Compared to/with

[Mclaughlin]

Many investors base their choice between bonds and stocks on comparing bond yields to the dividends available on common stocks.

(A) between bonds and stocks on comparing bond yields to
(B) among bonds and stocks on comparisons of bond yields to
(C) between bonds and stocks on comparisons of bond yields with
(D) among bonds and stocks on comparing bond yields and
(E) between bonds and stocks on comparing bond yields with

what's the rule and how do you apply it to a complicated question such as this.

[bie.freelance]

check this one out. might help

https://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/compareto.html


In my understanding:

Compare to >>> different things

Compare with >>> same things


what's the answer by the way?

[just_do_it]

"compare with" makes more sense in this context.
imo choice C should be correct.

what is the OA?

[stubbornp]

imo e

[loki.gmat]

one thing is sure that two things (bonds & stocks) are compared here.
hence we require "between" here.so eliminate B n D.

now just compare "comparisons" with "comparing". i think comparisons sounds much better here.

hence IMO C.



Thanks!

[BlueRain]

check this one out. might help

https://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/compareto.html


In my understanding:

Compare to >>> different things

Compare with >>> same things


what's the answer by the way?

Not exactly right.
According to the link you gave, "compare to" emphasizes the similarities, thus it might be used more often with things that are otherwise different but to emphasize the similarities.
Same logic can be applied to "compare with" but opposite (emphasize the differences on things that are otherwise similar).

For this one, IMO C. "base on" should be followed by a noun instead of a gerund, "compare with" is the preferred choice here because the investors are differentiating between stocks and bonds.