"Another way" vs "in another way"

Question

I often meet the use of another way phrase both with and without the in preposition.

Both

1. Let me phrase it in another way.

2. I will put it in another way.

3. He is used to building roads in another way.

and

1. Let me phrase it another way.

2. I will put it another way.

3. He is used to building roads another way.

sound reasonable to me and I cannot clearly see any difference in the meaning. Am I wrong? May be there are better examples which do show some difference?

Answer 1

A predicate needs its argument to complete the meaning. An object is one as such (direct argument); the preposition phrase is another (oblique argument) but very much essential to the meaning of the sentence. The preposition is the argument marker.

Not going into pedantic details, we can say this much that in both sets of examples WAY is used all along as a noun. We don't find fault with the first set of examples — IN ANOTHER WAY — is an Adverb Prepositional Phrase (preposition in the beginning, its object at the end and a modifier in between; in - another - way). It fulfills oblique argument in the first set of three.

What about the rest? WAY is not an adverb here. WAY or for that matter ANOTHER WAY is an adverbial objective (they create an object like illusion though not acted upon) or adverbial noun i.e., nouns used as adverb:

He works mornings and nights.

Mornings and nights occupy the position earmarked for an object. But a word of caution: adverbial nouns modify verbs and adjectives and they are not used to describe manners.

However, in the first two of the remaining set of three another way functions as adverbial objective – localising the functionality of the verbs. But in the last sentence we want another way to function as an adverbial objective assigning the role to describe manners which is contrary to its nature. The last sentence flouts basic rules of semantics and is wrong as such:

He is used to building roads another way.

In this example sentence the participle object phrase building roads can be classified as an object of another​ object roads usurping (leaving no room for) adverbial objective (yet another noun — another way). So we have:

• Building (noun equivalent participle)

• Roads (noun)

• Another way (noun)

Without a relationship word (preposition) another way can not be knit in the sentence coherently or logically. However, I have a sort of inner prompting that says that if roads be replaced by any pronoun (it/this/one) than another way may be induced in the sentence without a preposition but the rule underlying is beyond my knowledge.

Answer 2

I would suggest that

3. "He is used to building roads another way." is only incorrect on account of the semantic link between a road and a way.
4. "He is used to cutting grass another way." would be fine.

Answer 3

The sentences sound good to me, with or without the preposition "in." But, formal writing would probably require the preposition in question.

Answer 4

These are merely examples of unneeded prepositions. We meet them daily, such as Rachel Ray's dozen or so each day: "Mix it in", "Stir it up", "Pour it out", "Flip it over". She will say all of these phrases for any mixture that needs cooking on a flat grill or skillet. Remove every preposition, and the meaning does not change.

Sometimes the preposition does add to the meaning, such as "He despised the gun in his hand, so he threw it ___." Was that up, down, into the sea, or out the window?