Begin, Start, Commence
2023-03-25
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1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about "start," "begin," and "commence."
2Dear VOA,
3Please let me know the difference between "begin," "start" and "commence," and their usage.
4Regards,
5Saeed from Iran
6Thanks for this great question, Saeed!
7These words have similar meanings, but the difference lies in how formal they are and their usage.
8Let's take a closer look at each one. Let's start with "start!"
9"Start" can either be a verb or a noun.
10As a verb, "start" means to happen or come into being from a particular point in time.
11I always start my day with a cup of tea.
12Julie started teaching last year.
13As a noun, "start" has two meanings.
14It can be the point in time when something happens or begins.
15The start of the race is downtown.
16When is the start of the budget year?
17Another meaning is a movement that is sudden or surprising.
18Guinea pigs have sudden starts called "popcorning," like jumping in the air.
19We also use "start" to talk about things like machines and business.
20My computer will not start!
21She started her own business by creating videos on YouTube.
22In comparison to the other words, "begin" and "commence," "start" is the most informal of the three.
23"Begin" means the same thing as "start." But remember that "begin" has different spelling in the past tenses - "began" and "begun." Here are some examples:
24Regina began as an actor before changing her career to become a director.
25I have begun to work on the class project, but I have yet to finish it.
26In language, sometimes we say a word "begins" with a certain letter of the alphabet.
27We also use it to describe when someone starts to speak.
28"I cannot wait for Friday," she began, "this work week felt so long!"
29"Commence" means to start or begin.
30The difference is that "commence" is the most formal of the three.
31We usually use commence when talking about a ceremony or a project.
32The graduation ceremony commences at one in the afternoon.
33The groundbreaking for the new building will commence in the morning.
34Spring commenced two days ago.
35Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Saeed!
36What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com
37And that's Ask a Teacher.
38I'm Faith Pirlo.
1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about "start," "begin," and "commence." 2Question: 3Dear VOA, 4Please let me know the difference between "begin," "start" and "commence," and their usage. 5Regards, 6Saeed from Iran 7Answer 8Thanks for this great question, Saeed! 9These words have similar meanings, but the difference lies in how formal they are and their usage. Let's take a closer look at each one. Let's start with "start!" 10Start 11"Start" can either be a verb or a noun. As a verb, "start" means to happen or come into being from a particular point in time. 12I always start my day with a cup of tea. 13Julie started teaching last year. 14As a noun, "start" has two meanings. It can be the point in time when something happens or begins. 15The start of the race is downtown. 16When is the start of the budget year? 17Another meaning is a movement that is sudden or surprising. 18Guinea pigs have sudden starts called "popcorning," like jumping in the air. 19We also use "start" to talk about things like machines and business. 20My computer will not start! 21She started her own business by creating videos on YouTube. 22In comparison to the other words, "begin" and "commence," "start" is the most informal of the three. 23Begin 24"Begin" means the same thing as "start." But remember that "begin" has different spelling in the past tenses - "began" and "begun." Here are some examples: 25Regina began as an actor before changing her career to become a director. 26I have begun to work on the class project, but I have yet to finish it. 27In language, sometimes we say a word "begins" with a certain letter of the alphabet. We also use it to describe when someone starts to speak. 28"I cannot wait for Friday," she began, "this work week felt so long!" 29Commence 30"Commence" means to start or begin. The difference is that "commence" is the most formal of the three. We usually use commence when talking about a ceremony or a project. 31The graduation ceremony commences at one in the afternoon. 32The groundbreaking for the new building will commence in the morning. 33Spring commenced two days ago. 34Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Saeed! 35What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com 36And that's Ask a Teacher. 37I'm Faith Pirlo. 38Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 39_________________________________________________________________ 40Words in This Story 41formal - adj. following or according with established form, custom, or rule 42particular - adj. used to indicate that one specific person or thing is being referred to and no others 43graduation - n. the act of receiving a diploma from a school, college or university 44__________________________________________________________________ 45Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 46Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.