race

A race is a competition. You can use this word for sporting events or business activities. These sentences and questions use "race" as a noun:

• There’s a 400 meter race today.
• The race ended in a tie. (tie = two invididuals or teams have the same score or the same time.)
• How long is this race?
• How many people are running in the race?
• Who won the race?
• Let’s have a race!

a race

The word "race" is also commonly used when people are trying to get elected to a political office. The events leading up to the election are a "race."

• The race for President of the United States has already begun even though the election doesn’t happen until November of 2016.
• Many Republicans have entered the race for president.
• The race for governor of our state was very close.

These sentences use "race" as a verb. To race is to go fast.

• It’s fun to watch horses race.
• A couple of children raced each other across the beach.
• Bernie’s heart races whenever he sees his girlfriend.
• If Sandra races with the wind at her back, she’ll probably win.
• Let’s race!

The word "race" can also be used when a group of people are determined to solve a problem or find a solution within a period of time:

• Scientists are racing to find a cure for cancer.
• Firefighters raced against time when putting out the fire.
• It feels like I’m always racing around on the weekend to get things done.

Sometimes the word "race" is used for a person’s ethnic background.

• Lavitra is black and Roger is white, but they love each other regardless of each person’s race.
• Ahmed claims he was denied an apartment because of his race.
• It’s illegal in the United States to discriminate* based on a person’s race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender, or sexual orientation.

*discriminate: to take a form of action or behavior against a person based on skin color or other factors.

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This page was first published on August 6, 2012. It was updated on July 18, 2015.