{"id":16776,"date":"2013-02-15T09:00:53","date_gmt":"2013-02-15T16:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=16776"},"modified":"2013-01-31T10:08:08","modified_gmt":"2013-01-31T17:08:08","slug":"gmat-prepositions-and-idioms-against","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/gmat-prepositions-and-idioms-against\/","title":{"rendered":"GMAT Prepositions and Idioms: Against"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Prepositions in English display a powerful diversity of uses.\u00a0 In previous preposition article, we talked about\u00a0the proposition \"for\"<\/a>.\u00a0 Here, we will look, at the prepositions \"against\".<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Prepositions<\/h2>\n

A preposition must be followed by a noun --- or by something playing the role of a noun.\u00a0\u00a0 This latter category includes\u00a0gerunds<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0substantive clauses<\/a>.<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0Charles Lindbergh<\/em><\/a>\u00a0argued\u00a0against\u00a0entering World War II on the side of the Allies<\/em>.<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0The CEO state he was prejudice against whoever thought his predecessor's Seven-Point Plan was a sound way to run the corporation.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

In sentence #1, the object of the preposition \u201cagainst\u201d is a gerund phrase, and in sentence #2, the object is a substantive clause.\u00a0\u00a0 Incidentally, both of these are exemplary of idioms involving these prepositions.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Against<\/h2>\n

The preposition \"against\" has connotations of conflict and opposition.\u00a0 The most important idioms associated with \"against\" are:<\/p>\n

prejudiced against<\/strong><\/p>\n

protect from\/ against<\/strong><\/p>\n

argue with\/against<\/strong><\/p>\n

fight with\/against<\/strong><\/p>\n

victory over\/against<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Prejudice against<\/h2>\n

Etymologically, the word \"prejudice\" simply means to pre-judge, and that pre-judging could be favorable or unfavorable, but in modern English, the word \"prejudice\" carries the connotation of having pre-judged in a way that is unfavorable.\u00a0 The most discussed kind of prejudice is racial prejudice, though of course one could be prejudice about many other issues.\u00a0 Because of the negative connotation, we use the preposition \"against\" with \"prejudice.\"<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0Prejudiced against short term securities, she only invested in options with\u00a0<\/em>more than a year<\/em><\/a>\u00a0before expiration<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Protect from\/against<\/h2>\n

The direct object of \"protect\" is the item protected ---- the police officer protects the public, the clear plastic adhesive protects the face of the cell phone, etc.\u00a0\u00a0 For everything that is protected, there is some threat or risk or danger which is the occasion of the protecting.\u00a0 Whether there is any difference between \"protect from<\/strong>\" and \"protect against<\/strong>\" is debatable, as is what that difference might be.\u00a0 For the purpose of the GMAT Sentence Correction, they are interchangeable.<\/p>\n

4)\u00a0Pure aluminum<\/em><\/a>\u00a0quickly forms a thin coat of aluminum oxide which protects the metal from corrosion<\/em>.<\/p>\n

5)\u00a0The city of\u00a0<\/em>Venice<\/em><\/a>\u00a0was formed when residents of the Italian peninsula fled to a series of tiny islands off the coast, to protect themselves against the\u00a0<\/em>invading Huns<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Argue with\/against<\/h2>\n

The pair of idioms \"argue with<\/strong>\" vs. \"argue against<\/strong>\" is tricky.\u00a0 If we are speaking about the manner of one's arguing, then we always use \"with\":<\/p>\n

6)\u00a0The charismatic lawyer always argued his case with tremendous persuasive powers<\/em>.<\/p>\n

If we are discussing the idea or cause one opposes, then we always use \"against.\"<\/p>\n

7)\u00a0Glenn Gould<\/em><\/a>\u00a0argued against the strict necessity for using\u00a0<\/em>original instruments<\/em><\/a>\u00a0in performance of\u00a0<\/em>Baroque music<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

8)\u00a0Athanasius<\/em><\/a>\u00a0spent his life arguing against the\u00a0<\/em>Arian interpretation<\/em><\/a>\u00a0of Christianity<\/em>.<\/p>\n

If the object of the preposition is a person, then the difference between \"argue with [person]\" vs. \"argue against [person] is subtle.\u00a0 In general, if the affiliation or bond between two people is stronger than their conflict ---- the relationship is ongoing, and the conflict is temporary by comparison ---- then we would use \"with\" --- husband & wife argue with one another; brother argues with sister; student argues with teacher.\u00a0 In general, if the conflict is the essential defining feature of the relationship --- if A didn't have an argument with B, then A would not be have any relationship at all with B ---- then we would use \"against.\"\u00a0 This is not a hard-and-fast rule, and in some contexts, either would be correct.<\/p>\n

