Meaning & use
instruction
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Meanings
nouncountable
A statement or order that tells someone what they should do.
Grammar: Often used in the plural for a set of steps: follow the instructions.
Patterns
- give someone instructions
- follow instructions
- instructions for something
- instructions on how to do something
She gave clear instructions about where to meet.
I couldn't understand the instructions for assembling the shelf.
The instructions say to add water first.
noununcountable
The act or process of teaching someone a subject or skill.
Grammar: No plural when it means teaching in general: receive instruction in music.
Patterns
- instruction in something
- receive instruction
- provide instruction
All students receive instruction in at least one foreign language.
The school offers instruction in cooking and sewing.
He had no formal instruction in art but was very talented.
nouncountablecomputing
A single step or command in a computer program that tells the machine what to do.
Grammar: Often used in computing: a set of instructions.
Patterns
- a set of instructions
- execute an instruction
The processor can execute millions of instructions per second.
Each instruction tells the computer to move data or do a calculation.
Word forms
| plural | instructions |
|---|
Common combinations
- follow instructions
- If you follow the instructions carefully, the machine will work.
- clear instructions
- The teacher gave clear instructions before the exam.
- instruction manual
- I looked in the instruction manual to find out how to change the battery.
- receive instruction
- Children receive instruction in reading and writing from an early age.
- instructions on how to
- Can you give me instructions on how to get to the station?
Synonyms and how they differ
- direction
- Often used in the plural for guidance on how to do something; can be more general than instruction and less official.
- order
- Stronger and more authoritative; an order must be obeyed, while an instruction is often just a helpful direction.
- teaching
- Focuses on the activity of helping someone learn, while instruction can also mean a single command.
Opposites
Word family
- instruct verb
- To teach or give an official order.
- instructor noun
- A person who teaches a subject or skill.
- instructive adjective
- Giving useful information or teaching something.
Commonly confused: instruction or construction?
instruction vs construction
Means building something; instruction means teaching or telling someone what to do.
Practice
Before you use the new coffee machine, please read the ______ carefully.
Choose one answer.
The plural 'instructions' is the usual word for a set of steps to follow. The singular 'instruction' can mean teaching in general and sounds odd here, 'instruct' is a verb, and 'instructive' is an adjective.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “instruction”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.