[Grammar] Make Contacts/Connections

[EricaWW]

"Make friends" is widely understood. Could I say "make connections" and "make contacts" in the same spirit?

 

[bhaisahab]

"Make friends" is widely understood. Could I say "make connections" and "make contacts" in the same spirit?

A friend is not the same as a contact or a connection. I feel sure that you are now going to post a text that suggests otherwise.

 

[5jj]

"Make friends" is widely understood. Could I say "make connections" and "make contacts" in the same spirit?

You could, with the different meaning of the key word, of course.

 

[EricaWW]

Both "connection" and "contact" has senses for "a (working) relationship" and "a person who could help you". So could:

a) "He went to the party to make business connections."
b) "He went to the party to make business contacts."

mean he went there to make business friends or establish working relations?

 

[5jj]

So could:

a) "He went to the party to make business connections."
b) "He went to the party to make business contacts."

mean he went there to make business friends or establish working relations?

If speakers want to convey the meanings I have underlined, they would be advised to use those words. There seems to be little point in saying one thing when you mean another.

 

[EricaWW]

aa) "He went to the party to make business connections who could help him."
bb) "He went to the party to make business connections with people."

cc) "He went to the party to make business contacts who could help him."
dd) "He went to the party to make business contacts with people."

aa) and bb) seem to use the two different senses of "connections", or could one be totally wrong?

cc) and dd) seem to use the two different senses of "contacts", or could one be totally wrong?

 

[5jj]

A reasonable dictionary will tell you that both 'connection' and 'contact' have more than two meanings, including those involving acts and people.

 

[EricaWW]

Then, aa), bb), cc), and dd) are all acceptable?

 

[5jj]

Then, aa), bb), cc), and dd) are all acceptable?

That's a strange conclusion to jjump to after I wrote, "If speakers want to convey the meanings I have underlined, they would be advised to use those words. There seems to be little point in saying one thing when you mean another."

 

[EricaWW]

A reasonable dictionary will tell you that both 'connection' and 'contact' have more than two meanings, including those involving acts and people.

Post #7 APPEARS to IMPLY that the aa), bb), cc), and dd) are acceptable.

 

[Barb_D]

My take is that "contacts" as a noun referring to people is okay and connections is off.

I would not say "with people" in either of your sentences. It's implied.

 

[EricaWW]

Then, "make contacts/connections" should be read in the "make friends" sense, not "establish communication/relations"?

 

[5jj]

Post #7 APPEARS to IMPLY that the aa), bb), cc), and dd) are acceptable.

It doesn't to me.

 

[Barb_D]

Then, "make contacts/connections" should be read in the "make friends" sense, not "establish communication/relations"?

As I said "Make connections" to mean people doesn't work for me.

 

[EricaWW]

Going back to post #6:

aa) "He went to the party to make business connections who could help him."
:tick: or :cross:

bb) "He went to the party to make business connections with people."
:tick: or :cross:

cc) "He went to the party to make business contacts who could help him."
:tick: or :cross:

dd) "He went to the party to make business contacts with people."
:tick: or :cross:

 

[EricaWW]

Could the possible answer be:


aa) "He went to the party to make business connections who could help him." :cross:

bb) "He went to the party to make business connections with people." :tick:

cc) "He went to the party to make business contacts who could help him." :tick:

dd) "He went to the party to make business contacts with people." :tick:

 

[bhaisahab]

I am closing this thread as it's becoming ridiculous.