notes

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Short written records of things you need to remember or refer to later.

   Grammar: Always plural in this sense; the singular 'note' means one single record.

   Patterns

   • take notes
   • make notes on something
   • notes on something

   She took careful notes during the lecture.

   I made notes on the back of an envelope.

   Can I borrow your notes from yesterday's class?

2. 2nounplural

   Written or printed comments added to a text to explain or comment on it.

   Grammar: Usually plural when talking about a set of comments; 'a note' is one comment.

   Patterns

   • notes on something
   • notes in a book
   • add notes to something

   The editor's notes appear at the bottom of each page.

   He added notes in the margin as he read.

   There are helpful notes at the end of the chapter.

3. 3nounpluralmusic

   A set of written musical symbols that show the pitch and rhythm of a piece.

   Grammar: Plural of 'note' in the music sense; use 'note' for a single sound or symbol.

   Patterns

   • play the notes
   • read the notes
   • the notes of a song

   She played the notes slowly at first.

   I can't read the notes on this page.

   The opening notes of the song are easy to sing.

4. 4nounpluralBritish

   Official written messages or pieces of paper, especially money or documents.

   Grammar: Plural of 'note' in the money sense, common in British English.

   Patterns

   • pay in notes
   • a bundle of notes
   • notes and coins

   He paid with a thick roll of notes.

   The bank gave me the money in ten-pound notes.

   Notes and coins are still accepted here.

Word forms

Common combinations

take notes

Please take notes while I explain the experiment.

make notes

She makes notes before every meeting.

class notes

His class notes are always neat and complete.

lecture notes

I left my lecture notes in the library.

sticky notes

He marked the pages with sticky notes.

notes on something

The teacher gave us notes on the main characters.

Synonyms and how they differ

records

'Records' suggests a more formal or permanent collection, while 'notes' are often quick and personal.

jottings

'Jottings' are very rough, informal notes, usually short and messy.

annotations

'Annotations' are notes added directly to a text, usually more formal than ordinary notes.

Word family

note noun

One single written record or comment.

notebook noun

A small book of empty pages for writing notes.

notepad noun

A block of paper for quick notes.

notetaking noun

The activity of writing down what you hear or read.

Commonly confused: notes or notice?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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