stand up to or stand up against

[eeshu]

I had trouble with the following multiple-choice question in my test today:

If you stand _____ someone, especially someone more powerful than you are, you defend yourself against his/her attacks or demands.
A. up for B. up against C.up to D.up with

I think both B and C should work, since I've found the following two examples in a dictionary:

1. We need to stand up to these big companies that try to pollute our waters.
2. We need to stand up against these big companies that try to run our local businesses out of town.

They seem to be so confusing. Can anyone help explain?

 

[probus]

Both B and C work for me with no difference in meaning.

 

[Yankee]

"Stand up to" is commonly used synonymously for "against" in the context you used.

 

[jutfrank]

The answer is C.

These patterns are typically used like this:

stand up to somebody
stand up against something

The difference in meaning is slight but there is one: You stand up to someone who is actively going to harm you. Think about standing up to a school bully who wants to beat you up. You stand up against something in a way where you resist something that you disagree with. Think about standing up to a political power or a large powerful corporation.

 

[eeshu]

The answer is B.

These patterns are typically used like this:

stand up to somebody
stand up against something

The difference in meaning is slight but there is one: You stand up to someone who is actively going to harm you. Think about standing up to a school bully who wants to beat you up. You stand up against something in a way where you resist something that you disagree with. Think about standing up to a political power or a large powerful corporation.

Then shouldn't it be C?

 

[eeshu]

This generalization doesn't seem to work as I find this sentence in McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

He's good, but he can't stand up against Jill. Can this tent stand up against the wind?

Is there a regional difference in its usage? A British vs American thing?

 

[jutfrank]

Then shouldn't it be C?

Oops, I meant to say C, yes. (I'm going to correct my error now.)

This generalization doesn't seem to work

Yes, it does.

He's good, but he can't stand up against Jill. Can this tent stand up against the wind?

I don't see anything there that goes against what I said.

Is there a regional difference in its usage? A British vs American thing?

No.

 

[eeshu]

Oops, I meant to say C, yes. (I'm going to correct my error now.)



Yes, it does.



I don't see anything there that goes against what I said.



No.

You said "stand up to someone", didn't you? Isn't Jill a person? Shouldn't the sentence read as "He's good, but he can't stand up to Jill." then?

 

[jutfrank]

You said "stand up to someone", didn't you? Isn't Jill a person?

Yes, but you can also use 'someone' with stand up against. I chose to use 'something' because it's more common.

Shouldn't the sentence read as "He's good, but he can't stand up to Jill." then?

That could also work. We can't tell from such meagre context which pattern works better.

 

[eeshu]

Yes, but you can also use 'someone' with stand up against. I chose to use 'something' because it's more common.

Then why do you think stand up to is a better one than stand up against in the test question, since "resisting someone's unreasonable demands you disagree with" seems to make sense in that sentence to me?

 

[jutfrank]

Then why do you think stand up to is a better one than stand up against in the test question, since "resisting someone's unreasonable demands you disagree with" seems to make sense in that sentence to me?

Mostly because of the part "... you defend yourself against his/her attacks or demands".

Like I said, with stand up to somebody, imagine a school bully.

 

[eeshu]

Mostly because of the part "... you defend yourself against his/her attacks or demands".

Like I said, with stand up to somebody, imagine a school bully.

Okay, I see. Then without C, would "stand up against" be acceptable too?

 

[jutfrank]

Okay, I see. Then without C, would "stand up against" be acceptable too?

Yes. The difference between the two is really quite subtle, which is why the context of the sentence doesn't make the answer very clear. It's a very hard test question.

 

[5jj]

... or a rather poor test question.

 

[Tdol]

They seem to be so confusing. Can anyone help explain?

Sometimes test makers have an idea in their head (stand up to, say) and include other options without testing them thoroughly, which is why exam boards should always test their exam papers carefully. It's a common enough mistake in a single teacher preparing materials for a class, but it should not happen in full-scale testing.

 

[Flamenco1]

Sometimes test makers have an idea in their head (stand up to, say) and include other options without testing them thoroughly, which is why exam boards should always test their exam papers carefully. It's a common enough mistake in a single teacher preparing materials for a class, but it should not happen in full-scale testing.

I use three assessment quizzes from three different authorities, and all, (unintentionally) have questions where multiple answers could be correct. As you say Tdol it shows a lack of testing. If life wasn't hard enough for our students.

But that's the advantage of a forum like this. I bet eeshu has learnt more than they expected.

 

[eeshu]

I use three assessment quizzes from three different authorities, and all, (unintentionally) have questions where multiple answers could be correct. As you say Tdol it shows a lack of testing. If life wasn't hard enough for our students.

But that's the advantage of a forum like this. I bet eeshu has learnt more than they expected.

Yes, I always enjoying learning more than expected, and that's the fun of visiting this forum.