"Nearer" or "Nearer to"?

stardustx

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Which is correct grammar in the following sentences, the use of "nearer" or "nearer to"?

She swam nearer to the surface.
She swam nearer the surface.

Or are both sentences correct? I'm second guessing myself and I'm no longer sure which is proper grammar.

Thanks! :)
 

pharm

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I’ve only ever heard/read “nearer to,” to the best of my memory.
 

Bufty

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I don't think it's a grammar question. Context usually helps clarify the issue behind this sort of question.

I'm not sure exactly what image you want to have me picture from the sentence.

Is she swimming upwards and ever closer to the surface? Or is she ascending but does not swim till she gets near to the surface?
 
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stardustx

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She is swimming upwards and ever closer to the surface, which is why I am inclined to use the phrase "nearer to."
 

Bufty

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Your choice but that - She swam nearer to the surface. - is very telling and dull. Have you considered incorporating her objective or reason for heading for the surface in a sentence, and it might then be obvious she is swimming nearer to or heading for the surface without the need to say so?

Just a thought. :Hug2:
 

pharm

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Come to think of it “towards” is probably the better word here for actually approaching something. “She swam towards the surface.”
“Nearer to” technically just implies she is now swimming in the proximity of it, not necessarily traveling all the way there.

This feels like an extremely minor difference in phrasing to get hung up on though.
 

stardustx

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I do have more context in the sentences directly proceeding this particular sentence, so I do explain more in the paragraph itself. But I was hung up on being grammatically correct, when as you pointed out, it depends more on context. So thank you, again, for all of your suggestions.