comment
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.something you say or write to express an opinion or explain something.
n.a spoken or written remark that expresses an opinion, reaction, or explanation.
Simple“The teacher wrote a helpful comment at the bottom of my essay.”
In context“The minister declined to make a public comment regarding the ongoing investigation until all the facts were verified.”
UsageOften takes the prepositions 'on' or 'about'.
PitfallHe made a comment about that I was late. He made a comment about me being late.The noun 'comment' is usually followed by 'on' or 'about' plus a noun phrase, not a 'that' clause.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a note in computer code that explains what the code does but is ignored by the computer.
n.a remark embedded in source code intended for human readers and ignored by the compiler or interpreter.
Simple“I added a comment to the code so my teammate would understand why I changed the function.”
In context“The developer was criticised for failing to include comments in the legacy code, making maintenance nearly impossible for the new team.”
Synonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
v.to say or write something to give your opinion about a situation.
v.to express an opinion or reaction in speech or writing.
Simple“The celebrity refused to comment on the rumors about her private life.”
In context“Economists have commented extensively on the potential impact of the new trade agreement on local manufacturing.”
UsageIntransitive use usually requires the preposition 'on'.
Teacher's tipLearners often forget the 'on' after the verb; remind them it is 'comment on something' rather than 'comment something'.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to add explanatory notes to computer code or to turn code into a note so it does not run.
v.to insert explanatory remarks into source code or to disable code by converting it into a comment.
Simple“You should comment your code as you write it to help others read it later.”
In context“The engineer decided to comment out the experimental block of code rather than deleting it entirely.”
UsageOften used in the phrasal verb 'comment out'.
Synonymsannotatedocument
Usage comments section · comment an update · comments relevant
From Middle English coment, comment, from Old French coment (“commentary”), from Late Latin commentum (“comment, interpretation”), from Classical Latin commentum (“invention, fabrication”).
From Middle English commenten, comenten, from Latin commentārī (“to consider thoroughly, think over, discuss, write upon”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.