change

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive or intransitive

   To become different, or to make something different.

   Grammar: Intransitive when the thing itself becomes different (the weather changed); transitive when someone alters it.

   Patterns

   • change something
   • change into something
   • change from something to something

   The leaves change color in October.

   She changed the date of the meeting.

   The town has changed a great deal since I was a child.

2. 2verbtransitive

   To replace one thing with another of the same kind.

   Grammar: Takes the thing replaced as the object: change a tire, change the sheets.

   Patterns

   • change something for something
   • change something with someone

   He changed the batteries in the remote.

   I need to change my password.

   They changed seats halfway through the film.

3. 3verbtransitive or intransitive

   To take off your clothes and put on different ones, or to move from one vehicle to another.

   Grammar: Intransitive for clothes (she changed after work); transitive with clothes or vehicles as the object (change trains).

   Patterns

   • change into something
   • change trains

   I need to change before dinner.

   We changed trains at the next station.

   The players changed into their kits in the locker room.

4. 4verbtransitive

   To exchange money for money of another kind or currency.

   Grammar: Takes the amount as object and often into or for: change dollars into euros.

   Patterns

   • change something into something
   • change something for something

   Can you change a twenty-dollar bill?

   I changed some money at the airport.

   He changed his pounds into euros.

5. 5nouncountable or uncountable

   The act or result of becoming different, or the process of making something different.

   Grammar: Uncountable for the general idea (resistant to change); countable for a specific alteration (a big change).

   Patterns

   • a change in something
   • a change of something
   • a change for the better

   The new manager brought a change in the schedule.

   Climate change affects farmers everywhere.

   It makes a nice change to eat out.

6. 6noununcountable

   Coins, or the money handed back when you pay more than the price.

   Grammar: Takes a singular verb and no plural: the change is on the counter.

   Patterns

   • keep the change

   She counted the change before leaving the shop.

   Keep the change, he said to the driver.

   I have no change for the parking meter.

Word forms

Common combinations

change your mind

She changed her mind at the last minute.

change clothes

I need to change clothes before the party.

loose change

He keeps loose change in a jar.

climate change

Climate change is a global concern.

make a change

Small habits can make a big change.

change for the better

The new rules were a change for the better.

Synonyms and how they differ

alter

Alter usually means to make a small adjustment to something, while change can mean replacing it completely.

modify

Modify suggests making careful adjustments to improve or adapt, in a more formal way.

transform

Transform means a very large, complete change in form or character.

swap

Swap is informal and means exchanging one thing for another.

Opposites

Word family

changeable adjective

likely to change often

changeless adjective

never changing

exchange noun

the act of giving one thing for another

interchange verb

to swap things with each other

unchanged adjective

not different from before

Commonly confused: change or exchange? change or shift?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “change”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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