[Denis DNT]

I have seen and heard both quite often. Just wondering whether there is a mistake somewhere.

[mesmark]

Can you give us an example sentence?

[Denis DNT]

Sample sentences I hear all the time:There must be a nicer way to say the following. Any suggestions?

1. I have been trying to connect to / with you in vain.
2. If you connect this device to / with your computer / TV you can....
3. Are you connected to / with foreign channels?
4. To get a good job you need to be connected to / with someone ...
5. Meet Jeff, he is connected to / with many schools.

Do you guys have some more confusing examples? Share.

[susan53]

Quote Denis DNT

Sample sentences

1. I have been trying to connect to / with you in vain.
2. If you connect this device to / with your computer / TV you can....
3. Are you connected to / with foreign channels?
4. To get a good job you need to be connected to / with someone ...
5. Meet Jeff, he is connected to / with many schools.

According to the Cobuild dictionary :

A. connect something to something = join one end of X to one end of Y : Connect the hose pipe to the tap and your example 2. But personally I'd also use with. On Google I found this, which actually uses both in exactly the same context - Handhelds connect with USB On-the-Go - ZDNet UKA variation of USB will enable handhelds and other devices to connect directly to printers or to each other

B. Connect something with something = make it possible to pass from X to Y : We're putting in another flight to connect Brussels directly with Manchester. Again, personally I'd also use to. Google came up with Arrive SAO PAULO and connect with flight to CUIABA and KLM flights to Amsterdam connect to most of the rest of Europe

C.to be connected with something/someone = to be related to or involved with something : Good health is connected with diet. and your examples 4+5. Once more I'd also use to and Google agrees : A Brazilian man killed by police in south London was unconnected to Thursday's attacks police confirm.as well as Writers and Books connected with Essex

That leaves your examples 1 and 3 - which I don't think I'd ever say. I'd use :

1. get in touch with you or contact you. For me, to connect with someone means to be on the same wavelength or to relate mentally to someone. Example from Google : Gordon Brown - We must listen, learn and connect with voters. But also on Google I found : Networking – how to meet and connect with the people you need to know which is ambiguous. Is it my meaning or similar to your example 1?

3. Can you get/receive foreign channels?

So it seems to me that the two prepositions are actually used more or less interchangeably.

Hope that helps.

[Denis DNT]

Thanks!
Good research there Susan. I am sure you can see the trouble I have been in. When I do use connect, "to" pops up next more often than "with". I'd be more at ease if I could just settle on one. I used to ignore it thinking it wasn't very significant until my 6th graders came up with it last week, looking for the right one to use. Guess what I did...

[oldie]

Perhaps "connect with" would be used colloquially in a person-to-person context to mean "get to know", "become familiar with" or "think similar thoughts as" someone or even "become intimate" with someone.

"Connect to" is more in the context of joining parts of things together to make something whole or complete.

[Denis DNT]

I just want to appreciate all the facts you guys have brought up to help me better use the verb.
Regards.

[yassine36]

I have just found an intersting online corpus data that can help you tell which word collocates with "connect".
The site is JustTheWord
I noticed that "connect with" is used more than "connect to".
Hope this helps.

[Eric18]

Excellent question, research, and discussion. Cobuild is such an invaluable resource!

[vanessa76]

Both are correct as long as you are using it in the proper context. For example, I am connecting to the internet.

Or, Bill and Sarah connected with each other. This context can either be seen as coloquial or as another form of saying, getting together. Honestly, I think it depends which English speaking country that you are from or you feel most comfortable with.

I hope I haven't confused you any further!

Bye!

[daviddean]

Hi, I agree with Susan. Basically you use connect with, when using names and connect to for anything else.
e.g John and Jane connected with each other at the meeting. This tunnel connects England with France.
I connect this end of the pipe to that tap.

[Beijingcity]

I don't understand the difference.. what do you mean when you say that connect to is for enything else?
I can say I connect to internet for exemple.

[Beatrix]

well "anything else" includes internet , internet is not the name of a place or a person

[susan53]

Sorry, but that explanation doesn't reflect how people actually use the two prepositions.
When I fed connect/with into a concordancer, there were 117 examples from a 3m word corpus, roughly half referring to people and the others not. Here are some examples of "things connecting with things"

They can connect their computers directly with any database in the company...
Research and development expenditures connected with the reconnaissance satellite..
... the East River that connected New York Bay with Long Island Sound.
A telephone line had been hooked up to connect the ship with the Base exchange.
...costly improvements such as extensions or better connections with other highways.

And even when the sentence involves people, they're often not connecting with other people but abstarct concepts or concrete objects :

...the SAC commander and other key men. All can be connected with the gold circuit from their homes.
Certain concepts, which previously had been connected only with the king,...
it is seldom indeed that anyone remotely connected with the cinema...

etc etc