ENGLISH
REFERENCE

contains

v.
A2 Elementary US //kənˈteɪnz// UK //kəntˈeɪnz// con·tains

v. to have something inside. You use this to describe what is in a box, a bag, or even a piece of writing.

v. to hold or have within; to be composed of or include as a part. Transitive — requires a direct object to specify the contents.


SIMPLE

The box contains old books.

CONTEXTUAL

This orange juice contains no added sugar and is made from fresh fruit.

COMPLEX

The report contains several recommendations for improving safety standards across the manufacturing sector, though it stops short of suggesting new legislation.

Synonyms
Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object. It is a stative verb, meaning it is rarely used in the continuous (-ing) form.

Pitfall

The bottle is containing water.The bottle contains water.Contain is a stative verb; it describes a state rather than an action, so it is used in the simple present rather than the continuous form.

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