So meritocracy seems preferable, at least at first sight. But, on closer inspection, things are not so simple.

Problem prevention was preferable to problem solving.

A powerful prime minister seems preferable. One of the chief weaknesses in Russia's constitutional design is that power is separated from accountability the president has the most power, but the government is held accountable for policy results.

His delegation considered that the second variant was preferable.

It would therefore be preferable to envisage the drafting of an additional protocol.

For the purposes of the present Chapter, it seems preferable at the current stage of judicial developments not to assume that a special rule has come into existence to the effect that, when implementing a binding act of the European Community, State authorities would act as organs of the European Community.

It would be far preferable for Member States to take this vital decision by consensus.

It might be preferable, for instance, to avoid using the parallel terms States Parties and Contracting States .

JOHANNESBURG If the law supposes that, Mr. Bumble says in Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, the law is an ass. A criminal law that makes it preferable for carriers of HIV not to know that they are infected and capable of spreading it to others, including their loved ones, seems particularly suited to Mr. Bumble s condemnation.

As such, a peer to peer exchange, rather than a donor recipient scenario, is preferable for sustainability of innovations.

However, it is preferable to underline the positive elements and state that we will not forget the people of Haiti.

A fairly applied, consistent merger regime was preferable and would be unlikely to harm small and medium sized Jamaican firms.

It is my understanding that it would be preferable for the Assembly to consider the report at its sixtieth session.

It seems overwhelming.

She seems rich.

Everything seems OK.

Tom seems tough.

It was felt that such a provision under draft article 9 was preferable to a general exclusion under draft article 2.

It was thought that the contractual place of receipt and the contractual place of delivery were preferable in terms of predictability.

He seems very interested in musical theatre and the like, and he also seems quite adept.

JC That seems dangerous.

It seems so elementary.

This seems most likely.

Which one seems longer?

It seems very ambitious.

This problem seems difficult.

Your suggestion seems reasonable.

My life seems unreal.

It seems very interesting.

Mr David seems tired.

This seems very difficult!

It seems so familiar.

In addition, grant aid in the social sector is preferable to loans, as the latter would drive the nation into heavy debt.

Steven Weinberg, the Nobel laureate, once said, The more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it seems pointless.

I know that seems ludicrous.

But this place... it seems...

It seems to be magic.

And somehow that seems wrong.

He seems to be asleep.

He seems to be rich.

He seems to be ill.

She seems to hate you.

She seems to be unhappy.

She seems to be unhappy.

It seems she hates you.