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One grammar conundrum that always trips me up is comprised of vs. composed of. That’s right; even proofreaders have trouble with some grammar concepts.
One reason I’ve written this series of grammar and punctuation posts is to refresh my own memory of the rules so that I can offer a high-quality service. I also want to help other proofreaders and writers update their grammar skills.
If you’re not sure what the difference is between compose and comprise, read this blog post and stick around for the mini quiz at the end to test your knowledge.
Table of Contents
What Is the Difference Between Comprised Of and Composed Of?
Comprise and compose have similar meanings. Comprise is a verb that means to be made up of or to include. Compose is a verb that means to form the substance of.
So what is the big controversy? Is it correct to say comprised of?
According to Merriam-Webster, the issue arose in the book The King’s English in 1907 where the authors half-heartedly suggested using composed of or comprising rather than comprised of. The rule has persisted to this day and appears in many other style manuals including The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) and The Associated Press Stylebook.
CMOS advises that you should use these words with care and notes that “comprised of, though increasingly common, remains nonstandard.”
AP style advises that comprise is “best used in the active voice, followed by a direct object”; for example, the United States comprises fifty states.
Examples of Comprise and Compose
So how do you use comprise correctly? Can you use comprised of in a sentence?
You can use comprise in a sentence, but you are best off avoiding comprised of.
Examples of comprise in a sentence:
The Harry Potter series comprises seven books.
The team comprises three women and two men.
The European Union comprises twenty-seven member states.
One way to remember this is to consider that the whole comprises the parts. So if you are using comprise, the whole must come first in the sentence. The Harry Potter series is made up of seven books. The series is the whole and the books are its parts.
Examples of compose in a sentence:
Seven books compose the Harry Potter series.
Three women and two men compose the team.
Twenty-seven member states compose the European Union.
This is the opposite to comprise in that the parts compose the whole. In this Harry Potter example, we are saying that seven books (parts) make up the series (whole). It’s a subtle difference.
Examples of composed of in a sentence:
The Harry Potter series is composed of seven books.
The team is composed of three women and two men.
The European Union is composed of twenty-seven member states.
Synonyms for Comprise
If you want to avoid any criticism, you can choose to use another word instead of comprise. Here are some words you can use instead: consist (of), contain, include, constitute, compose, form, and make up.
Include vs. Comprise
Comprise and include are almost synonyms. However, include implies nonexclusivity; that is, whatever you’re talking about may be only part of the total.
Example: The price includes a signed photo of Mickey Mouse. (There are other things included too.)
Whereas comprise implies exclusivity; that is, whatever you’re talking about is the whole enchilada and there is nothing else.
Example: The price comprises the entry fee, a meet-and-greet, and a signed photo of Mickey Mouse. (This is what makes up the total price.)
Grammar Posts
Different From vs. Different Than
Comprise vs. Compose Quiz
Choose the correct word in each sentence. You can find the answers at the bottom of this blog post.
- The book comprises/composes twelve chapters.
- Seventy cows comprise/compose the herd.
- The zoo is comprised of/composed of three lions, two tigers, five elephants, and four orangutans.
- The pizza comprises/composes eight slices.
- The vacation package is comprised of/composed of flights, accommodation, food, and bus transfers.
Final Thoughts on Comprised Of vs. Composed Of
Although comprised of is becoming more common and even Merriam-Webster acknowledges that the “disputed sense is established and standard,” it’s still wise to avoid using it if you want to avoid criticism. Use composed of, made up of, or consists of instead.
Grammar Not Your Strong Point?
Do you find that you google every single thing anytime you try to write anything because you’re so afraid of getting the grammar wrong? I hear that! As a proofreader, any mistakes I make are not easily forgiven! I work hard to keep my grammar knowledge up to date by reading books and blogs and taking courses.
One grammar course I highly recommend is Grammar Lion. It was fun to work through and easy to understand. No dry material there!
Commas tripping you up? Take this free comma course to refresh your knowledge.
Check out my review of Grammar Lion here.
Comprise vs. Compose Quiz Answers
- The book comprises twelve chapters.
- Seventy cows compose the herd.
- The zoo is composed of three lions, two tigers, five elephants, and four orangutans.
- The pizza comprises eight slices.
- The vacation package is composed of flights, accommodation, food, and bus transfers.
Punctuation Posts
How to Use an Ellipsis: Chicago vs. AP Style
En Dash vs. Em Dash: When and How to Use Them
How to Use an Apostrophe (and Mistakes You Need to Avoid)
How to Use Commas (and Mistakes to Avoid)
Colon vs. Semicolon: When and How to Use Them
How to Use Quotation Marks (and the Difference between Single Quotes vs. Double Quotes)
