In this context, compose means “make up.”. December 20, 2016 - The words comprise and compose are two of the most commonly misused terms in the English language. three eggs, a cup of sugar, and three cups of flour. Compose means to be or constitute a part of element of or to make up or form the basis of, as in Eight slices compose the pie. The word is used near the beginning of a sentence. Comprise vs compromise; Comprise and compromise are two words that are very close in spelling and pronunciation, but have very different meanings. There’s an area of overlap between “comprise” and “compose” that causes many people to stumble over the correct word. When one speaks of what an object or idea is comprised of, that thing is already made. As verbs the difference between comprise and compose. "Elle a retrouvé son chat". As is the case with comprise, you should expect an object to follow. What about the phrases “is comprised of” and “is composed of?” One of these you can use and one of these you can’t use. "She found the cat." Compose vs. Correct: The rock is composed of three minerals. is that consist is (obsolete|intransitive) to exist, to be while compose is to make something by merging parts. According to Merriam-Webster, it can mean: The word “comprise” has fewer applications than “compose”. It suggests avoiding a passive use of comprise. In this sentence we are saying that eight slices make up a pizza. Something that is complete comprises many parts. herself before stepping into the room.” Yet, it makes perfect sense to compose an opera or compose oneself. Compose and comprise sound similar, and they have similar meanings. When you use "comprise", you’re talking about all the parts that make up something whole. A good way to think about comprise is that the whole comprises the parts. Compose of is even more formal than consist of and comprise. exporters.czechtrade.cz . The phrase "comprised of" is never correct to usage purists despite its regular appearance in writing. Or: Fifty states constitute the USA. At the same time, the word “compose” has many definitions that aren’t synonymous with “comprise”. by composition, to formulate and write (a piece of music), to deal with or act on so as to reduce to a minimum. Fifty states compose the USA. (WRONG), The book comprises 12 chapters. If you are confused, just say, … Compose and comprise sound similar, and they have similar meanings. La conjugaison du verbe comprendre sa définition et ses synonymes. The sense meaning "to be made up of" was fine ("the compound comprises seven buildings"), but the one meaning "compose, constitute," which is most familiar in the passive voice, was found objectionable ("the compound is comprised of seven buildings"). Three eggs, a cup of sugar, and three cups of flour, https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/comprise?s=t, https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/compose?s=t, https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=compose, https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/comprise-versus-compose, to produce (columns, pages of type, etc.) The Online Etymology Dictionary explains that the Old French word composer, which meant “put together, compound; adjust, arrange; write,” was also influenced by componere “to arrange, direct.” In 1400, the word compousen made its way into English and referred to writing a book. As we see, the full and complete pizza comprises eight smaller parts, which are slices. Since comprise and compose sound similar, you may wonder whether they come from the same root word. Have a look at the discussion labelled "Compose and Comprise" – NamSandStorm Mar 19 '13 at 9:36. add a comment | 2 Answers Active Oldest Votes. Ex : "J'écris une lettre". Comprise, but not compose, can be used with the parts that make up something as the subject: Oil and coal comprise 70% of the nation’s exports. Member Info. Nevertheless, in academic writing it’s worth making the effort to get these things right. Toutes les parties ensemble composent le tout. Eight main islands compose Hawaii. Since compose is a also a verb meaning "to build" or "to create", I think that sometimes "composed of" is used a little more often when identifying the elements of something that's been constructed (The building is composed of bricks), while "consists of" would be used for something natural or abstract (The group of friends consists of four boys and two girls). Home » Comprise vs. Compose: What’s the Difference? Let’s try it again with 50 states (the parts) and the United States (the whole). Comprise vs Compose. If you like the look and sound of comprise, you can still use it correctly. www2.parl.gc.ca. Compose and comprise sound similar, and they have similar meanings. The passive voice phrase is undergoing a contextual shift, and many people use “is comprised of” as a substitute for “is composed of.” Most grammarians take issue with this common mistake. Lets take a closer look at the definitions to put this in context: comprise is a verb that means to include or contain or to consist of as in The pie comprises 8 slices. ‘Comprise’ is a term so commonly misused that even dedicated pedants have pretty much given up on correcting people these days. Or: Fifty states make up the USA. is that comprise is to be made up of; to consist of (especially a comprehensive list of parts) while compose … Careful writers will maintain this distinction. We refer to something's makeup (composed, made up) with the preposition of, which has a standard meaning that includes composition. Because the passive phrase can cause misunderstandings, careful writers avoid it. As you can see, in these sentences the parts, rather than the whole, are the subjects. Composer, c'est inventer, en ce sens que douze oeufs en constituent une douzaine. The AP Stylebook states that comprise is best used with the active voice and followed by a direct object. exporters.czechtrade.cz. Principales traductions: Anglais: Français: comprise [sth] ⇒ vtr transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." The similar-sounding word compose means "make up" as in Many ethnic groups compose our nation. When to Use Compose. Many ethnic groups ______ the United States. I received a BA with honors in Literary Arts (Playwriting)—which gave me the opportunity to study under Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel. In contrast, “compose” developed from the Late Latin pausare, meaning “to cease, lay down.” This originated with the Greek pauein, which has no known cognates. (be made up, composed of) comprendre⇒ vtr verbe transitif: verbe qui s'utilise avec un complément d'objet direct (COD). This post will help you understand the meaning and uses of these words so you can use them properly. Test your knowledge with the following sentences. In this article, we’ll focus on a … The recipe comprises three eggs, a cup of sugar, and three cups of flour. I’m an award-winning playwright with a penchant for wordplay. (CORRECT). In this post, I want to discuss the definitions of these two words, their functions within a sentence, and give you a few tricks to remember their differences. You’ll never hear someone say “a musician. Comprise or Compose?. Anglika. Les États-Unis comprennent 50 États (plus les territoires et autres). Since comprise is a transitive verb, expect to see a direct object somewhere nearby in the mix of things. Let’s imagine a recipe. Meanwhile, in Old French, the past participle compris (from the verb comprendre) came to mean “to contain, comprise.” The French compris became “comprise” in English in the early 15th century, meaning “to include.”. In the active voice, we clearly see that the meaning does in fact stand in awkward opposition to the "to be made up of" meaning ("seven … At this rate, it won’t be long before even pedants give up on the difference between “comprise” and “compose.” After all, “comprise” is frequently misused, particularly by people writing “comprised of” when they mean “composed of.”. From my home office in Maui, Hawaii, I currently work on freelance and ghostwriting projects. La machine se compose d'un couple de rouleaux, d'une section à socs ou à dents et de plusieurs barres de glissement. (CORRECT), The book is composed of 12 chapters. ("Open-ended", doesn't limit to the items listed; cf. The parts compose the whole.. For example, if their invention is a new mixture, they may write “my invention consists of A, B, and C”. Later in that century, the word adopted the definition “to make or form by uniting two or more things.” The word “compose” came to mean “be the substance or elements of, make up,” the closest definition to “comprise”, in the 1540’s. Example: The house comprises ten rooms and three baths. Comprise means to consist of, to make up a whole. Composer, c'est consister. You may use either word to describe how the parts of the recipe relate to the whole; however, the English language requires that you use them differently. Comprise means to consist of or to be composed of. Our team is composed of 10 people- Our team is composed by 10 people Which one is grammatically correct? We’re going to explain how to avoid confusion. The USA comprises 50 states. Both these terms deal with the concept of the whole versus the parts of something. Unlike comprise, compose can be used both actively and passively in a sentence. Notice that it said “usually.” It seems that to use “comprise” you must be talking about all the parts that make up something, but … To the Patent Office, these words (consists of vs. comprises) have very different meanings. The formal meaning of “is comprised of” should be the opposite: “is contained in” or “compose”. On the other hand, “is composed of” is perfectly acceptable. (Passive), The book is comprised of 12 chapters. What is the Difference Between Comprise and Compose? When the constituent parts are the subject of the sentence, you should stick to “compose”. Comprise means "is made up of" or "consists of." Later, the word “compose” was applied to music (1500’s), printing (1600’s), and painting (1700’s). Word Choice: Comprise vs. Compose. But, increasingly, the usage panels of major dictionaries are accepting the use of comprise for compose, especially in the passive voice. Although you may have heard people say “is comprised of,” this phrase can lead to mix-ups. Compose: To make up or form by combining things, parts or elements To do a quick check as to which word would be appropriate in your sentence, Continue reading → Posted in: All the Buzz , Blog Writing Tips , Business Writing Tips , Uncategorized , Writing Tips | Tagged: All the Buzz , composed vs. comprised , comprised vs. composed , improve your English , use of composed or comprised As verbs the difference between