What is Start? The usage of Start in English

Do you know how to use Start accurately and fluently in communication and English exams? In today’s article, PREP will explore the details of Start in English, from its definition to its usage and specific exercises with answers. Let’s take a look!

I. What is Start in English?

Start is pronounced /stɑːrt/ and serves as both a noun and a verb in English. The Start meaning in English is:

• As a verb, Start means "to begin to do something or go somewhere, or to begin or happen". For example:

  • A new song will start on Tuesday nights. 

  • Ticket prices start from 150 USD and go up to 230 USD. 

  • When does Anna start her plan?

  • Jenny started learning Math in 2006.

  • Peter had just started to do the housework when the phone rang. 

• As a noun, Start means "the beginning of something; an occasion when you are a competitor in a race or one of the team members that plays at the beginning of a game". For example:

  • Harry announced the start of a new campaign. 

  • John likes this prom from start to finish.

  • Rose stood near me at the start of the race.

II. The structure of Start in English grammar

Next, PREP will guide you on how to use Start in English!

1. Start + N

This structure means to begin something. For example:

• John will start his new job next week.

• Should we start this match?

• The teacher allowed our team to start the experiment. 

2. Start + V-ing/To V

In this case, this structure means to begin doing something. For example:

• Jenny started to build/building her house in September. 

• Last month Anna started to learn/learning Japanese. 

• Everyday at 5 am, it starts to rain/raining. 

3. Special case of Start

If a machine or vehicle starts, it begins to work or operate. For example:

• Anna’s phone didn’t seem to start no matter how hard she tried. 

• My phone can’t start because it is out of battery. 

III. Phrasal verbs combined with Start in English

Let’s explore the list of phrasal verbs combined with Start in English below!

IV. Notes when using Start in English

Please pay attention to the following when using Start in English:

• Start can directly accompany a noun.

• It can be used with both V-ing and to V.

• When the subject is a thing, Start will be used with to V.

• The "Start to V" structure emphasizes that something is beginning to happen.

• If Start is in the continuous tense, the verb following it should use "to V" instead of "V-ing." For example: The atmosphere is starting to be tense.

V. Distinguishing between Start and Begin

To easily differentiate between Start and Begin in English, let’s look at the comparison table below:

VI. Exercises on using Start in English with answers

To better understand the usage of Start in English, let’s complete the exercises below with PREP!

1. Exercise

Exercise 1: Complete the following sentences with Start based on the given prompts

1. Jenny/saved up/money/start/supermarket.

2. Anna/expected/start/new/strategy/would work out.

3. Come on/film/start/in 15 minutes.

4. Rose/is starting/perform/better/last time.

5. They/the/started/project/the/at/this/9am/morning. 

Exercise 2: Conjugate the appropriate verbs for the following sentences

1. John is starting (understand) _____ what his teacher is conveying.

2. He started his (researcher) _____ in June.

3. Harry started (argue) _____ an hour ago.

4. They started (play)_____ soccer together last year.

5. This movie is fascinating from start (finish)_____.

2. Answer

The above is all the knowledge about the usage of Start in English that you need to master for fluent communication and effective exercise completion.