"do with" vs "deal with"

what’s the differences between do with and deal with? how to use them? thanks.

I think they are alike. Or not?

Hi,

You can deal with your problems, meaning you try to solve them.
You can also do with what you have on hand, meaning that you are content with it, and will not complain about your “tough luck”, that you don’t have more.

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Good explanations, Alex. :smiley:
You can find another definition of the verb phrase ‘do with’ here:
dictionary.reference.com/search?q=do+with&r=66
(Your explanation of ‘do with’ also fits the phrase ‘make do with’.)

As is often the case, it is the context of the entire sentence (and also the broader context) that ultimately determines which meaning the words and phrases in it have. There is at least one very obvious illustration of this in one of the test sentences on this site. In that sentence, all of the individual words of a common idiom are used in a sentence. However, the idiom itself is not actually used in the sentence. :wink:
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Thanks !

I know that idiom - it hasn’t yet gone out of my head (or shall I say mind) :wink:

It gladdens my heart (and I am also tickled pink) to know that your brain has managed to retain the information about that non-use of an idiom. :lol:
.

_____ will you ______ the naughty boy?
A. What, do
B. How, deal with

which is right? why? thanks.

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Only option B works grammatically, Vaok.

Option A can only work grammatically with additional words. For example:
What, do to
-OR-
What, do about
-OR-
What, do with
.

Sorry. it’s like this:

_____ will you ______ the naughty boy?
A. What, do with
B. How, deal with

Yea, and when the two options are acceptable, what is the difference between them?

Hi Nessie,

‘Do with’ in the context of ‘the naughty boy’ is possibly how you will punish him/make him do to pay for what he has broken.

‘Deal with’ suggests ‘treat’ in the sense of the way you approach him and explain to him what he has done wrong.

Alan

Very clear explaination, Grandpa. Thanks a lot :stuck_out_tongue: