Rules for Using “Comprise”

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hello, this is Ed Cobb calling from West Paulette, Vermont.

West Paulette, Vermont.

Well, welcome to the show, Ed.

How are you doing?

Hi, Ed.

I’m doing fine, thanks.

All right.

What can we help you with?

Well, several decades ago, I guess, I’m retired now, but at work, I was reviewing a document for one of my colleagues, and I changed comprises to is comprised of.

And years later, I realized that I was wrong. I should have left it the way it was.

And I was wondering, you know, if you had some sort of guideline or mnemonic or something like that that we all could use for determining when you use is comprised of or comprises or is composed of.

So you’re coming to us with decades-old guilt?

Yeah.

I absolve you.

You’re forgiven.

Go and sin no more.

Yes, I was really embarrassed when I realized it later on.

So, Ed, you’d like a mnemonic device for dealing with things like comprise and is comprised of, correct?

Or is composed of, or composes, or, you know, that whole sort of collection of things there.

Yep, I have a mnemonic device for you.

Don’t ever use is comprised of.

Okay, that’s sort of what I thought.

How’s that?

Don’t ever use it.

Yeah, just don’t. It confuses people and it confuses the issue.

Comprises has to do with getting your arms around something.

It goes all the way back to a Latin word that means to grasp.

And so comprise is something that something big does.

Whenever I say the word comprise, in fact, I move my arms. Grant can see me doing that now. It’s like I’m hugging a tree or something.

It’s like seeing the butterfly stroke in the studio.

Yeah, so comprise means to contain.

So you would say the alphabet comprises 26 letters, for example, or contains 26 letters.

And that’s really pretty much what you need to know.

That’s pretty much the one use.

If it’s not that use, don’t do it.

Well, I sort of have kind of thought that maybe the word includes would be a good substitute in the construction of the sentence grammatically.

You know, not necessarily logical, but if you could substitute includes for comprises and it makes grammatic sense, I think then you’d be okay using comprises.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I think that’s a good.

Kind of synonym of includes, but it might not make logical sense in what you’re trying to say.

Yeah.

Includes or contains.

Okay.

I think you’re fine.

So you could say the alphabet is composed of 26 letters, but it comprises 26 letters.

Right.

So it should be comprised, should not be followed by of.

And when in doubt, just use another word, as you say.

That’s the safe route.

Just avoid it comprised if you’re not sure about it.

Right.

All right.

Thanks for calling.

Well, very nice talking to you.

Yeah, you too.

Nice talking with you.

Thanks for listening.

Take care.

Take care.

Thank you.

Bye.

All right.

Bye-bye.

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