papers
papers — noun
1. official documents, such as a passport or ID card, that show who someone is or w
official documents, such as a passport or ID card, that show who someone is or what they are allowed to do.
The border guard asked Mauricio for his papers before letting the car through.
asked [someone] for [their] papers — common border / police context
Sirin keeps her immigration papers in a locked drawer next to her passport.
immigration papers — fixed collocation
Without the right papers, the workers could not legally stay in the country.
Omar pulled out his papers when the officer flagged down the truck.
Daichi lost his papers on the train and had to visit the embassy.
- documents
more general; covers any official record, not only identity
- ID
informal; one specific card rather than a full set
- credentials
formal; emphasises proof of qualification or authority
文法句型
plural noun, often after possessive
用法筆記
Almost always plural in this sense; the singular 'paper' does not mean an ID document. Subject is usually a person carrying or showing the documents; verbs that go with it are 'show', 'check', 'ask for', 'lose'.
常見錯誤
2. newspapers in general, especially when treated as a single voice that reports or
newspapers in general, especially when treated as a single voice that reports or comments on events.
The papers ran a long story about the prime minister's hospital visit.
the papers + run / publish / report a story
Renata reads the papers every morning while she waits for the bus.
read the papers — daily-routine collocation
All the papers were full of pictures from the football final.
Nicholas saw his neighbour's name in the papers after the trial.
The Sunday papers gave the actress front-page coverage for a whole month.
- the press
broader; includes radio, TV and online news as well
- newspapers
interchangeable in this sense; slightly more formal in writing
- the media
all news channels combined, not only print
文法句型
the papers + verb
用法筆記
Always plural and almost always with 'the', even when a speaker has only one newspaper in mind — 'the papers' refers to the press as a whole, not the physical sheets.