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Prerequisite "to" versus prequisite "for"?

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Tim Murray

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Aug 14, 2010, 11:14:00 AM8/14/10
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How do you all weigh in on using "A is a prerequisite to B" versus "A is a
prerequisite for B".

Or how about, ""There are several prerequisites to/for B"?

Liz

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Aug 14, 2010, 2:01:24 PM8/14/10
to

Your header seems to suggest that the question is about the words
pre-requisite and perquisite (perk). They are not interchangeable but
confusion can occur.

mm

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Aug 14, 2010, 2:51:43 PM8/14/10
to
On Sat, 14 Aug 2010 14:01:24 -0400, "Liz" <l...@ithaca.nys> wrote:

>
>"Tim Murray" <no-...@thankyou.com> wrote:
>> How do you all weigh in on using "A is a prerequisite to B" versus "A is a
>> prerequisite for B".

The first refers to classes and places where someone imposes a
requirement.

The second refers to actual need.

Sometimes they overlap.

>>
>> Or how about, ""There are several prerequisites to/for B"?
>
>Your header seems to suggest that the question is about the words
>pre-requisite and perquisite (perk). They are not interchangeable but
>confusion can occur.

Given the all the other places where he spelled the word the same, I
think he just made a typo when he wrote prequisite in the subject
line.
--
Posters should say where they live, and for which area
they are asking questions. I was born and then lived in
Western Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis 7 years
Chicago 6 years
Brooklyn, NY 12 years
Baltimore 26 years

Liz

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Aug 14, 2010, 3:59:42 PM8/14/10
to

"mm" <NOPSAM...@bigfoot.com> wrote:

> On Sat, 14 Aug 2010 14:01:24 -0400, "Liz" <l...@ithaca.nys> wrote:
>
>>
>>"Tim Murray" <no-...@thankyou.com> wrote:
>>> How do you all weigh in on using "A is a prerequisite to B" versus "A is
>>> a
>>> prerequisite for B".
>
> The first refers to classes and places where someone imposes a
> requirement.
>
> The second refers to actual need.
>
> Sometimes they overlap.
>>>
>>> Or how about, ""There are several prerequisites to/for B"?
>>
>>Your header seems to suggest that the question is about the words
>>pre-requisite and perquisite (perk). They are not interchangeable but
>>confusion can occur.
>
> Given the all the other places where he spelled the word the same, I
> think he just made a typo when he wrote prequisite in the subject
> line.

Well, I've gut someone to respond, and that's all that counts.


Fred

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Aug 14, 2010, 5:29:53 PM8/14/10
to

"Tim Murray" <no-...@thankyou.com> wrote in message
news:Yoy9o.16065$1v3....@newsfe20.iad...

> How do you all weigh in on using "A is a prerequisite to B" versus "A is a
> prerequisite for B".
>
> Or how about, ""There are several prerequisites to/for B"?
>
'How do you all weigh in on....' Where did that spring from? Not planet
earth, surely?


Jonathan Morton

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Aug 14, 2010, 5:59:28 PM8/14/10
to
"Fred" <r...@parachute.nit.nz> wrote in message
news:i471sk$mfu$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
Assuming the OP is asking whether one should use "prerequisite to" or
"prerequisite for", I would say that "prerequisite of" is preferable to
either, though "for" is probably better than "to".

Regards

Jonathan


HVS

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Aug 14, 2010, 6:29:27 PM8/14/10
to
On 14 Aug 2010, Tim Murray wrote

> How do you all weigh in on using "A is a prerequisite to B" versus "A is a
> prerequisite for B".
>
> Or how about, ""There are several prerequisites to/for B"?

I don't know the technical explanation, but my idiomaticism meter says it
should be "prerequisites for" rather than "to".

--
Cheers, Harvey
CanEng and BrEng, indiscriminately mixed


Fred

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Aug 14, 2010, 8:38:35 PM8/14/10
to

"HVS" <use...@REMOVETHISwhhvs.co.uk> wrote in message
news:Xns9DD4EEF6...@news.albasani.net...

