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“enables users to” vs “allows users to” – both correct?
Summarizing what makes a home a homeWhich one is right: “allows to acquire” or “allows acquiring”?What is correct: “both sides of you” or “both sides of yours”?Which is correct? Users who or Users that?'allowing' vs. 'that allows'Word Hunt: A Collection of Lessons, but a subset of a Course?Referring to an email sent to an individual, but not in the main conversationpaying users vs paid users vs premium usersReplicable or Replicateable, are both correct?Is the successive use of “to” in any sentence grammatically correct?
I’m editing a colleague who habitually uses phrases like:
The password enables users to log in.
This sounds wrong to me, and I want to suggest alternatives like:
The password allows users to log in.
After some cursory research, I think the problem here is me, not the pattern in question. Are “enables” and “allows” interchangeable, here?
word-choice grammaticality
asked 3 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
I’m editing a colleague who habitually uses phrases like:
The password enables users to log in.
This sounds wrong to me, and I want to suggest alternatives like:
The password allows users to log in.
After some cursory research, I think the problem here is me, not the pattern in question. Are “enables” and “allows” interchangeable, here?
word-choice grammaticality
asked 3 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
They are sometimes equivalent. A guard dog allows you to enter a house, sounds more plausible than the guard dog enabling your entry, unless you had somehow “provided” the dog to the homeowner.
– Global Charm
2 hours ago
Ok, so, as @HideMe says below -- the difference is about granting permission (allows) vs bestowing new abilities (enables).
– Eric Portis
1 hour ago
add a comment |
I’m editing a colleague who habitually uses phrases like:
The password enables users to log in.
This sounds wrong to me, and I want to suggest alternatives like:
The password allows users to log in.
After some cursory research, I think the problem here is me, not the pattern in question. Are “enables” and “allows” interchangeable, here?
word-choice grammaticality
asked 3 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I’m editing a colleague who habitually uses phrases like:
The password enables users to log in.
This sounds wrong to me, and I want to suggest alternatives like:
The password allows users to log in.
After some cursory research, I think the problem here is me, not the pattern in question. Are “enables” and “allows” interchangeable, here?
word-choice grammaticality
word-choice grammaticality
asked 3 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 3 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 3 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 3 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
asked 3 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
31
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
They are sometimes equivalent. A guard dog allows you to enter a house, sounds more plausible than the guard dog enabling your entry, unless you had somehow “provided” the dog to the homeowner.
– Global Charm
2 hours ago
Ok, so, as @HideMe says below -- the difference is about granting permission (allows) vs bestowing new abilities (enables).
– Eric Portis
1 hour ago
add a comment |
1
They are sometimes equivalent. A guard dog allows you to enter a house, sounds more plausible than the guard dog enabling your entry, unless you had somehow “provided” the dog to the homeowner.
– Global Charm
2 hours ago
Ok, so, as @HideMe says below -- the difference is about granting permission (allows) vs bestowing new abilities (enables).
– Eric Portis
1 hour ago
1
1
They are sometimes equivalent. A guard dog allows you to enter a house, sounds more plausible than the guard dog enabling your entry, unless you had somehow “provided” the dog to the homeowner.
– Global Charm
2 hours ago
They are sometimes equivalent. A guard dog allows you to enter a house, sounds more plausible than the guard dog enabling your entry, unless you had somehow “provided” the dog to the homeowner.
– Global Charm
2 hours ago
Ok, so, as @HideMe says below -- the difference is about granting permission (allows) vs bestowing new abilities (enables).
– Eric Portis
1 hour ago
Ok, so, as @HideMe says below -- the difference is about granting permission (allows) vs bestowing new abilities (enables).
– Eric Portis
1 hour ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
Enables implies that this uncovers a new ability for the user to log in.
Using a different wording:
The password gives the user the ability to login.
Whereas allows implies that the user has been given the permission to login as if they weren't allowed before.
Attempting to put this into a different wording:
The password gives the user the permission to login
This is erroneous as the permission may in this case already be granted and they simply haven't been given the ability to login yet
answered 2 hours ago
dopedope
363
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
But gramatically, they're identical. They just carry different meanings? (And in the example, it sounds like “enables” better describes what passwords do?)
– Eric Portis
1 hour ago
Grammatically yes, they're identical. But they carry different meanings. So you're right to think that the problem was within you when perceiving the phrase as erroneous. 'Enables' definitely describes the function of the user being given the password better than 'allow' would. As I've attempted to lay out in my answer. :)
– dope
1 hour ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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1 Answer
1
active
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active
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active
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votes
Enables implies that this uncovers a new ability for the user to log in.
Using a different wording:
The password gives the user the ability to login.
