According to v. As Per
2022-10-29
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between the phrases "as per" and "according to."
2This is Mengwen.
3I just wanted to know what is the difference between "as per" and "according to" when writing an email.
4Many thanks in advance. Mengwen
5Dear Mengwen,
6This is a great question.
7In some cases, we can use both of these expressions in the same way.
8But they do have slight differences in tone and formality.
9Let's start with "according to."
10"According to" is described as a preposition in many dictionaries.
11"According to" means "as stated by someone or shown by something."
12It is usually used at the beginning of a sentence.
13Here are some examples:
14According to our teacher, the final paper is due before the end of the day.
15According to my last email, if we do not schedule the event soon, we will not be able to do so until next year.
16It can also mean, "in a way that agrees with."
17For this meaning, "according to" can appear in the middle of a sentence. For example:
18The teacher divided the class according to age.
19Any student born before July was put in group A, and anyone born July 1st or after was placed in group B.
20The term "according to" is used very generally.
21The tone or feeling that we get from it is neutral, meaning neither good nor bad.
22It can be used in both formal and informal situations.
23"According to" is used best when we expect something to have happened, or for setting up meetings or completing requests.
24This use is most closely related to "as per," so let's move on to that discussion now.
25"As per" means "in accordance with."
26The expression combines the adverb "as" with the preposition "per."
27Here is an example:
28Dear Karen,
29As per your request, I have listed all of the items that we need to send out by next week.
30In this case, it has the same meaning as "according to."
31And we can use it in similar situations when we want to point out something previously referenced.
32But it is best to use "as per" with more formal requests that have specific times and dates.
33The term is often used in commercial or business settings.
34We can also use just the preposition "per" in the same way, as in this example:
35Dear Professor Karen,
36I handed in the test before the due date, per your instructions.
37Both "according to" and "as per" relate to what was previously said or done.
38"According to" is more general and can be used in different situations.
39"As per" is more formal and is often used for business, especially with specific due dates and requests.
40If you are still unsure about which to use, try thinking of the connotation of each.
41Connotation is the idea, feeling or association linked to a word or phrase.
42Since "according to" is more general and can be used in a lot of different situations, it usually has a neutral connotation.
43In recent years, especially with many jobs going online, "as per" is sometimes seen in a more negative way.
44This has led to many internet memes showing how "as per" is used in emails.
45So you might want to choose "according to," just in case.
46Please let us know if these explanations have helped you, Mingwen.
47What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com
48And that's Ask a Teacher.
49I'm Faith Pirlo.
1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between the phrases "as per" and "according to." 2Question: 3This is Mengwen. I just wanted to know what is the difference between "as per" and "according to" when writing an email. Many thanks in advance. Mengwen 4Answer 5Dear Mengwen, 6This is a great question. 7In some cases, we can use both of these expressions in the same way. But they do have slight differences in tone and formality. 8Let's start with "according to." 9According to 10"According to" is described as a preposition in many dictionaries. 11"According to" means "as stated by someone or shown by something." It is usually used at the beginning of a sentence. 12Here are some examples: 13According to our teacher, the final paper is due before the end of the day. 14According to my last email, if we do not schedule the event soon, we will not be able to do so until next year. 15It can also mean, "in a way that agrees with." For this meaning, "according to" can appear in the middle of a sentence. For example: 16The teacher divided the class according to age. Any student born before July was put in group A, and anyone born July 1st or after was placed in group B. 17The term "according to" is used very generally. The tone or feeling that we get from it is neutral, meaning neither good nor bad. It can be used in both formal and informal situations. 18"According to" is used best when we expect something to have happened, or for setting up meetings or completing requests. 19This use is most closely related to "as per," so let's move on to that discussion now. 20As per 21"As per" means "in accordance with." The expression combines the adverb "as" with the preposition "per." Here is an example: 22Dear Karen, 23As per your request, I have listed all of the items that we need to send out by next week. 24In this case, it has the same meaning as "according to." And we can use it in similar situations when we want to point out something previously referenced. But it is best to use "as per" with more formal requests that have specific times and dates. The term is often used in commercial or business settings. 25We can also use just the preposition "per" in the same way, as in this example: 26Dear Professor Karen, 27I handed in the test before the due date, per your instructions. 28Summary 29Both "according to" and "as per" relate to what was previously said or done. "According to" is more general and can be used in different situations. "As per" is more formal and is often used for business, especially with specific due dates and requests. 30If you are still unsure about which to use, try thinking of the connotation of each. Connotation is the idea, feeling or association linked to a word or phrase. 31Since "according to" is more general and can be used in a lot of different situations, it usually has a neutral connotation. 32In recent years, especially with many jobs going online, "as per" is sometimes seen in a more negative way. This has led to many internet memes showing how "as per" is used in emails. 33So you might want to choose "according to," just in case. 34Please let us know if these explanations have helped you, Mingwen. 35What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com 36And that's Ask a Teacher. 37I'm Faith Pirlo. 38Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 39______________________________________________________________________ 40Words in This Story 41tone - n. a quality, feeling, or attitude expressed by the words that someone uses in speaking or writing 42formal - adj. following or according with established form, custom, or rule 43in accordance with - phr. following or obeying a rule, law, wish, etc. 44commercial - adj. related to or used in the buying and selling of goods and services 45______________________________________________________________________ 46Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 47Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.