Meaning & use
choose
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To pick one person or thing from a number of possibilities after thinking about them.
Grammar: Takes an object (choose a color) or stands alone with between: choose between two jobs.
Patterns
- choose between A and B
- choose someone for something
- choose something from something
She chose the blue jacket instead of the red one.
You must choose between staying and leaving.
The committee will choose a winner from five finalists.
verbtransitive
To decide to do something, because you want to or prefer to.
Grammar: Followed by to plus a verb: she chose to stay.
Patterns
- choose to do something
He chose to walk home rather than take a taxi.
Many people choose not to vote in local elections.
If you choose to apply, send your form before Friday.
verbtransitive
To select someone for a role or position, usually by voting or after consideration.
Grammar: Often used with a role or an as phrase: chosen as captain.
Patterns
- choose someone as something
- choose someone to do something
The class chose Maya as its representative.
Voters will choose a new mayor in November.
She was chosen to lead the research team.
Word forms
| third person singular | chooses |
|---|---|
| past tense | chose |
| past participle | chosen |
| -ing form | choosing |
Common combinations
- choose carefully
- Choose carefully, because you cannot change your answer later.
- choose wisely
- Employers hope new graduates will choose wisely.
- choose at random
- Winners are chosen at random from all entries.
- choose between options
- I could not choose between the two flats.
- choose to ignore
- He chose to ignore the warning.
- nothing to choose between
- There was nothing to choose between the two candidates.
Synonyms and how they differ
- select
- Select is a little more formal and suggests careful picking from a defined group.
- pick
- Pick is more casual and often quicker, with less thought behind it.
- opt
- Opt is always followed by for or to and stresses the act of deciding on one alternative.
- elect
- Elect usually means choosing someone by vote for an office, which is narrower than choose.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: choose or chose? choose or choice?
choose vs chose
Chose is the past tense (yesterday I chose tea); choose is the base form (I choose tea now).
choose vs choice
Choice is the noun; you make a choice but you choose something.
Practice
Last week the committee finally ____ a date for the meeting.
Choose one answer.
Last week signals the simple past, which is chose. Chosen needs a helper such as has or was, and choose and chooses are present forms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “choose”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.