belong with
- Thread starter Yggdrasil
- Start date
Belong to is about possession.
Belong with is about natural association.
Belong with is about natural association.
You can say that, but only if you want to sound like you are something other than human and wish to associate with humans.
In other words, the "association" is between two distinct people, groups, or things."I belong to the race" is the better way to write that particular sentence. This meaning of "belong to" is "part of" or "member of". "I am a member of the human race" = "I belong to the human race." We say the same thing of clubs, associations, professional societies, etc. "I belong to the Sierra Club" or "I belong to the Chamber of Commerce."
I wonder if a time-element would not make for a better distinction. Or even better: 'with' denoting not only a temporary, but also a provisional
association.
'I belong with them while their mother is sick'.
Although I belong to the Military, right now I belong with them.
It seems to me that more permanent or institutionalized associations are always 'to'.
So would be, in most cases 'I belong to those who tell the truth', although a situation is possible where it would be with'. Imagine all those who do
tell the truth are being rounded up to be punished. Your friend asks you
what you will do. You decide to stick to your principles. 'I belong with the
ones....
association.
'I belong with them while their mother is sick'.
Although I belong to the Military, right now I belong with them.
It seems to me that more permanent or institutionalized associations are always 'to'.
So would be, in most cases 'I belong to those who tell the truth', although a situation is possible where it would be with'. Imagine all those who do
tell the truth are being rounded up to be punished. Your friend asks you
what you will do. You decide to stick to your principles. 'I belong with the
ones....
No, I don't think that's accurate. Otherwise, "I belong with the human race" would work, and I really think it doesn't.
"I belong with" is similar to "I belong alongside" more than "I'm of that kind", as I see it.
"I belong with those who say the truth" sounds like you want to be among the people who tell the truth, but it doesn't say that you are one of them.
"There are two types of people in the world: those who lie and those who tell the truth. I belong to those who tell the truth" means that you belong to the group of people who tell the truth.