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TOEIC Link Part 5: comprise versus compose

The whole comprises the parts; the parts compose the whole. Comprise means to consist of and takes no of; compose means to make up and is often used in the passive as is composed of. Part 5 tests the direction of the relationship and the preposition that follows.

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TOEIC Link Part 5: comprise versus compose

Comprise and compose describe the same part-and-whole relationship from opposite ends, and the preposition that follows is where Part 5 sets its trap. Comprise means to consist of and is used by the whole, with no of after it; compose means to make up and is most often used in the passive, is composed of, by the whole as well. Because the two verbs overlap in meaning but differ in structure, Part 5 rewards the reader who checks the direction and the preposition. For another pair where the grammar slot is identical but the structure decides the answer, see industrious versus industrial.

The core rule: consist of versus make up

  • comprise (verb) = to consist of, to be made up of. The whole is the subject, and no of follows. The committee comprises ten members. / The report comprises four sections.
  • compose (verb) = to make up, to form. The parts are the subject in the active voice; the whole uses the passive is composed of. Ten members compose the committee. / The committee is composed of ten members.

The memory hook: comprise already contains the idea of "of," so adding of is redundant — never write comprised of in careful business English. Compose, by contrast, needs the of in its common passive form: is composed of.

Why Part 5 likes this pair

The blank sits between a whole and its parts, and the surrounding preposition tells you which verb fits.

The board __ five executives and two outside advisers.

The whole (the board) is the subject with no of after the blank, so the answer is comprises.

The board is __ of five executives and two outside advisers.

The passive frame _is __ of signals the answer is composed.

Spotting the clue in the structure

Look at the subject and the preposition:

  • The whole is the subject and no of follows the blank → choose comprises (The package comprises three services.).
  • The parts are the subject in active voice → choose compose (Three services compose the package.).
  • The frame is is / are ___ of → choose composed (The package is composed of three services.).

The single most common error the test baits is comprised of. If you see _is __ of, the answer is composed, not comprised; if you see the whole followed directly by its parts, the answer is comprises with no preposition. For another pair where a small structural signal flips the correct choice, see eminent versus imminent.

Quick self-check

  1. The training program __ six modules delivered over three weeks. (comprises — whole as subject, no of)
  2. The training program is __ of six modules delivered over three weeks. (composed — passive frame _is __ of)

Takeaway

If the whole is the subject and no of follows, choose comprises. If the frame is _is __ of, choose composed. Treat comprised of as a trap answer — careful business writing uses either comprises or is composed of, never a blend of the two.