Combine and Integrate
2024-08-17
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1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Simona in China about the words "combine" and "integrate."
2Dear Teacher,
3Hi! I have a question. What is the difference between "combine" and "integrate?" Thank you!
4Thank you for writing to us, Simona. I'm happy to answer this question.
5"Combine" and "integrate" are similar in meaning. But, there are some small differences in usage.
6The word "combine" is in our Learning English Word Book.
7We define it as a verb meaning to mix or bring together.
8"Integrate" is not in our Word Book.
9Merriam-Webster's dictionary says the word means to unite or form into a whole.
10Now, let's look at the prefixes that begin each word.
11"Combine" begins with the prefix co-, such as in the word "copilot." This prefix means "with."
12"Integrate" begins with the prefix inter- but with the letter "r" removed.
13This means "among" or "between," as in the word "international."
14The prefix co- generally gives the sense of joining two or more things together.
15For example, oxygen combines with hydrogen to make water.
16However, "combine" can also mean to mix things together, such as mixing the ingredients in a recipe.
17"Integrate" can be used that same way.
18But, it also can mean to add something to one or more other things and mix them so well that they fully unite.
19For example, a school might try to integrate healthy foods into its school meals.
20Or, a jazz group might try to integrate elements of country music into their songs.
21Notice that we use the preposition "into" with the word integrate.
22We say that we "integrate x into y." Here is another example:
23New technologies can quickly become integrated into our lives.
24But when we use "combine," we use the preposition "with." We say we "combine x with y," or "combine x and y," as in these examples:
25The management team is trying to combine youth with experience.
26When you combine talent and hard work, you will see positive results.
27"Integrate" can sometimes give a sense of deeper connection among two or more things than "combine."
28To see this, consider the word "integral." This word comes from the same root as 'integrate.'
29We say that something is an integral part of something else.
30This means that the things are deeply connected or important to each other. For example:
31Bicycles are an integral part of traffic and culture in the Netherlands.
32Fishing is an integral part of the coastal economy.
33Last, both the words "integral" and "integration" have technical meanings in calculus, a field of mathematics.
34For our readers and listeners, do you have a question about American English?
35You can ask about many different areas of English, such as speaking, listening, culture, and more.
36Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.
37And that's Ask a Teacher.
38I'm Andrew Smith.
1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Simona in China about the words "combine" and "integrate." 2Question 3Dear Teacher, 4Hi! I have a question. What is the difference between "combine" and "integrate?" Thank you! 5Answer 6Thank you for writing to us, Simona. I'm happy to answer this question. 7"Combine" and "integrate" are similar in meaning. But, there are some small differences in usage. 8The word "combine" is in our Learning English Word Book. We define it as a verb meaning to mix or bring together. 9"Integrate" is not in our Word Book. Merriam-Webster's dictionary says the word means to unite or form into a whole. 10Now, let's look at the prefixes that begin each word. "Combine" begins with the prefix co-, such as in the word "copilot." This prefix means "with." 11"Integrate" begins with the prefix inter- but with the letter "r" removed. This means "among" or "between," as in the word "international." 12The prefix co- generally gives the sense of joining two or more things together. For example, oxygen combines with hydrogen to make water. However, "combine" can also mean to mix things together, such as mixing the ingredients in a recipe. 13"Integrate" can be used that same way. But, it also can mean to add something to one or more other things and mix them so well that they fully unite. 14For example, a school might try to integrate healthy foods into its school meals. Or, a jazz group might try to integrate elements of country music into their songs. 15Notice that we use the preposition "into" with the word integrate. We say that we "integrate x into y." Here is another example: 16New technologies can quickly become integrated into our lives. 17But when we use "combine," we use the preposition "with." We say we "combine x with y," or "combine x and y," as in these examples: 18The management team is trying to combine youth with experience. 19When you combine talent and hard work, you will see positive results. 20"Integrate" can sometimes give a sense of deeper connection among two or more things than "combine." To see this, consider the word "integral." This word comes from the same root as 'integrate.' 21We say that something is an integral part of something else. This means that the things are deeply connected or important to each other. For example: 22Bicycles are an integral part of traffic and culture in the Netherlands. 23Fishing is an integral part of the coastal economy. 24Last, both the words "integral" and "integration" have technical meanings in calculus, a field of mathematics. 25For our readers and listeners, do you have a question about American English? You can ask about many different areas of English, such as speaking, listening, culture, and more. Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. 26And that's Ask a Teacher. 27I'm Andrew Smith. 28Andrew Smith wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 29_______________________________________________ 30Words in This Story 31ingredient -n. a food or item that goes into making a meal or dish 32recipe -n. a set of directions for making a meal or dish and which includes a list of ingredients