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  1. A1 and A2 are on par with each other.
  2. B1 and B2 are on par with each other.

So

  1. A's are on par with each other.
  2. B's are on par with each other.

I want to say 3 and 4 in one single sentence without repeating "on par with each other". How can I do that?

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15
  • 5
    A's are on par with one another, and so are B's. 'In a par' is not exactly familiar.
    – Yosef Baskin
    Jul 17, 2017 at 13:45
  • 3
    Traditionally, with each other is used for two things, and with one another is used for more. But as the website I link to says, this distinction is disappearing. (Although to me, with one another still doesn't sound quite right for two things.)
    – Peter Shor
    Jul 17, 2017 at 13:53
  • 1
    @StuW: Being a pair is not the same as being on par.
    – Flater
    Jul 17, 2017 at 15:06
  • Oops! How about A1 and A2 are on par with each other - so are B1 and B2. ?
    – Stu W
    Jul 17, 2017 at 15:54
  • Further to various suggestions for rephrasing, the idiom is "on a par with", not "on par with".
    – Rosie F
    Jul 17, 2017 at 16:03

8 Answers 8

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13

I would go with this, or some small variation of it:

The As are on par with one another, as are the Bs.

Note that it's not in a par. Either on par or on a par can be used.

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  • 1
    This could also be A1 and A2 are on par with one another [or each other], as are B1 and B2 if the OP really wanted to list the components.
    – Roger Sinasohn
    Jul 17, 2017 at 15:07
  • I'm not saying the estimated prevalence from Google Books is completely accurate, but it claims 21,800 hits for they are on a par with, against only 1,520 for they are on par with. Personally, I'd have expected a more marked preference, but even at that level your assertion is clearly incorrect so far as actual usage is concerned (and I never heard of any pedants supporting your position on logical / syntactic grounds).
    – FumbleFingers
    Jul 17, 2017 at 15:44
  • @FumbleFingers, interesting, thanks. I've never heard the phrase "on a par" but apparently it's legit. I updated my answer.
    – user247088
    Jul 17, 2017 at 16:44
15

The other answer is a good one. Here's another suggestion:

A1 and B1 are on par with A2 and B2, respectively.

However, this wouldn't work if you were talking about (A1,A2) and (B1,B2,B3).

Respectively

adverb

  1. in precisely the order given; sequentially.
  2. (of two or more things, with reference to two or more things previously mentioned) referring or applying to in a parallel or sequential way:
    Joe and Bob escorted Betty and Alice, respectively.
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1
  • +1. My engineering masters had many instances of this, not matter how hard I tried to mix the writing up so as not to repeat myself I ended up reverting all the other clumsy attempts back to variations of 'respectively'.
    – Lamar Latrell
    Jul 17, 2017 at 15:06
3

I've seen no reference by anyone answering, or commenting to parity.

How about ...and the B's have parity too?

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  • 1
    You missed my answer, below. Both the A's and the B's are in parity.
    – Vector
    Jul 18, 2017 at 11:53
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    @Vector Apologies. But I honestly didn't see your answer, and am quite mystified as to why mine has scored three positive votes, and yours a negative two - especially since you provided more information. Anyway +1 from me.
    – WS2
    Jul 19, 2017 at 12:18
  • @DarrenRinger also used parity in another answer, below. IMO it works much better than the answers here that are fumbling around to make in par work. I added the information about usage of parity later - I think it was down-voted before because it was too short not everyone understood how parity can be used.
    – Vector
    Jul 19, 2017 at 18:37
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This one is clear and indefinite regarding number.

A's are on a par with other A's and B's with other B's.

You might get a little more readability substituting a comma for the "and".

A's are on a par with other A's, B's with other B's.

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2

I might modify the phrase and verbiage ever-so-slightly, but possibly destroying the original phrase, to:

Both A's and B's maintain parity within their respective categories.

Or less drastic, but possibly more ambiguous or straining the original phrase,

Both A's and B's are on par within their respective categories.

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1

A1 is on par with A2, and B1 with B2.

A1 is on par with A2; B1, with B2.

A1 is on par with A2, as is B1 with B2.

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0

I'm not sure how clear the meaning of this one is, but I think it would make sense to say

The A's and B's are both on par with themselves.

Using "themselves" should indicate that the A's and B's are on par internally, and not with each other, but it's not the clearest solution.

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-1

Both the A's and the B's are in parity.

Parity can be used in this way, see Parity:

1:equality, as in amount, status, or character. 2:equivalence; correspondence; similarity; analogy.

British Dictionary definitions for parity:

1:equality of rank, pay, etc 2:close or exact analogy or equivalence

Parity is a noun and is generally used to represent a state of equality/equivalence, etc. Thus, 'in parity' suggests that each group, the A's, and the B's, is in a state of parity with respect to itself - a state of equality or equilibrium (not the same), which appears to be what you want to express.

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