constitute and comprise is that constitute is to cause to stand; to establish; to enact while comprise is to be made up of; to consist of (especially a comprehensive list of parts). Comprise is a verb that means "to contain." Wellbeing or Well-Being – Which is Correct? We venture again into ambiguous territory, this time to take a look at the words ‘comprise’ and ‘compose’. Both of these phrases are examples of the passive voice, and as we discusses earlier, you cannot use the passive voice when using the word comprise, but you can use the passive voice when using compose. There’s an area of overlap between “comprise” and “compose” that causes many people to stumble over the correct word. Conjuguer le verbe comprendre à indicatif, subjonctif, impératif, infinitif, conditionnel, participe, gérondif. compose… These two words, compose vs. comprise, have very subtle differences, so you should use them with care. According to Thesaurus.com, some synonyms for compose include: Thesaurus.com lists the following words as synonyms for comprise: Answers: 1) comprises 2) compose 3) is composed of 4) composed of 5) comprises. When the subject of the sentence is the whole, you can use the word “comprise” or the passive phrase “is composed of”. Of is even used all by itself to mean composed of: " … It means “to be made up of,” “compose, constitute,” or “to include especially within a particular scope.” Although compose and comprise can be synonyms, not all the uses of “compose” are interchangeable with “comprise”. Compose vs Comprise As comprise and compose fall under the category of words that have similar meanings but differ in the way they are to be used we should pay attention to understanding the difference between compose and comprise. Compose speaks to the process of creating something, especially if that something is artistic. For example. For example. At the same time, the word “compose” has many definitions that aren’t synonymous with “comprise”. Comprise means “to include” or “to be composed of.” A basketball team comprises five players. 29. While its use is common in writing and speech, it has been regarded by some language professionals as incorrect, stemming from the fact that comprise on its own already means "composed of". View Profile View Forum Posts No Longer With Us Other. We recommend always writing “comprise” in an active voice. In other words, the hotel has or contains 150 rooms for guests. Pausare passed into the Old French, after combining with the prefix com-, around the 12th century. But, in order to keep ourselves from falling into sloppy writing, we should know how to tell these two words apart. Compose is a verb that means "to combine,” “to put something in order,” or “to make up." (Active), Hawaii is composed of eight main islands. You’ll never hear someone say “a musician comprised an opera” or “she comprised herself before stepping into the room.” Yet, it makes perfect sense to compose an opera or compose oneself. After earning a perfect score on the Writing SAT, I worked my way through Brown University by moonlighting as a Kaplan Test Prep tutor. Three eggs, a cup of sugar, and three cups of flour compose the recipe. The words 'comprise' and 'compose' cause a lot of mix-ups because, while they do not sound identical (like 'to', 'too', and 'two'), they still look and sound pretty similar. As is the case with comprise, you should expect an … Re: Composed of or composed by A piece of music is composed by its author; a team is composed of a number of … For example. Correct: The rock comprises three minerals. Let’s look at our pizza example again. It goes on to clarify matters in its definition of “include”: “Comprise usually implies that all of the components are stated” (9). Compose is also a transitive verb, but it has a slightly different meaning. After all, just a few letters separates them from one another. As a noun constitute is (obsolete) an established law. As verbs the difference between consist and compose. The known history of the word “comprise” begins with the Proto-Indo-European root word ghend-, which means “to seize, take.” The Online Etymology Dictionary explains that the Latin language added the prefixes com- and pre- to form the word comprehendere, meaning “to take together, to unite; include; seize; to comprehend, perceive.” The Latin comprehendere made its way directly into English with the word “comprehend” in the mid 14th century. Again, maybe just a personal preference and … In this context, comprise means “contains” and “is composed of” means “is made of.”. Incorrect: The rock is comprised of three minerals. Join Date: Oct 2006; Posts: 19,398 #2 15-Dec-2008, 13:12. After reading this post, you shouldn’t have to question yourself ever again as to whether or not you’ve made the correct word choice. Correcting people these days, and they have similar meanings AP Stylebook states that comprise is a verb... 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Many inventors that write their own patent applications use the phrase “ is contained in ” or compose!, a cup of sugar, and they have similar meanings established law use of comprise, should... To get these things right all the parts ) and the whole, and to include or... Or compose oneself it take to make up a pizza is made up of, ” phrase! Get these things right Twelve chapters compose the United states comprises 50 compose...