Words that need a particular grammar pattern. Knowing the meaning without the pattern produces errors that look worse than not using the word.
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Six sentences in which the writer knew exactly what the word meant, and got it wrong anyway.
The report is comprised of four sections and encompasses of a wide range of evidence.Women are constituted of sixty per cent of the workforce.The committee consists in three members from each department.The site lends to conversion into housing.The evidence admits no doubt about the direction of the trend.The scheme affords for local firms an opportunity to bid.
Read them again and notice what is not wrong. In every one, the writer knew what the word meant. Nobody has confused constitute with forbid.
What has gone wrong is the pattern — the preposition, the direction, or the shape of the thing that has to follow.
consist of and constitute describe the same relation and run in opposite directions. Getting this backwards inverts your sentence.
These two words describe exactly the same relation — a whole and the parts it is made of. They run in opposite directions.
| Subject | Object | |
|---|---|---|
| consist of | the WHOLE | the PARTS |
| constitute | the PARTS | the WHOLE |
The committee consists of twelve members. — whole first
Twelve members constitute the committee. — parts first
Both sentences are true and both are correct. Swap the words and both become nonsense:
The committee constitutes twelve members.— says the committee is the parts of twelve members
Twelve members consist of the committee.— says twelve members are made up of one committee
Say the direction out loud before you write either word. Whole first, or parts first?
Fifteen sentences. Sort them by which end of the whole-and-parts relation the subject sits at.
Sort each item into the correct category
Eight sentences, half of them correct. Two of the correct ones look wrong until you read them properly.
Four of these eight are correct. Two of the four correct ones use a second sense that looks like a pattern error until you read the sentence.
In each case, decide whether the pattern is right — not whether the word is impressive.
"Small farms constitute the majority of holdings in the region."
Three chains. Once the pattern-bound word is right; twice the ordinary word is.
Chain 1
You want to say that manufacturing accounts for about a fifth of the region's output.
Candidates: consists of / constitutes
Step 1 — Is manufacturing the whole or the parts in this sentence?
Step 2 — Therefore the expert writes: Manufacturing roughly a fifth of the region's output.
Chain 2
You want to say that a report covers three named topics.
Candidates: encompasses / includes
Step 1 — Is the object a broad field or a short list of ordinary items?
Step 2 — Therefore the expert writes: The report transport, housing and waste collection.
Chain 3
You want to say that the new wording makes a second reading of the clause possible.
Candidates: admits of / allows
Step 1 — Is the sentence limiting the possibilities, or opening one up?
Step 2 — Therefore the expert writes: The new wording a second reading of the clause.