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Can you tell me please=]
The success of the 16th President teaches that hard times are precisely when political dexterity is needed most. Politics is the machinery by which we meet tough challenges.
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1 ) Why is it "the" machinery there?
2 ) Why does it say "by which"?
Someone also told me "with which" works too, can you tell me why please=]
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Are there any other ways of saying the second sentence?
Thank you so much. =]
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1 ) Why is it "the" machinery there?
2 ) Why does it say "by which"?
Someone also told me "with which" works too, can you tell me why please=]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are there any other ways of saying the second sentence?
Thank you so much. =]
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It is "the" machinery... because it is describing specific machinery (the machinery of politics). If the article, "the", was not used, then the sentence would be saying that politics is one type of machinery used to meet tough challenges, and that there may also be others. With the article, "the", it is the only machinery used.
"By which" is used to make the grammar correct. I don't know if they still teach the same rule as when I was in school. I was taught that it is improper grammar to end a sentence with a preposition. For example: "Politics is the machinery we meet tough challenges by." Whether or not this rule is still taught, you often hear people ending sentences with prepositions in modern language.
If you reverse the order of the sentence, it may help you to understand when to use "by" or "with":
"We meet tough challenges by using the machinery of politics."
"We meet tough challenges with the machinery of politics."
As written in your example, the two words are interchangeable.
"By which" is used to make the grammar correct. I don't know if they still teach the same rule as when I was in school. I was taught that it is improper grammar to end a sentence with a preposition. For example: "Politics is the machinery we meet tough challenges by." Whether or not this rule is still taught, you often hear people ending sentences with prepositions in modern language.
If you reverse the order of the sentence, it may help you to understand when to use "by" or "with":
"We meet tough challenges by using the machinery of politics."
"We meet tough challenges with the machinery of politics."
As written in your example, the two words are interchangeable.
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