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'Compose' = the parts make up the whole; 'comprise' = the whole consists of the parts.
Side-by-side comparison
With "compose", the parts make up the whole. The subject is the parts: "Five members compose the committee". The direction goes from parts to whole.
Twelve members compose the jury, and all twelve must agree for a unanimous verdict.
The album is composed of seven original tracks and three covers.
Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen atoms bonded together.
With "comprise", the whole includes the parts. The subject is the whole: "The committee comprises five members". Never use "comprised of"; it is a widespread mistake.
The committee comprises five elected members and two appointed advisors.
The novel comprises three parts: a prologue, the main narrative, and an epilogue.
The curriculum comprises core courses in mathematics, language, and science.
Common mistake
"The team is comprised of five players" is incorrect in formal writing: use "is composed of" or "comprises". The WHOLE comprises the parts ("the team comprises five players"), and the parts compose the whole. Never "is comprised of".
Trick to remember it
- •The WHOLE COMPRISES the parts.
- •The PARTS COMPOSE the whole.
- •If you use "comprised", never add "of": the correct options are "is composed of" or "comprises".
Quick rule
"The whole comprises the parts." "The parts compose the whole." Never "is comprised of" in formal writing.
Did you know?
"Is comprised of" appears so frequently, even in academic texts, that some descriptive linguists argue it should now be considered correct by majority use. However, the Chicago Manual of Style and most university style guides still flag it as an error. It is a perfect example of the eternal debate between prescriptivism (the rule exists) and descriptivism (the majority ignores it).
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
Water _____ es hydrogen and oxygen.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
Hydrogen and oxygen _____ water.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
"Explicit" = stated directly and clearly, leaving nothing implied; "implicit" = understood or implied without being directly stated.
One reduces uncountable things, the other reduces countable things.
'A' is used before consonant sounds; 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
'A lot of' works for countable and uncountable; 'many' only for countable; 'much' only for uncountable.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy