammatical standpoint, that sentence is fine, but I'm not sure what it's supposed to express. Perhaps this:

Unlike the percentage of cars and buses, the percentage of trains and tubes remained stable.

I should add that I had to look up "tube"; apparently, it means "underground train" and is acceptable only in informal English.

[TheParser]

Hi all,

Is this sentence correct ?

Comparing to car and bus, the percentage of train and tube remained stable

Many thanks

NOT A TEACHER *****


(1) I believe that there is some friendly disagreement among

native speakers regarding "compare to" and "compare with."

(2) As I understand it, you use "to" when you want to say that

two things are alike.

(a) Shakespeare wrote:

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" That is: Shall I say that

you and a summer's day are the same?

(b) Sometimes an angry mother will tell one of her sons:

You are just like your brother!!! Always so rude!!!

And her son will reply: Would you please stop comparing me to Tommy?

I am not the same as he. (P.S. I used "he" for "good" English. Most

teenagers -- and most adults -- would probably use "him.")


(3) As I understand it, you use "with" when you want to compare the

similarities and differences of two things.

(a) How would you compare a print newspaper with an online

newspaper? Well, both a print newspaper and an online newspaper

give us the news. On the other hand, only an online newspaper

can give me the latest news. My print newspaper is printed only

once a day. My print newspaper, however, never breaks down.

Sometimes my computer (or mobile device) is not working. My

print newspaper is always "working."

(5) Therefore, I would write something like:


Compared with car and bus ridership figures, the percentage of

train and subway ridership has remained stable.


Respectfully yours,


James