Familiar: known or recognizable

The idea

Use I am familiar with the route for the person’s knowledge. Use the name is familiar to me for the thing recognized and the person recognizing it.

Examples

• I am familiar with this route.
• The name sounds familiar to me.
• She is familiar with the local library.
• His voice was familiar to the guests.
• Are you familiar with this tool?
• The garden looked familiar to her.

Watch out

Familiar with and familiar to place the person and the known thing in different positions.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the preposition before the thing a person knows. I am familiar ___ this route. (with / to)

   Show answer or example answer

   with

   With introduces what the person knows.

2. Choose the preposition before the person who recognizes the name. The name sounds familiar ___ me. (to / with)

   Show answer or example answer

   to

   To introduces the person who recognizes the name.

3. Choose the person to whom it looked familiar. The garden looked familiar to her; to whom did it look familiar? (her / the garden)

   Show answer or example answer

   her

   Familiar to her describes the garden as recognizable to her.

Use it today

Name something you are familiar with and something that looks familiar to you.