Sunday, October 20, 2019
Word Choice Content vs. Contents
Word Choice Content vs. Contents Word Choice: Content vs. Contents If youââ¬â¢re used to English pluralization, you might assume ââ¬Å"contentsâ⬠is just the plural of ââ¬Å"content.â⬠And both terms do have a general sense of ââ¬Å"something within something.â⬠But there is a difference between these words, so check out our guide below to make sure your writing is error free. Content (Uncountable Noun) The singular ââ¬Å"contentâ⬠is typically an uncountable noun. Uncountable nouns are terms that refer to something as an undifferentiated whole, such as ââ¬Å"waterâ⬠or ââ¬Å"sand.â⬠The main use of ââ¬Å"content,â⬠then, is to refer to something within something else as a whole: The content of the wedding speech made the groom blush. Croissants have a very high fat content. In the first sentence above, for instance, the ââ¬Å"containerâ⬠is the wedding speech. So when we say ââ¬Å"content,â⬠we mean ââ¬Å"what the speech says as a whole.â⬠And in the second sentence, the ââ¬Å"containerâ⬠is the croissant, so the ââ¬Å"contentâ⬠is the fat in the croissant. In both cases, though, ââ¬Å"contentâ⬠involves treating something as a whole, not as separate items. Contents (Countable Noun) The plural ââ¬Å"contentsâ⬠is usually a countable noun. We thus use it when we can separate the ââ¬Å"contentâ⬠of something into individual items, like chapters in a book or items in a bag. For example: I checked the table of contents to find the appendix. The contents of her shopping bag spilled across the ground. As such, using ââ¬Å"contentsâ⬠shows that weââ¬â¢re treating each item of content as a separate thing rather than lumping them together as a whole. A table of contents. ââ¬Å"Contentâ⬠as a Verb and Adjective Weââ¬â¢ve looked at the noun ââ¬Å"contentâ⬠above, but this word can also be a verb or an adjective. As a verb, it means ââ¬Å"satisfyâ⬠or ââ¬Å"induce a state of contentmentâ⬠: He contented himself with watching the TV. The third-person singular form of this is ââ¬Å"contents.â⬠This is the only time you will need this spelling other than when itââ¬â¢s a countable noun. As an adjective, meanwhile, ââ¬Å"contentâ⬠means ââ¬Å"pleased or satisfiedâ⬠: I was content to spend my life proofreading. But the adjectival form of this word is only ever spelled ââ¬Å"content.â⬠Summary: Content vs. Contents While ââ¬Å"contentâ⬠and ââ¬Å"contentsâ⬠can both mean ââ¬Å"something contained within something,â⬠thereââ¬â¢s usually a subtle difference in how we use these terms: Content is an uncountable noun. We use it when referring to the contained thing as an undifferentiated whole (e.g., the ââ¬Å"content of a speechâ⬠). Contents is a plural countable noun. We use it when the things in a container are separate and countable (e.g., book chapters in a ââ¬Å"table of contentsâ⬠). Key when choosing between these terms, then, is considering whether you can count the contained things. The only other occasion you would use the spelling ââ¬Å"contents,â⬠moreover, is as a third-person singular verb meaning ââ¬Å"satisfy,â⬠but this is quite a rare usage. And if youââ¬â¢d like further help with the spelling in a document, try our proofreading service.
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