"Using" versus "with"

I find myself using these two constructions:

I am digging a hole using a spade.

and

I am digging a hole with a spade.

Which one is correct, or can they be used both?

Solution 1:

They are largely interchangeable, but using a spade would be more specific. With has very many uses, and depending on the context, there is room for ambiguity.

Consider, for example, this sentence:

I am driving there with my old car.

The most common interpretation is that the old car is the means by which I am driving; I am using my old car to drive there. But I could also use this sentence to describe a scenario where I am driving in my new car, and my brother-in-law driving in the old car alongside me. In Latin, we could easily distinguish the two by using an ablative of instrument in the first case and an ablative of accompaniment in the second case, but alas, we are using English.

Among other things, we can also use with to introduce absolutes (with the sun fading, with the market turmoil), to indicate manner (ran with great urgency, cooked with butter), to describe a quality or condition (the house with the red door, looks taller with the new haircut), and to state a cause (wet with rain). So while with is natural in conversational English, in more formal communication such as technical writing or requirements documents, I try to use more explicit wording. You'd be amazed at the number of ways display a slideshow with product logos can be interpreted.