compared with when

USAGE SUMMARY

"compared with when" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to compare a situation at one point in time with another point in time. For example: "Job opportunities have declined sharply compared with when I graduated from college 10 years ago."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

A change in memory compared with when you were younger.

Harvard University

Well, look at it now, compared with when you took off.

The New Yorker

On the upside, the airports are much different today compared with when I started out.

The New York Times

And the rates are higher when the disease is active compared with when it is inactive.

Nature

Interactions between these two regions increased compared with when participants had slept.

The Guardian

"It's substantially reduced in size compared with when I last saw it, in 2009," she said.

The New York Times - Magazine

Compared with when I was a student in the 80s, the forces of opposition do feel very broken up".

The Guardian

"However, we are living in different and difficult economic times compared with when the pilot was launched in September 2007.

The Guardian

It represents a rise to Labor of two points compared with when the poll was taken a fortnight ago.

The Guardian

Most Katrina documentaries are shoestring productions, especially compared with "When the Levees Broke," which had a $2 million budget.

The New York Times

We continued in farming, but the business is now unrecognisable compared with when there were cows in the yard.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "compared with when" to draw clear distinctions between situations or states at different points in time, ensuring the comparison is logical and relevant to your argument. For example: "The cost of living is significantly higher now, compared with when I first moved to the city."

Common error

Avoid using "compared with when" to compare static attributes that do not change over time; it's best suited for scenarios involving change or evolution over a period. For example, instead of saying "This car is faster compared with when it's red", focus on the change, such as "This car accelerates faster compared with when the engine is cold".

Linguistic Context

Compared with when functions as a conjunction phrase that introduces a clause specifying a point of comparison in time. It sets up a temporal contrast, indicating how a situation differs from a previous state. As Ludwig AI explains, it's used to compare a situation at one point in time with another.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Science

31%

Academia

21%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "compared with when" serves as a temporal conjunction, effectively drawing comparisons between past and present scenarios. As noted by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and frequently employed across diverse contexts, including News & Media, Science, and Academia. To ensure clarity, it should be used to emphasize changes over time rather than static attributes. Alternatives such as "in contrast to when" and "as opposed to when" provide similar functions with slight variations in emphasis. By understanding its appropriate usage and considering its alternatives, writers can use "compared with when" to enhance the precision and impact of their communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in contrast to when

Replaces "compared with" with "in contrast to", emphasizing the difference between two points in time.

as opposed to when

Similar to "in contrast to when", but uses "as opposed to" to highlight the distinction.

relative to when

Uses "relative to" to indicate a comparison based on a specific point in time.

in comparison to the time when

Adds "the time" for emphasis and a slightly more formal tone.

rather than when

Highlights a preference or alternative to a specific time.

as compared to the point when

Replaces "with when" with "to the point when", adding specificity.

by comparison with the period when

Offers a formal, descriptive alternative using "period" instead of "time".

differing from when

Uses "differing from" to emphasize the difference in conditions or circumstances at another time.

unlike the situation when

Focuses on the contrast in circumstances rather than just time.

as against when

A less common but valid alternative to "compared with when".

FAQs

How do I use "compared with when" in a sentence?

"Compared with when" is used to contrast a situation at one point in time with another. For example: "The library is much quieter now "compared with when" it's exam season."

What can I say instead of "compared with when"?

Alternatives include "in contrast to when", "as opposed to when", or "relative to when", each offering a slightly different nuance in comparison.

Is it always necessary to use "when" after "compared with"?

Yes, "when" is essential to specify that the comparison involves different points in time. Without "when", the phrase is incomplete and grammatically incorrect if you want to specify a temporal comparison.

What's the difference between "compared with when" and "compared to when"?

Both "compared with when" and "compared to when" are acceptable, but "compared with when" is often preferred in formal writing. They both serve to draw a comparison between two different times.