constructions
constructions — noun
- constructionssingular
- constructionsesplural
1. the work or process of building large things such as houses, roads, bridges, or
the work or process of building large things such as houses, roads, bridges, or factories.
Construction of the new hospital will begin next spring.
construction + of + noun phrase
Henry found a job in the construction industry after finishing college.
The bridge has been under construction for nearly three years.
Heavy rain brought construction work to a halt for several days.
Owen studied construction management at a technical university in Taiwan.
- demolition
the act of pulling something down
文法句型
construction + of + noun
用法筆記
This sense is uncountable — you cannot say 'a construction' to mean the activity. Use 'construction work', 'construction of', or 'under construction'.
常見錯誤
2. the particular materials, parts, or design that something is made of or built wi
the particular materials, parts, or design that something is made of or built with.
The table has a solid wooden construction that will last for many years.
solid wooden construction — adjective + material + construction
Amira chose a bicycle with a lightweight aluminium construction for her daily commute.
Buildings of steel and glass construction are common in modern city centres.
The engineer checked the roof construction before approving the design plans.
- make-up
more informal; focuses on what something consists of
- composition
formal; emphasises the combination of materials
文法句型
[noun] + of + [adj] + construction
用法筆記
Often modified by a material adjective (steel, wooden, brick) or a quality adjective (solid, lightweight, traditional). The pattern 'of + material + construction' is common in formal writing.
常見錯誤
3. a building or other large object that has been built by putting many parts toget
a building or other large object that has been built by putting many parts together.
The old stone construction stood on the hilltop for over two hundred years.
Ilan photographed the modern glass constructions along the river during his trip to Shanghai.
adjective + material + constructions
The museum is an impressive construction with a large central hall and two wings.
Piotr examined the wooden constructions inside the ancient temple compound.
文法句型
[article] + [adj] + construction
用法筆記
Unlike the uncountable sense (building process), this countable sense refers to the finished object. It is more formal than 'building' and often implies a notable or engineered structure.
常見錯誤
4. a standard pattern of word order in a language, for example the passive form or
a standard pattern of word order in a language, for example the passive form or the conditional structure.
The teacher explained how to form the passive construction in English.
passive construction — grammar term
Lan found the conditional construction with 'if' difficult to use correctly.
conditional construction + 'if'
Different languages use different grammatical constructions to express the same idea.
Rafael wrote a short essay comparing the question constructions of Spanish and Japanese.
文法句型
[noun] + [verb] + [prepositional/that-clause construction]
用法筆記
Common in grammar teaching contexts. Typical modifiers: passive, active, conditional, interrogative, negative, comparative. This sense is countable — you can talk about 'different constructions' in a language.
常見錯誤
5. a particular way of understanding or explaining what a document, statement, or t
a particular way of understanding or explaining what a document, statement, or text means.
The lawyer put a strict construction on the wording of the contract.
put a [adj] construction on [noun] — fixed verb pattern
Otis gave the poem a very personal construction that differed from the published analysis.
Different judges may place different constructions on the same statute.
The historian offered a new construction of the letter's true meaning.
- interpretation
more common; less formal than 'construction'
- reading
common in literary and legal contexts
文法句型
[verb] + a + [adj] + construction + on + [noun]
用法筆記
Typically used with the verbs 'put', 'place', 'give' followed by 'on'. This sense is more formal and abstract than sense 6, which focuses on everyday social behaviour.
常見錯誤
6. a particular way of understanding what someone's actions or words mean, often in
a particular way of understanding what someone's actions or words mean, often in everyday social situations.
Please do not put the wrong construction on her silence — she was thinking before replying.
put the wrong construction on — fixed phrase for misinterpreting
Reema's refusal to answer could be open to several different constructions.
open to [adj] construction(s)
Henry worried that people would place an unkind construction on his decision to leave early.
The newspaper's construction of the mayor's remarks was harsh and unfair.
- interpretation
broader and less formal than 'construction' for social situations
文法句型
[verb] + the wrong/right construction + on + [possession/action]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 5: sense 6 applies to everyday actions and statements between people, not formal documents. The phrase 'put the wrong construction on' is the most common fixed expression for this sense.
常見錯誤
7. the business or industry of building and repairing houses, roads, bridges, and o
the business or industry of building and repairing houses, roads, bridges, and other structures.
The construction sector has created thousands of new jobs this year.
construction + sector — industry collocation
Emre found work in construction after finishing his vocational training programme.
Investment in construction grew by twelve percent last quarter across the whole region.
Nora's father runs a small construction company that employs about thirty people.
- building trade
more specific; refers to the skilled manual labour side of the industry
文法句型
construction + noun
用法筆記
Often used as a noun modifier before another noun: construction company, construction worker, construction site, construction industry. This sense is always uncountable — 'constructions' as a plural does not apply here.