string quartet

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A small classical music group made up of two violinists, a viola player, and a cellist.

   Grammar: Countable: one quartet, two quartets. Often used with 'a' or 'the'.

   Patterns

   • a string quartet plays something
   • form a string quartet

   The string quartet played a gentle piece by Mozart.

   She joined a string quartet when she moved to the city.

   A string quartet usually sits in a half-circle.

2. 2nouncountable

   A piece of music written for four string instruments.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a string quartet' or 'three string quartets'. Often used with 'by' for the composer.

   Patterns

   • a string quartet by someone
   • write a string quartet

   The concert ended with a string quartet by Beethoven.

   He composed his first string quartet at the age of twenty.

   This string quartet is difficult to play well.

Word forms

Common combinations

a string quartet plays

The string quartet plays every Friday evening.

form a string quartet

They decided to form a string quartet after college.

a string quartet by (composer)

We listened to a string quartet by Haydn.

join a string quartet

He was invited to join a string quartet in London.

a famous string quartet

The Emerson String Quartet is a famous string quartet.

Synonyms and how they differ

quartet

Quartet is the general word for any group of four musicians; string quartet specifies that all four play string instruments.

ensemble

Ensemble is a broader term for any small group of musicians, not necessarily four or only strings.

Word family

quartet noun

A group of four musicians or a piece for four players.

string adjective

Relating to instruments with strings, such as violins and cellos.

Commonly confused: string quartet or quartet?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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