Published on
August 8, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
November 5, 2025
The words borne and born are, technically speaking, both past participles of the verb “bear” and are pronounced in the same way (i.e., they are homophones).
Use born in the phrase “to be born” when it refers to “a child coming into the world” or “something coming into existence.”
Borne is the past participle for all other meanings of the verb bear, such as “carry,” “support,” or “accept.”
Born and borne in sentences examples
Born to mean coming into existence (e.g., a child)
Borne for all other uses of bear
She was born in 1985.
I stopped him from climbing on the roof because it wouldn’t have borne his weight.
When’s the baby going to be born?
The company has borne all the costs up to now.
A new era had been born.
It’s great to see that all our efforts have borne fruit.
The project was born out of a desire to create something new.
The measure is designed to prevent hospital-borne infections.
TipOther potential confusions to do with the verb “bear” include the difference between “bear and bare” as well as the meaning of the expressions “bear with me” and “bear in mind.”
A QuillBot Grammar Check can also help ensure you’re using words and expressions like these correctly.
Published on
August 8, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
November 5, 2025
The verbcomprise means “to be made up of.” The verb compose also means “to be made up of” when used in the passive voice with “of.” The important thing to remember is that “is/are comprised of” is considered incorrect.
Comprised vs composed examples
Comprised in a sentence
Composed in a sentence
Incorrect usage
The university comprises four colleges.
The university is composed of four colleges.
The university is comprised of four colleges.
Heat pumps comprise four main components.
Heat pumps are composed of four main components.
Heat pumps are comprised of four main components.
NotePeople commonly use “is/are comprised of” in everyday speech and writing, but it is best to avoid it in formal contexts such as academic writing or job interviews as it is generally considered a mistake.
The QuillBot Paraphraser can help you rewrite sentences to express yourself clearly.
Published on
August 5, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
November 5, 2025
The adverbscontinually and continuously are often used interchangeably, but many style guides recommend using them with distinct meanings for clarity.
Continually means “repeatedly and often” but continuously means “without interruption.”
Continually in a sentence examples
Continuously in a sentence examples
Lightly simmer the mixture for about an hour, checking continually to make sure that it is not boiling too vigorously.
Stir the mixture continuously for at least a minute to avoid lumps.
If the error occurs continually over an extended period, please contact customer service.
If the error tone stops after 30 seconds, try resetting the system. If it sounds continuously, call customer service.
In everyday language, the two words are often used interchangeably to describe events as being persistent over an uninterrupted period of time, even if the events in question are repeated rather than a single uninterrupted event (e.g., “He’s been calling me continually/continuously all day!”).
Published on
August 5, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
November 5, 2025
The adjective blonde describes hair that is light yellow or a very light shade of brown and can also be spelled blond. The preferred spelling is often “blonde” when referring to a woman. “Blonde” is pronounced in the same way as “blond.”
Blond in a sentence examples
Blonde in a sentence examples
He has blond hair.
She has blonde hair.
He dyed his hair blond.
She dyed her hair blonde.
The director wanted a blond as the leading man.
The director wanted a blonde as the leading lady.
NoteSome style guides recommend only using the spelling blond as a gender-neutral word. Others recommend maintaining the traditional distinction between blonde (to refer to women) and blond (to refer to men).
In practice, the two spellings are still being used interchangeably. The important thing is to be consistent with your spelling choice throughout your texts, and, if you are writing for a publication, company or institution, to follow its guidelines.
Published on
July 24, 2024
by
Tom Challenger, BA
Revised on
November 5, 2025
The words compliment (with an “i”) and complement (with an “e”) have different meanings. Although they are spelled differently, they are pronounced in the same way.
A compliment (noun) is a statement or action that shows that you like or admire something or someone. To compliment (verb) means to say or show that you like or admire something or someone.
A complement (noun) is something that goes together well with something else. To complement (verb) means to go together well with something.
Compliment in a sentence examples
Complement in a sentence examples
He got lots of compliments on his new glasses when he wore them to work.
My boss complimented me on my presentation technique.
Wild rice is an ideal complement to this dish.
I think the colors complement each other perfectly.
A QuillBot Grammar Check can help you avoid mixing up commonly confused words like “compliment” and “complement.”