9)\u00a0In the famous\u00a0<\/em>Scope trial<\/em><\/a>, conservative Christian\u00a0<\/em>William Jennings Bryan<\/em><\/a>\u00a0argued against progressive libertarian lawyer\u00a0<\/em>Clarence Darrow<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fight with\/against<\/h2>\n

The distinction between these two is very much like the distinction between \"argue with\" vs. \"argue against.\"\u00a0 We certainly would use \"with\" to describe either a quality of the fighting (\"he fought with dignity\") or a physical tool used in fighting (\"he fought with\u00a0brass knuckles<\/a>\").\u00a0\u00a0 We use \"against\" for any idea or cause or movement one opposes.<\/p>\n

10)\u00a0The Song of Roland<\/a>\u00a0depicts\u00a0<\/em>Roland<\/em><\/a>'s enemies as Muslims, but in reality, at the\u00a0<\/em>Battle of Roncevaux Pass<\/em><\/a>, Roland fought against Basque Christians<\/em>.<\/p>\n

11)\u00a0Tycho Brahe<\/em><\/a>\u00a0hoped to use his extensive observational data of planetary positions to fight against the\u00a0<\/em>Copernican system<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

As with \"argue\", we tend to say \"fight with [a person] if the ongoing relationship is more enduring and\/or more essential than the nature of the conflict; we tend to say \"fight against [a person]\" if the conflict is the primary mode of relating. Again, this is not a strict rule, and in some contexts, either would be correct.<\/p>\n

12)\u00a0In the \"Thrilla in Manila<\/a>\", on October 1, 1975,\u00a0<\/em>Muhammad Ali<\/em><\/a>'s fought with\u00a0<\/em>Joe Frazier<\/em><\/a>\u00a0for the third and final time<\/em>.<\/p>\n

13)\u00a0Behind closed doors, the\u00a0<\/em>CFO<\/em><\/a>\u00a0argued with the head of the corporation's legal team about potential impact of the new policy, but publicly, they presented a united front of support<\/em>.<\/p>\n

14)\u00a0In 1942,\u00a0<\/em>General Montgomery<\/em><\/a>\u00a0was assigned to North Africa to fight against Field Marshal\u00a0<\/em>Erwin Rommel<\/em><\/a>, the \"Desert Fox.\"<\/em><\/p>\n

15)\u00a0After the\u00a0<\/em>Second Triumvirate<\/em><\/a>\u00a0collapse,\u00a0<\/em>Octavian<\/em><\/a>\u00a0fought against\u00a0<\/em>Marc Antony<\/em><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>Cleopatra<\/em><\/a>, defeating them decisively at the\u00a0<\/em>Battle of Actium<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Victory Over\/Victory Against<\/h2>\n

These two are virtually identical --- the\u00a0 latter seems somewhat more common in sports journalist.\u00a0 For the purposes of GMAT Sentence Correction, both\u00a0victory over<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0victory against<\/strong>\u00a0are correct and imply no discernible difference in meaning.\u00a0 Both are used to describe the party or thing defeated in the victory.<\/p>\n

16)\u00a0The passage of the\u00a0<\/em>Twenty First Amendment<\/em><\/a>, repealing the\u00a0<\/em>Eighteenth<\/em><\/a>, was a decisive victory against\u00a0<\/em>the temperance movement<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

17)\u00a0Arising from\u00a0<\/em>highly controversial ideas<\/em><\/a>\u00a0about the physical world,\u00a0<\/em>Quantum Mechanics<\/em><\/a>\u00a0consolidated a clear victory over\u00a0<\/em>Classical Mechanics<\/em><\/a>\u00a0in the 1920s<\/em>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Summary<\/h2>\n

Know the idioms given in bold in this post.\u00a0 As always with idioms, read, read,\u00a0read<\/a>!\u00a0\u00a0 Search for the idioms in this post in context.\u00a0 You understand English best when you understand it in context.<\/p>\n

This post was written by Mike McGarry, GMAT expert at Magoosh<\/a>, and originally posted here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Prepositions in English display a powerful diversity of uses.\u00a0 In previous preposition article, we talked about\u00a0the proposition “for”.\u00a0 Here, we will look, at the prepositions “against”.   Prepositions A preposition…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,783,243,719,735],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gmat","category-magoosh-blog","category-blog","category-sentence-correction-gmat","category-verbal-gmat-blog","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/133"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16776"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16778,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16776\/revisions\/16778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}