Meaning & use
consist of
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Meaning
verbtransitive
To be formed from certain parts, members or materials, which are what the thing is made up of.
Grammar: Never used in the passive and not used in continuous tenses: the team consists of ten players, not is consisting of.
Patterns
- something consists of something
The committee consists of five teachers and two parents.
A basic salad dressing consists of oil, vinegar and salt.
The course consisted of six weekly workshops.
Word forms
| third person singular | consists of |
|---|---|
| past tense | consisted of |
| past participle | consisted of |
| -ing form | consisting of |
Common combinations
- consist mainly of
- The soil consists mainly of clay.
- consist entirely of
- The menu consists entirely of vegetarian dishes.
- consist largely of
- His diet consisted largely of rice and beans.
- consist of several parts
- The exam consists of several parts, each lasting an hour.
- consisting of
- A band consisting of four friends played at the wedding.
Synonyms and how they differ
- comprise
- Comprise means to contain or include the parts, so the whole comprises the parts, whereas with consist of the whole is followed by the parts it is made from.
- be made up of
- Be made up of is the casual equivalent and can be used in the passive form, unlike consist of.
- contain
- Contain can mean simply holding something inside, while consist of states what the whole is composed of.
- be composed of
- Be composed of is slightly more formal and does allow a passive-looking form, whereas consist of is always active.
Word family
- consistent adjective
- always behaving or happening in the same way
- consistency noun
- the quality of staying the same, or the thickness of a mixture
- consistently adverb
- in a regular, unchanging way
- consist in verb
- to have as its main feature, as in happiness consists in good friends
Commonly confused: consist of or consist in? consist of or comprise?
consist of vs consist in
Consist in states the essential nature of something (happiness consists in helping others), whereas consist of lists its parts or ingredients.
consist of vs comprise
Comprise is the reverse in careful use: the book comprises ten chapters, but the book consists of ten chapters. Avoid is comprised of in formal writing.
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
Consist of is used in the active, simple form with of before the parts. It is not used in the passive or continuous form, and with is the wrong preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “consist of”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.