VOA名师答疑2023--Finish or Complete?

Finish or Complete?

Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between "finish" and "complete."

Question:

Hello VOA Learning¹ English,

My name is Bear Wang, and I am from China. I have a question. What is the difference between "finish" and "complete?"

Looking forward to your reply.

Thanks,

Bear.

Answer:

Thank you for this great question, Bear.

Both words share a similar meaning of "coming to an end," but there are small differences in their meanings as verbs. They can be used as different parts of speech. We often use them in different situations. Let's look at the differences more closely².

"Finish" as a verb means "to come to an end or close." We can use it with or without a direct object.

The school day finishes at three in the afternoon. (No direct object)

We finished dinner then watched a movie before going to bed. (With a direct object)

"Finish" can also mean the final ranking of teams or players in a competition.

The basketball team finished 2nd in the state championship.

Another meaning of "finish" as a verb is to defeat, ruin, or even kill:

The criminal charges finished his hopes of a political career.

In the video game, Mortal³ Kombat, players can perform a kill action to finish off their opponent⁴.

The word "finish" can also be a noun⁵ that means "something that perfects or completes" such as the appearance of the surface of a material. "Finish" can even be used to describe the taste of a drink or food in the mouth.

His house has many well-made finishes on its marble countertops and hardwood floors.

The finish of the wine is fruity and fresh.

Let's move onto "complete."

"Complete" as a verb has a similar meaning to "finish," but instead of just "to end," it means "finish making or doing something in its entirety."

We can use it with a direct object.

She completed her bachelor's degree last May.

Kaitlyn completed reading the series of over twelve books!

"Complete" also means to make something perfect or whole.

The shoes complete Daria's outfit⁶ for her brother's wedding.

The band completed their final set with one of their most popular songs.

As a verb, "complete" means to fill in all the questions on a form.

The doctor reminded the patient to complete both sides of the health history form.

And lastly, "complete" can be used as an adjective⁷. It has several meanings as this part of speech. It can mean "having all steps or parts." It can mean "total," "thorough," or "whole." And "complete" can also signify⁸ that something has "ended" or "finished."

The writing assignment is not complete until you return the second draft⁹ to your teacher with corrections.

Her day always feels complete after she reads a book in bed.

Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Bear.

What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at [email protected]

And that's Ask a Teacher.

Words in This Story

ranking – n. a position in a list that shows things or people of importance

marble – n. a kind of stone that is often polished and used in buildings and statues

entirety – n. the whole or total amount of a material or result of an action

set – n. a sequence of songs performed together for a live concert or recording

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

3 mortal   

adj.终有一死的，致命的，不共戴天的；n.人

参考例句：

• He received a mortal wound soon after the battle began.战争开始后不久，他就受到了致命的重伤。
• They are our mortal enemies.他们是我们不共戴天的仇敌。

4 opponent   

n.对手，敌手，反对者；adj.敌对的，反对的

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• After a fierce struggle,he got a beat on his opponent.经过殊死的较量，他占了对手的上风。

5 noun   

n.名词

参考例句：

• What kind of noun is this?这是哪类名词？
• This word is a collective noun.这个词是个集体名词。

6 outfit   

n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装

参考例句：

• Jenney bought a new outfit for her daughter's wedding.珍妮为参加女儿的婚礼买了一套新装。
• His father bought a ski outfit for him on his birthday.他父亲在他生日那天给他买了一套滑雪用具。

7 adjective   

n.形容词；adj.形容词的，用作形容词的

参考例句：

• Don't apply that adjective to me.不要用那个字眼来形容我。
• The adjective loose has several senses. 形容词loose有几个义项。

8 signify   

vt.表示...的意思，意味，预示

参考例句：

• State ownership in itself does not signify collective control.国家所有本身并不意味集体控制。
• The striped band round a policeman's sleeve is to signify that he is on duty.警察袖子上的袖标标明他正在执勤。

9 draft   

vt.起草，作...的草稿；n.草稿，草图，草案

参考例句：

• He's now revising the first draft of his essay.他目前正修改他的文章初稿。
• The draft of this article has been done。这篇文章已经定稿。