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    Comprise I Consist: The Right W Ords and The Wrong Words

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    friendkwt
    This document discusses the proper usage of several pairs of commonly confused words: - "Complement" refers to something that balances or partners another thing, while "compliment" means to praise someone. - "Comprise" is a transitive verb that takes an object, meaning to be made up of, while "consist" is intransitive and follows "of", meaning the same thing as "comprise". - The example sentence misuses "comprised" and should say "composed principally of" since "comprise" means the whole, not a part. - "Connote" refers to implied meanings or associations of a word, while "denote" means the literal

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    Comprise I Consist: The Right W Ords and The Wrong Words

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    friendkwt
    31 views1 page
    This document discusses the proper usage of several pairs of commonly confused words: - "Complement" refers to something that balances or partners another thing, while "compliment" means to praise someone. - "Comprise" is a transitive verb that takes an object, meaning to be made up of, while "consist" is intransitive and follows "of", meaning the same thing as "comprise". - The example sentence misuses "comprised" and should say "composed principally of" since "comprise" means the whole, not a part. - "Connote" refers to implied meanings or associations of a word, while "denote" means the literal

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    This document discusses the proper usage of several pairs of commonly confused words: - "Complement" refers to something that balances or partners another thing, while "compliment" means to praise someone. - "Comprise" is a transitive verb that takes an object, meaning to be made up of, while "consist" is intransitive and follows "of", meaning the same thing as "comprise". - The example sentence misuses "comprised" and should say "composed principally of" since "comprise" means the whole, not a part. - "Connote" refers to implied meanings or associations of a word, while "denote" means the literal

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    31 views1 page

    Comprise I Consist: The Right W Ords and The Wrong Words

    Uploaded by

    friendkwt
    This document discusses the proper usage of several pairs of commonly confused words: - "Complement" refers to something that balances or partners another thing, while "compliment" means to praise someone. - "Comprise" is a transitive verb that takes an object, meaning to be made up of, while "consist" is intransitive and follows "of", meaning the same thing as "comprise". - The example sentence misuses "comprised" and should say "composed principally of" since "comprise" means the whole, not a part. - "Connote" refers to implied meanings or associations of a word, while "denote" means the literal

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    The Right W ords and the Wrong Words

    com monly used o f a person or thing w hich nicely balances or partners


    another. Thus in grammatical usage the w ord policem an in the sentence
    My husband is a policem an balances the subject My husband and
    is therefore its com plem ent. Com plim ent is the m ore frequently
    misused of the two words. We find new cutlery advertised as the perfect
    com plim ent to a new china dinner service, w here the w ord should
    be com plem ent. The parallel adjective com plim entary is similarly
    misused.
    comprise I consist
    The point to rem em ber about this tricky couple o f verbs is that consist
    is intransitive. It cannot be followed by an object. It is most com monly
    followed by o f : The company consisted o f old-age pensioners. (The
    rarer use of the words consist in is exemplified in His filial devotion
    consists in visiting his m other once a year.) But to com prise is a
    transitive verb. It takes an object ( The company comprised people o f all
    ages). W hat it amounts to is that to consist o f means to com prise. To
    com prise, meaning to be made up o f ( The choir comprised fifteen
    m en and fifteen w om en), covers the whole num ber (unlike the verb
    include).
    He will accept a company cheque from anywhere in the world as long as
    the shareholders are comprised principally of individuals from whom
    personal donations can be solicited.
    This Times leader misuses the verb. (One should not say The members
    are comprised o f instead o f com prise.) Moreover, principally cancels
    out the proper meaning o f com prise, w hich covers the whole, not a
    part. The sentence should read: as long as the shareholders are com posed
    principally of individuals.
    connote I denote
    Both words are used in defining w hat w ords or signs mean. The w ord
    connote is the m ore comprehensive of the two. If someone says She is
    a real lady the expression real lady implies notions of charm and grace
    associated w ith the aristocracy. The connotation o f the w ord includes
    all such implications. W hat a w ord denotes is exactly what it literally
    stands for. But, used o f signs other than words, denote now has w ider
    reference (The fellows sly smile may denote a degree of untrust
    w orthiness).

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