confront vs face It seems to me that these two words can be used both actively and passively, with the exact same meaning. I don't know if I'm correct so I made up some sentences, please tell me if th

JOSEPH

confront vs face It seems to me that these two words can be used both actively and passively, with the exact same meaning. I don't know if I'm correct so I made up some sentences, please tell me if they're right. If they're all correct but their meanings are slightly different, please let me know. Many thanks! 1. People are confronted with difficulties. 2. People confront difficulties. 3. Difficulties confront people. 1. People are faced with difficulties. 2. People face difficulties. 3. Difficulties face people. ps: Happy new year :)

Dec 28, 2010 9:48 AM

Answers · 4

Happy New Year Joseph! 1. People are confronted with difficulties. - Yes - People are attacked/confused by problems 2. People confront difficulties. - Yes - People stand up to/deal with problems 3. Difficulties confront people. - Yes - Problems try to confuse people. 1. People are faced with difficulties. - Same as above 2. People face difficulties. - Same as above 3. Difficulties face people. - Same as above The only REAL difference is that "confront" tends to imply that the action is more aggressive than "face". For example (to illustrate the difference only)- If I confront something, maybe I choose to attack it. If I face it, it is attacking me and I defend myself. They can both be used identically (it depends what you want to express!)

December 28, 2010