Meaning & use
co-write
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
to write something such as a book, song, or script together with another person or other people.
Grammar: Takes an object: co-write a song. It can also be intransitive when the object is understood: They co-write every week.
Patterns
- co-write something
- co-write something with someone
- co-write for someone
She co-wrote the screenplay with a friend from college.
The two singers co-wrote most of the songs on the album.
He often co-writes with his brother, and they share the credit equally.
verbtransitive or intransitiveformal
to write a text, report, or article jointly with someone else, especially in a professional or academic setting.
Grammar: Can be used without an object when the activity is general: They co-write for several journals.
Patterns
- co-write a report
- co-write an article with someone
- co-write for a publication
The professors co-wrote a detailed report on climate policy.
Our team co-writes blog posts to share the workload.
She co-wrote the introduction, while her colleague wrote the conclusion.
Word forms
| third person singular | co-writes |
|---|---|
| past tense | co-wrote |
| past participle | co-written |
| present participle | co-writing |
Common combinations
- co-write a song
- They decided to co-write a song for the charity event.
- co-write a book
- The historian co-wrote a book with a journalist.
- co-write with someone
- I prefer to co-write with a partner rather than alone.
- co-write a script
- The duo co-wrote the script in just three weeks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- collaborate
- This is a general word for working together on any project; co-write is specific to writing.
- coauthor
- This is a more formal synonym often used for academic or book writing, and it can also be a noun.
- write jointly
- A plain phrase that means the same but is less common and more explicit.
Word family
- co-writer noun
- A person who writes something together with another.
- co-written adjective
- Written by two or more people together.
- co-writing noun
- The activity or process of writing something with others.
Commonly confused: co-write or cowrite? co-write or copyright?
co-write vs cowrite
Some people spell it without a hyphen, but the standard spelling is co-write with a hyphen.
co-write vs copyright
Copyright is a legal right; co-write is about writing together. They sound different: /ˈkɒpiraɪt/ vs /ˌkəʊˈraɪt/.
Practice
Which sentence uses co-write correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct pattern is co-write something with someone. Option 2 is wrong because 'to' is not used after co-write in this meaning. Option 3 changes the meaning to writing for someone, not together. Option 4 uses 'by', which is not the right preposition here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “co-write”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.