Whereas allows implies that the user has been given the permission to login as if they weren't allowed before.
Attempting to put this into a different wording:
The password gives the user the permission to login
This is erroneous as the permission may in this case already be granted and they simply haven't been given the ability to login yet
answered 2 hours ago
dopedope
363
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
But gramatically, they're identical. They just carry different meanings? (And in the example, it sounds like “enables” better describes what passwords do?)
– Eric Portis
1 hour ago
Grammatically yes, they're identical. But they carry different meanings. So you're right to think that the problem was within you when perceiving the phrase as erroneous. 'Enables' definitely describes the function of the user being given the password better than 'allow' would. As I've attempted to lay out in my answer. :)
– dope
1 hour ago
add a comment |
Enables implies that this uncovers a new ability for the user to log in.
Using a different wording:
The password gives the user the ability to login.
Whereas allows implies that the user has been given the permission to login as if they weren't allowed before.
Attempting to put this into a different wording:
The password gives the user the permission to login
This is erroneous as the permission may in this case already be granted and they simply haven't been given the ability to login yet
answered 2 hours ago
dopedope
363
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
But gramatically, they're identical. They just carry different meanings? (And in the example, it sounds like “enables” better describes what passwords do?)
– Eric Portis
1 hour ago
Grammatically yes, they're identical. But they carry different meanings. So you're right to think that the problem was within you when perceiving the phrase as erroneous. 'Enables' definitely describes the function of the user being given the password better than 'allow' would. As I've attempted to lay out in my answer. :)
– dope
1 hour ago
add a comment |
Enables implies that this uncovers a new ability for the user to log in.
Using a different wording:
The password gives the user the ability to login.
Whereas allows implies that the user has been given the permission to login as if they weren't allowed before.
Attempting to put this into a different wording:
The password gives the user the permission to login
This is erroneous as the permission may in this case already be granted and they simply haven't been given the ability to login yet
answered 2 hours ago
dopedope
363
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Enables implies that this uncovers a new ability for the user to log in.
Using a different wording:
The password gives the user the ability to login.
Whereas allows implies that the user has been given the permission to login as if they weren't allowed before.
Attempting to put this into a different wording:
The password gives the user the permission to login
This is erroneous as the permission may in this case already be granted and they simply haven't been given the ability to login yet
answered 2 hours ago
dopedope
363
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 2 hours ago
answered 2 hours ago
dopedope
363
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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answered 2 hours ago
dopedope
363
answered 2 hours ago
dopedope
363
363
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
But gramatically, they're identical. They just carry different meanings? (And in the example, it sounds like “enables” better describes what passwords do?)
– Eric Portis
1 hour ago
Grammatically yes, they're identical. But they carry different meanings. So you're right to think that the problem was within you when perceiving the phrase as erroneous. 'Enables' definitely describes the function of the user being given the password better than 'allow' would. As I've attempted to lay out in my answer. :)
– dope
1 hour ago
add a comment |
But gramatically, they're identical. They just carry different meanings? (And in the example, it sounds like “enables” better describes what passwords do?)
– Eric Portis
1 hour ago
Grammatically yes, they're identical. But they carry different meanings. So you're right to think that the problem was within you when perceiving the phrase as erroneous. 'Enables' definitely describes the function of the user being given the password better than 'allow' would. As I've attempted to lay out in my answer. :)
– dope
1 hour ago
But gramatically, they're identical. They just carry different meanings? (And in the example, it sounds like “enables” better describes what passwords do?)
– Eric Portis
1 hour ago
But gramatically, they're identical. They just carry different meanings? (And in the example, it sounds like “enables” better describes what passwords do?)
– Eric Portis
1 hour ago
Grammatically yes, they're identical. But they carry different meanings. So you're right to think that the problem was within you when perceiving the phrase as erroneous. 'Enables' definitely describes the function of the user being given the password better than 'allow' would. As I've attempted to lay out in my answer. :)
– dope
1 hour ago
Grammatically yes, they're identical. But they carry different meanings. So you're right to think that the problem was within you when perceiving the phrase as erroneous. 'Enables' definitely describes the function of the user being given the password better than 'allow' would. As I've attempted to lay out in my answer. :)
– dope
1 hour ago
add a comment |
Eric Portis is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Eric Portis is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Eric Portis is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Eric Portis is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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1
They are sometimes equivalent. A guard dog allows you to enter a house, sounds more plausible than the guard dog enabling your entry, unless you had somehow “provided” the dog to the homeowner.
– Global Charm
2 hours ago
Ok, so, as @HideMe says below -- the difference is about granting permission (allows) vs bestowing new abilities (enables).
– Eric Portis
1 hour ago