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What Is The Difference Between
What Is The Difference Between
Based on and based off (often extended to based off of) means that
something is formed or developed from a fact or event. Based on is the
preferred phrase in academic writing and British English, while based off of is
seen more in spoken American English.
Regardless, there’s nothing wrong with using either based on or based off
of during a conversation or even in your writing. So unlike other tricky English
words, both are grammatically correct. Some people prefer based off
of because it sounds more casual than based on.
Use based on when you want to say that two things are closely related or
linked. For example, a filmmaker working on a World War II movie would say
their film is based on a true story. A detective could say they solved a
case based on evidence or testimony gathered during their investigation.
Some people argue that based off of means that a movie, book, or other
project may borrow facts from real-life events but is mostly fictional. In other
words, a movie could be based off of a person who existed but contains
events that never happened. On the other hand, a movie based on the same
person would be more accurate. Both phrases are still accurate and can be
used interchangeably.
Adding the preposition of groups the two clauses together and works in place
of the preferred preposition on.