> On 14 Aug 2010, Tim Murray wrote
>
>> How do you all weigh in on using "A is a prerequisite to B" versus "A is
>> a
>> prerequisite for B".
>>
>> Or how about, ""There are several prerequisites to/for B"?
>
> I don't know the technical explanation, but my idiomaticism meter says it
> should be "prerequisites for" rather than "to".
>
> --
Wouldn't it depend on context? I would say 'prerequisite for admission', but
'prerequisite to admit'.


HVS

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Aug 15, 2010, 4:04:52 AM8/15/10
to
On 15 Aug 2010, Fred wrote

Yes, you're right. My entirely-unresearched gut reaction, though, is that
the latter construction is far less common.

Donna Richoux

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Aug 15, 2010, 7:47:31 AM8/15/10
to
Fred <r...@parachute.nit.nz> wrote:

Google: "How do you weigh in on" 203,000 results
"to weigh in on" 3,470,000 results
"weighed in on" 47,000,000 results
"all weighed in on" 19,800 results

It's true that changing the "you" into "you all" does make it rare.
"Y'all" helps a smidgin.

--
Best -- Donna Richoux


Stan Brown

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Aug 15, 2010, 11:12:51 AM8/15/10
to

In my opinion, "of" is better than either "to" or "for".

MATH132 is a prerequisite of MATH135.

--
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Tompkins County, New York, USA
http://OakRoadSystems.com
Shikata ga nai...

Eric Walker

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Aug 16, 2010, 6:52:52 AM8/16/10
to
On Sat, 14 Aug 2010 11:14:00 -0400, Tim Murray wrote:

The word can be an adjective or a noun. As an adjective, it normally
takes the preposition 'to': "Competence is prerequisite to
promotion." (That from the AHD.) As a noun, it would normally take
'for': "Basic Philosophy II is a prerequisite for the course in Oriental
Philosophy."


--
Cordially,
Eric Walker, Owlcroft House
http://owlcroft.com/english/

Bob Martin

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Aug 16, 2010, 6:07:46 AM8/16/10
to
in 1695406 20100816 115252 Eric Walker <em...@owlcroft.com> wrote:
>On Sat, 14 Aug 2010 11:14:00 -0400, Tim Murray wrote:
>
>> How do you all weigh in on using "A is a prerequisite to B" versus "A is
>> a prerequisite for B".
>>
>> Or how about, ""There are several prerequisites to/for B"?
>
>The word can be an adjective or a noun. As an adjective, it normally
>takes the preposition 'to': "Competence is prerequisite to
>promotion." (That from the AHD.) As a noun, it would normally take
>'for': "Basic Philosophy II is a prerequisite for the course in Oriental
>Philosophy."

I think I prefer "of".

Tim Murray

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Aug 16, 2010, 7:46:15 AM8/16/10
to
mm wrote:
> On Sat, 14 Aug 2010 14:01:24 -0400, "Liz" <l...@ithaca.nys> wrote:
>
>>
>> "Tim Murray" <no-...@thankyou.com> wrote:
>>> How do you all weigh in on using "A is a prerequisite to B" versus "A is a
>>> prerequisite for B".
>
> The first refers to classes and places where someone imposes a
> requirement.
>
> The second refers to actual need.
>
> Sometimes they overlap.
>>>
>>> Or how about, ""There are several prerequisites to/for B"?
>>
>> Your header seems to suggest that the question is about the words
>> pre-requisite and perquisite (perk). They are not interchangeable but
>> confusion can occur.
>
> Given the all the other places where he spelled the word the same, I
> think he just made a typo when he wrote prequisite in the subject
> line.
>

Yes, it was a typo.

Tim Murray

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Aug 16, 2010, 7:49:17 AM8/16/10
to

Thanks to all who weighed in.

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