compose
compose — verb
1. to write music, poetry, or other works that require careful thought and skill, s
to write music, poetry, or other works that require careful thought and skill, such as formal letters or essays
Emre composed a short piece for piano to play at his best friend's wedding.
compose + piece of music
The poet composed a beautiful sonnet about the changing of the seasons.
compose + poetic work
Reema composed a formal letter of complaint to the company's head office.
Many songwriters compose their best melodies late at night when the house is quiet.
Felix spent three months composing a symphony for the city's annual music festival.
文法句型
compose + music/poem/letter
compose (intransitive, as a profession)
用法筆記
Unlike 'write', which works for any kind of writing, 'compose' suggests a careful, deliberate creative process. It is most common with music, poetry, and formal correspondence.
常見錯誤
2. to be formed or made up of particular parts, elements, or people — used in the p
to be formed or made up of particular parts, elements, or people — used in the passive form 'be composed of'
The committee is composed of twelve members from different departments across the university.
be composed of + group members
Water is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
be composed of + chemical elements
The student council is composed of elected representatives from each year group in the school.
Pedro's presentation was composed of three main sections, each with clear examples and data.
The orchestra is composed of musicians from over fifteen different countries around the world.
- consist of
more common in everyday language, same structure
- be made up of
informal, common in spoken English
- comprise
more formal, similar meaning
文法句型
be composed of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Always used in the passive structure 'be composed of'. The active counterpart (sense 3) reverses the subject and object: the parts become the subject.
常見錯誤
3. to form a larger unit as the parts or elements that make it up — for instance, t
to form a larger unit as the parts or elements that make it up — for instance, the different age groups that compose a town's population
Women compose more than half of the university's teaching staff this year.
parts + compose + whole group
Solar and wind power now compose nearly a third of the region's electricity supply during the summer months.
Volunteers compose the majority of the rescue team that handles mountain emergencies.
People under age thirty compose about a third of the town's total population.
Māori communities compose about seventeen percent of New Zealand's total population.
- constitute
formal, interchangeable in most cases
- form
general, less formal
- make up
informal, common in spoken English
文法句型
noun (parts) + compose + noun (whole)
用法筆記
The active counterpart of 'be composed of' (sense 2). The parts form the subject of the sentence. Not used in the passive.
常見錯誤
4. to calm your inner feelings of nervousness, anger, or worry so that you feel qui
to calm your inner feelings of nervousness, anger, or worry so that you feel quiet and in control again
Lara took a deep breath and closed her eyes to compose herself before the interview.
compose + reflexive pronoun (oneself)
After the heated argument, Ilan sat down quietly and tried to compose his thoughts.
compose + thoughts / mind
The teacher asked the noisy class to compose themselves before the test began.
Ayana counted to ten slowly, trying to compose herself after the frightening phone call.
Christopher walked outside to compose himself after hearing the shocking news from his boss.
- calm down
phrasal verb, more informal and common in everyday speech
- collect oneself
idiomatically similar, focus on gathering one's thoughts
- settle
broader meaning, can apply to situations as well as people
- agitate
to make someone feel worried or angry
文法句型
compose + reflexive pronoun
用法筆記
Used only reflexively with 'compose + oneself' or 'compose + one's thoughts/mind'. The focus is on the internal feeling of calm returning.
常見錯誤
5. to arrange your face, voice, or body language so that you appear calm in front o
to arrange your face, voice, or body language so that you appear calm in front of others, even if you still feel upset inside
Walid composed his face into a neutral expression before opening the meeting room door.
compose + face/expression
Apinya took a moment to compose herself after the difficult phone call before returning to the dinner table.
compose oneself + return after an upsetting event
Despite his anger, Sora composed his voice and answered the question very calmly.
The actor paused to compose his features before stepping onto the brightly lit stage.
Trang composed her expression carefully so no one would know she had been crying earlier.
- collect oneself
idiomatic, similar emphasis on regaining control
- steady oneself
suggests physical as well as emotional control
- control oneself
broader, emphasis on restraint
- lose one's composure
to become visibly upset or agitated
文法句型
compose + reflexive pronoun/expression/features/voice
用法筆記
Also reflexive, but unlike sense 4, the focus is on controlling the OUTWARD appearance — your face, voice, or expression — rather than the internal feeling. The person may still feel upset inside.
6. to put text, pictures, and other elements into an ordered page layout for a prin
to put text, pictures, and other elements into an ordered page layout for a printed book, magazine, newspaper, or digital publication
The designer composed the newspaper page using professional layout software on her computer.
compose + page / newspaper layout
Before printing the book, the editor composed each page with careful attention to spacing.
Students in the publishing class learned how to compose a document using digital layout tools.
Yan composed the brochure by arranging photos and text blocks in a clean modern style.
The graphic designer composed the magazine spread with images placed alongside short articles.
文法句型
compose + page/document/text/layout
用法筆記
A technical term from traditional printing and desktop publishing. In modern everyday conversation, 'lay out' or 'design' is more common than 'compose'.