Do you stay up at night wondering which one to choose–apart or a part? I don’t either, but when you’re editing your work, you need to know the difference. These words sound the same, but they have different jobs in a sentence.
Apart is an adverb that shows how two things are separate or in pieces, part of a larger thing.
Example: Apart from the sappy ending, the movie was mostly good.
It can also be used as an adjective to show that something is isolated from something else.
Example: An athlete apart, Michael Phelps has made history with his Olympic performances.
Apart can also be used as a preposition to mean with the exception of or besides and is usually used with from.
Example: We made a side trip apart from the rest of the touring group.
A part is comprised of an article and a noun.
Example: When Anna scored the goal, she felt a part of the team.
Apart is about being separate. A part is about being one piece of a bigger puzzle.
Happy writing!
Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University and York Technical College. Her publications include three novels Irish Encounter and Mars…With Venus Rising, and Rescued Hearts as well as nonfiction articles. A member of ACFW, RWA, and SinC, she writes for SeriousWriter.com. She and her husband live in North Carolina and enjoy visits with their two daughters and twin sons. Author of Rescued Hearts , Irish Encounter, Mars…With Venus Rising.Visit Hope at www.hopetolerdougherty.com
