according as，according to

這兩個詞組雖然相似，但它們的結構和使用場合并不相同。according to表示“根據”、“按照”;而according as表示“視乎”，有depending及according to whether的意味。

According as是連詞詞組，其后接從句;according to 是介詞短語，其后接名詞。例：

The thermometer rises or falls according to the high or low temperature.

寒暑表根據氣溫的高低而升降。

They will be praised or blamed according as their work is good or bad.

給他們的賞罰將視乎他們工作的好壞來決定。

應當在此指出，在現代英語中，according as的句型結構已很少有人使用，正如 Bergen Evans和 Cornelia Evans在A Dictionary of Contemporary American Usage 中指出的那樣：“This construction is not often heard today”。

下面是according to的例句：

According to the weather report，we shall have cold weather next week.

根據天氣報告，下星期天氣將要轉冷。

You should act according to circumstances.你們要隨機應變。

According to有個同義短語，即 in accordance with，但它們的涵義有細微的區別，前者強調“根據…所言”，后者則強調“與…要一致”。另外 in accordance with多用于正式場合，例如表示與一些原則、規律一致。例：

According to police report，five luxury cars were stolen in Kowloon yesterday.

根據警方報告，昨天在九龍有五輛豪華汽車失竊。

We must proceed in accordance with the rules.

我們必須按照規章辦事。

That sentence is not in accordance with the rules of grammar.

那個句子不符合語法規則。

請注意，in accordance with 既可引導 adverbial phrase，又可引導adjectival phrase作verb“to be”的補語(見上面 in accordance with的第一和第二個例句);according to則不能。例如，我們不能說：

The news is according to Hong Kong’s broadcasting station.(錯)

另一點需要補充說明的是，in accord with 和 in accordance with同義，它們可以互換使用，但前者遠不及后者用得普遍。英國學者F.T.Wood認為，我們最好在強凋“與…一致”(agreement)的時候，用in accord with;在強調“服從”或“遵照執行”(obeying or following)的涵義時，用 in accordance with.例如：

What he has done is not in accord with your instructions.

In accordance with your instructions we have suspended work on the heating apparatus.