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Meaning & use

piece of paper

phrase·Everyday

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UK/ˌpiːs əv ˈpeɪpə/
US/ˌpiːs əv ˈpeɪpər/

Meanings

  1. phrasecountable

    A single sheet or scrap of paper.

    Grammar: Countable even though paper is uncountable: a piece of paper, two pieces of paper.

    Patterns

    • a piece of paper with something on it
    • write something on a piece of paper

    Write your name on a piece of paper and hand it in.

    He found a crumpled piece of paper in his coat pocket.

    She tore a piece of paper from the notebook to leave a message.

  2. phrasecountablefigurativeinformal

    An official document, such as a certificate or contract, seen as having little real worth beyond its formal status.

    Grammar: Used figuratively, often with just: a degree is just a piece of paper.

    Patterns

    • just a piece of paper

    The treaty is only a piece of paper if nobody enforces it.

    Some people say a marriage certificate is just a piece of paper.

    Without real support, the new law is nothing more than a piece of paper.

Word forms

pluralpieces of paper

Common combinations

a scrap piece of paper
He jotted the number on a piece of scrap paper.
a blank piece of paper
She stared at a blank piece of paper before starting the essay.
just a piece of paper
To him, a diploma was just a piece of paper.
fold a piece of paper
Fold a piece of paper in half to make the card.
write on a piece of paper
Write the answer on a piece of paper.

Synonyms and how they differ

sheet
Sheet is shorter and suggests a neat, standard-sized page, whereas piece of paper can be any size or a scrap.
scrap
A scrap is a small, rough, often torn piece, while a piece of paper can be full-sized.
slip
A slip is a small, narrow piece used for notes or receipts, so it is more specific than piece of paper.

Word family

paper noun
the material used for writing and printing
paperwork noun
documents and administrative tasks
papery adjective
thin and dry like paper

Commonly confused: piece of paper or paper?

piece of paper vs paper

Paper alone is uncountable, so we say a piece of paper or a sheet of paper, never a paper for one sheet, which would mean a newspaper or an essay.

Practice

In 'The agreement is just a piece of paper', what does the speaker mean?

Make it your own

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

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