Learn English – ny difference between “in matters of,” “regarding,” “when it comes to” and others

vocabularyword-usage

When I read press articles, these phrases come up again and again and I am under the impression they all mean the same thing (= about) but is there any difference between these phrases? Here is the same sentence with the different phrases:
1. The British government is no better than fast food companies as far as social legislation is concerned.
2. The British government is no better than fast food companies regarding social legislation.
3. The British government is no better than fast food companies concerning social legislation.
4. The British government is no better than fast food companies in matters of social legislation.
5. The British government is no better than fast food companies in terms of social legislation.
6. The British government is no better than fast food companies when it comes to social legislation.
The last one sounds better but is it because it is more informal (or so I have been told)?
Thanks.

Best Answer

I would say these all have the same meaning, but vary in terms of formality :)

  • "as far as x is concerned": very common and works both formally and informally; you can also use this a bit differently to express an opinion ("As far as I'm concerned, he's a real jerk!")
  • "regarding": formal, though you might say this on the phone if you're trying to be polite
  • "concerning": formal and rarely heard in speech
  • "in matters of": formal and rarely heard in speech
  • "in terms of": very common and only slightly formal
  • "when it comes to": very common and informal

There's one more I'll point out: "as far as x goes" is also very common and informal.

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