
Observe the example shown in the graphic at left. Here the writer connects two ideas (the failure and poor operator training) by using an idiom containing the verb to tie and a preposition; the two elements acting in concert communicate connection between the two ideas. But for the meaning intended to be conveyed, with is not the appropriate preposition. To is.
Why is with not the appropriate preposition but to is? Think about the idiom construction in terms of using rope to create a connection between two nearby trees. The rope is the item you use to make the actual connection, not the tree. You would never say “Connect the rope with the tree” because the tree is not making the connection; the rope is. Rather you would say “Connect the rope to the tree” or “Connect the trees with the rope.”
In like manner, the to tie idiom is the rope you as a writer use to connect two items or ideas. That’s why to tie to is appropriate and to tie with is not. Thus, the writer should revise the example sentence as follows: