[ti:Finish or Complete?]
[al:Ask a Teacher]
[ar:VOA]
[dt:2023-06-24]
[by:www.voase.cn]
[00:00.00]Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between "finish" and "complete."
[00:12.51]Hello VOA Learning English,
[00:16.22]My name is Bear Wang, and I am from China. I have a question.
[00:23.12]What is the difference between "finish" and "complete?"
[00:28.06]Looking forward to your reply.
[00:31.04]Thanks,
[00:33.00]Bear.
[00:33.77]Thank you for this great question, Bear.
[00:37.33]Both words share a similar meaning of "coming to an end," but there are small differences in their meanings as verbs. 
[00:48.10]They can be used as different parts of speech. We often use them in different situations. Let's look at the differences more closely.
[01:00.40]"Finish" as a verb means "to come to an end or close." 
[01:07.91]We can use it with or without a direct object.
[01:12.81]The school day finishes at three in the afternoon. (No direct object)
[01:20.23]We finished dinner then watched a movie before going to bed. (With a direct object)
[01:28.30]"Finish" can also mean the final ranking of teams or players in a competition.
[01:37.32]The basketball team finished 2nd in the state championship.
[01:43.03]Another meaning of "finish" as a verb is to defeat, ruin, or even kill:
[01:52.47]The criminal charges finished his hopes of a political career.
[01:58.02]In the video game, Mortal Kombat, players can perform a kill action to finish off their opponent.
[02:08.34]The word "finish" can also be a noun that means "something that perfects or completes" such as the appearance of the surface of a material.
[02:21.91]"Finish" can even be used to describe the taste of a drink or food in the mouth.
[02:28.88]His house has many well-made finishes on its marble countertops and hardwood floors.
[02:38.11]The finish of the wine is fruity and fresh.
[02:43.60]Let's move onto "complete."
[02:48.15]"Complete" as a verb has a similar meaning to "finish," but instead of just "to end," it means "finish making or doing something in its entirety."
[03:02.69]We can use it with a direct object.
[03:07.24]She completed her bachelor's degree last May.
[03:12.23]Kaitlyn completed reading the series of over twelve books!
[03:17.90]"Complete" also means to make something perfect or whole.
[03:23.62]The shoes complete Daria's outfit for her brother's wedding.
[03:28.78]The band completed their final set with one of their most popular songs.
[03:36.55]As a verb, "complete" means to fill in all the questions on a form.
[03:42.97]The doctor reminded the patient to complete both sides of the health history form.
[03:49.75]And lastly, "complete" can be used as an adjective.
[03:55.77]It has several meanings as this part of speech.
[04:00.10]It can mean "having all steps or parts." It can mean "total," "thorough," or "whole."
[04:08.24]And "complete" can also signify that something has "ended" or "finished."
[04:14.11]The writing assignment is not complete until you return the second draft to your teacher with corrections.
[04:23.58]Her day always feels complete after she reads a book in bed.
[04:30.32]Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Bear.
[04:36.06]What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com
[04:47.17]And that's Ask a Teacher.
[04:49.69]I'm Faith Pirlo.