Can you say: Please substitute the cheese for tomato sauce. VS Please substitute c

[B45]

Can you say:

Please substitute the cheese for tomato sauce.

VS

Please substitute cheese with tomato sauce.

Are both useable and do they mean I want tomato sauce and not cheese?

 

[emsr2d2]

Please substitute cheese with tomato sauce = Please don't give me cheese but please give me tomato sauce
Please substitute cheese for tomato sauce = Please don't give me tomato sauce but please give me cheese

 

[Tarheel]

Please substitute cheese for tomato sauce = Don't give me cheese. Give me tomato sauce.

"Cheese with tomato sauce" suggests to me that I would be getting both. (Sounds pretty good to me.)

 

[B45]

Your answer is not the same as emsr2d2

 

[MikeNewYork]

It is ambiguous, but I think Tarheel's is clearer. For ems's meaning, I would say "please substitute tomato sauce for cheese".

 

[B45]

Yeah, I think ems has it reversed.

 

[Rover_KE]

I think ems has it right.

In any case, you could say instead 'Please bring that with cheese instead of tomato sauce'.

 

[MikeNewYork]

We may have another BrE/AmE difference.

 

[B45]

I'm asking for tomato sauce rather than cheese.

 

[MikeNewYork]

Then to be be absolutely clear, use Rover's suggestion in reverse. "Please bring that with tomato sauce rather than/instead of cheese".

 

[Tarheel]

Let me try again.

Can you say:

Please substitute the cheese for tomato sauce.

VS

Please substitute cheese with tomato sauce.

Are both useable and do they mean I want tomato sauce and not cheese?

Better (in my opinion) is just to say what you mean. Say: "I want tomato sauce and not cheese." That is crystal clear. (You substitute something for something else. Thus, since you want tomato sauce and not cheese, you shouldn't use either option you have presented.)

 

[Tarheel]

Can you say:

Please substitute the cheese for tomato sauce.

Please give me cheese instead 0f tomato sauce.

Please substitute cheese with tomato sauce.

Please give me cheese with tomato sauce (instead of something else).

 

[B45]

Wait so you're saying:

Please substitute the cheese for tomato sauce.

Means - I want cheese instead of tomato sauce.

But you're substituting the cheese and NOT the tomato sauce...

 

[Tarheel]

Wait so you're saying:

Please substitute the cheese for tomato sauce.

Means - I want cheese instead of tomato sauce.

But you're substituting the cheese and NOT the tomato sauce...

Yes, but you can't substitute something. You have to substitute something for something. So when you say, "Please substitute cheese for tomato sauce" you are saying, "Don't give me tomato sauce. Give me cheese instead." (Another example of substitute: "J.P. Tokoto is going in to sub for Marcus Paige." (The word sub is short for substitute.)

 

[B45]

Holy smokes. I always thought it meant - Please substitute Pippen for Jordan. So, like Jordan is going in the game for Pippen.

I guess I was wrong!

 

[Tarheel]

Holy smokes. I always thought it meant - Please substitute Pippen for Jordan. So, like Jordan is going in the game for Pippen.

I guess I was wrong!

Pay close attention. You were not wrong. If Pippen is subbing for Jordan then Pippen is going in the game for Jordan. (Similarly, in my example, if Tokoto is subbing for Paige then Tokoto is going in the game for Paige. (BTW, Marcus Paige scored the winning basket against Louisville. Go 'Heels!))

Are we making progress?

 

[B45]

So, if I say please substitute tomato sauce for cheese. Then that means I want tomato sauce and not cheese! I finally got it!! HAHA.

What about:

Please sub cheese with tomato sauce. Does this mean I want tomato sauce and not cheese.

 

[Tarheel]

So, if I say please substitute tomato sauce for cheese. Then that means I want tomato sauce and not cheese! I finally got it!! HAHA.

Yes. (That first sentence is not really a sentence, but OK.)

What about:

Please sub cheese with tomato sauce. Does this mean I want tomato sauce and not cheese.

No. You could say: "Please substitute substitute cheese with tomato sauce for hamburger" (for example). Now, do you get it?

 

[B45]

So that means I want cheese with tomato sauce and not hamburger. Right?

 

[Tarheel]

So that means I want cheese with tomato sauce and not hamburger. Right?

Right. (I am getting really hungry. ;-))