play

To play is to enjoy an activity for the purity of the experience and for the fun of participating with other people in the activity.

• Children love to play.
• They love to play games.
• Children learn to socialize by playing with each other.
• Playing a sport is a good way to meet other people.
• Let’s play baseball.
• Or would you like to play soccer?
• It’s important to play by the rules.
• Playing a musical instrument is a good way to relax.
• Do you know how to play music?
• What songs do you know how to play?

As a verb, the word "play" is very popular when talking about a person’s contributions to a result, whether that result is positive or negative:

• Shelly has played a major role in the company’s success. (This sentence is in the present perfect tense.)
• Todd played no role in a positive third quarter, although he took credit for it.
• Human activity plays a huge role in climate change.

The word "play" can be used as a verb or as a noun. In the next set of examples, the word "play" is a noun:

• We went to see a play last night. (play = dramatic performance)
• There were several very good actors in the play.
• During the baseball game we watched last night, the center fielder made an important play.
• He made a good play.
• A play on words, such as a pun, creates a double meaning.
• In order to watch a video on YouTube, click on play.

The word "player" is a noun used to identify a person:

• He’s a good soccer player. (Use "player" for participants in team sports.)
• She’s a very good tennis player.
• Thomas Johnson was a major player in helping make a deal come together between the two companies.

There are other words that make use of or includes the word "play."

• Leona has over 200 songs on her playlist. (play list = a list of songs to be played or listed on an electronic device)
• People who enjoy wordplay challenge themselves with crossword puzzles and word games.
• Game officials watched the replay to determine if the ball was out of bounds. (replay = a stored video segment of action during a game)
• Rover is a very playful puppy. (The word "playful" is an adjective.)
• Chuck playfully teases his coworkers. (The word "playfully" is an adverb.

Click here for more English vocabulary.

October 28, 2019