file

When you "file" something, you either submit (give) paperwork to a government agency, or you organize and store paper and important documents. This first set of sentences and questions shows how to use the word "file" as a verb.

• Have you filed your income taxes yet?
• If you don’t file your income taxes before April 15, you’ll have to pay a penalty.
• We need to file a complaint with the police about people speeding in our neighborhood.
• Amina is going to file a lawsuit against her supervisor for harassing her at work.
• I file everything alphabetically in my file cabinet.
• Mary has to file some important paperwork that she’ll need at a later date.

You can also use "file" as a noun:

• There are several files on Bob’s desk.
• The file that the police have on the suspect is several inches thick.
• She’s putting a file into the file cabinet.

A "file" is also a tool or a device used for smoothing out a hard surface.

• The repairman used a file to remove some rough spots on a piece of metal.
• Rhonda uses a nail file when she takes care of her fingernails.

nail file

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This page was first published on April 13, 2012. It was updated on February 9, 2015.