constructed
constructed — verb
- constructedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- constructeds3rd person singular
- constructeding-ing form
- constructededpast simple
1. past tense of construct: to put parts or materials together so they form a build
past tense of construct: to put parts or materials together so they form a building, road, bridge, or other physical structure.
Aoi's grandfather constructed the family home from local pine and red clay.
construct + [object] + from + [materials]
The bridge over the Mekong was constructed in just under three years.
passive: be constructed (for major projects)
Workers constructed a small wooden stage in the village square before the festival.
Putri carefully constructed a model boat using cardboard, glue, and toothpicks.
Christopher's office tower on Queen Street was constructed in the late 1960s and still feels solid today.
- build
everyday word; construct sounds more technical or formal
- erect
stresses raising upright (statues, buildings); narrower than construct
- assemble
joining ready-made parts (furniture, machines); less about creating from raw materials
- put up
informal phrasal verb; covers smaller buildings and temporary structures
文法句型
construct + [object: building/structure]
be constructed (passive)
construct + from/of + [materials]
用法筆記
Frequently passive when the agent (a company, the government, workers) is unimportant or already known. Object is almost always a physical thing you can point at: house, road, wall, factory.
常見錯誤
2. past tense of construct: to put ideas, words, or arguments together step by step
past tense of construct: to put ideas, words, or arguments together step by step so they form a clear whole, such as a theory, story, or sentence.
Élise constructed her opening argument around three witnesses no one had questioned yet.
construct + [argument] + around + [evidence]
Nellie's debut novel is carefully constructed so that every minor character matters by the final chapter.
passive: be carefully constructed (of texts)
Ramón constructed a simple sentence in Korean using the three words he knew best.
Historians have constructed a clear timeline of the rebellion from letters and diaries.
Meera constructed a polite refusal that left the door open for future projects.
- deconstruct
take an argument or text apart to examine how it was built
文法句型
construct + [abstract object: argument/theory/narrative/sentence]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: the object here is abstract (argument, theory, sentence, story), not physical. Common collocates: argument, case, theory, narrative, sentence, model.
常見錯誤
3. past tense of construct: in geometry, to draw a shape such as a triangle or angl
past tense of construct: in geometry, to draw a shape such as a triangle or angle using only a ruler and compass, following exact steps.
Maeve constructed an equilateral triangle using just a compass and a straight edge.
construct + [geometric shape] + using + compass/ruler
Reuben's geometry class constructed perpendicular bisectors on each side of a paper triangle.
Anthony constructed a 60-degree angle without using a protractor.
Emre constructed a regular hexagon by stepping the compass around a circle six times.
文法句型
construct + [geometric shape] + using + [ruler/compass]
用法筆記
Only sense limited to geometry class. The tools (compass, ruler, straight edge) are usually mentioned, and protractors are typically forbidden — that constraint is what makes the action a geometric construction.
常見錯誤
constructed — noun
1. an idea or theory built up from smaller ideas; something that exists in thought
an idea or theory built up from smaller ideas; something that exists in thought rather than in the physical world, often used in psychology, sociology, or philosophy.
Race is widely treated as a social construct rather than a biological category.
fixed phrase: social construct
Rachid argued that 'genius' is a construct shaped by how schools reward certain skills.
[noun] + is + a + construct + shaped by + [factors]
Self-esteem is a useful psychological construct, even though no one can point to it.
Beatrix examined money as a construct that only works because everyone agrees it does.
Sofie's MBA professor argued that 'work-life balance' is a fairly recent construct in management thinking.
- concept
more neutral; doesn't imply the idea was invented or non-natural
- notion
looser, more everyday; less academic weight
- theoretical model
more technical; usually a structured system of constructs
文法句型
[adjective] + construct
a construct of + [field/discipline]
用法筆記
Almost always premodified: social construct, cultural construct, psychological construct, theoretical construct. Calling something 'a construct' usually signals the speaker thinks it is not natural or objective, but invented by people.
常見錯誤
2. something whose current form has been shaped by particular historical, political
something whose current form has been shaped by particular historical, political, or social conditions, rather than being natural or universal.
Modern nationalism is largely a construct of nineteenth-century European politics.
a + construct + of + [historical period/movement]
Renata showed how the 'ideal housewife' was a construct of postwar advertising.
Childhood as a protected stage of life is a construct of fairly recent industrial societies.
Piotr called the border between the two regions a construct of colonial map-making.
- universal
true across all cultures and eras, not shaped by any particular one
文法句型
a construct of + [history/ideology/society]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 names abstract ideas (self-esteem, race); this sense names institutions, identities, or norms whose present shape comes from specific historical or political forces. Often paired with a time period or movement.