Meaning & use
penning down
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“penning down” is a form of “pen down”.
Meanings
verbtransitive
writing something on paper, especially in order to record or remember it
Grammar: Takes an object: pen down your thoughts. The object usually comes after down.
Patterns
- pen down something
- pen something down
She is penning down her travel memories in a small notebook.
He penned down the main points of the lecture before he forgot them.
The author spent the morning penning down ideas for her next novel.
verbtransitiveformal
writing something formally or officially, such as a statement or agreement
Grammar: Often used in formal contexts; the object is usually a document or a formal text.
Patterns
- pen down an agreement
- pen down a statement
The two sides penned down an agreement after long talks.
The minister penned down a short statement for the press.
They penned down the terms of the deal in front of witnesses.
Word forms
| third person singular | pens down |
|---|---|
| past tense | penned down |
| past participle | penned down |
| -ing form | penning down |
Common combinations
- pen down your thoughts
- She likes to pen down her thoughts before going to sleep.
- pen down a few notes
- Let me pen down a few notes so I don't forget.
- pen down an idea
- He penned down an idea for a new app on a napkin.
- pen down a statement
- The witness penned down a statement for the police.
Synonyms and how they differ
- write down
- More common and neutral in everyday English; pen down sounds slightly more formal or literary.
- jot down
- Suggests writing something quickly and briefly; pen down can suggest more care or formality.
- record
- Focuses on keeping information for the future, often officially; pen down focuses on the act of writing by hand.
Word family
Commonly confused: penning down or pinning down?
penning down vs pinning down
Pinning down means holding something firmly or discovering exact details; penning down means writing something.
Practice
She is ___ her ideas in a notebook before the meeting.
Choose one answer.
'Penning down' is the -ing form needed after 'is'. 'Pinning down' means holding or discovering, not writing. 'Pen down' is the base form and cannot follow 'is' here. 'Pens down' is third person singular and does not fit after 'is'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “penning down”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.