resume
resume — verb
1. to begin doing or happening again after a gap or stop — for example, resuming a
to begin doing or happening again after a gap or stop — for example, resuming a conversation after an interruption, or resuming work after a holiday.
The meeting resumed at two o'clock after a short break for lunch.
intransitive pattern: activity resumes
Femi plans to resume his English classes next month after the summer holidays.
Diya resumed writing when her computer was fixed and she could work again.
Peace negotiations between the two countries are expected to resume in Geneva next week.
After the baby was asleep, Sofia gently resumed the conversation they had started earlier.
- restart
more informal and implies beginning from the beginning rather than continuing from where you stopped
- continue
broader meaning that works both with and without a pause; less formal than 'resume'
- recommence
formal; nearly identical in meaning to 'resume' but less common
文法句型
activity + resumes
resume + noun phrase
resume + -ing verb
用法筆記
Frequently used in formal contexts such as news reports and business communication. The intransitive pattern (the activity resumes rather than someone resumes the activity) is common when the subject is an impersonal event such as talks, negotiations, or work.
常見錯誤
2. to take up a particular position, place, or role once more — such as returning t
to take up a particular position, place, or role once more — such as returning to your seat after a break, or reclaiming your duties after a period away from work.
Ezra resumed his seat near the window after the fire drill ended.
resume + seat (physical position)
Professor Okonkwo resumed her position as head of the biology department in September.
After the short break, the musicians resumed their places on stage and continued playing.
William hopes to resume his duties as team captain once his injury has healed.
The judge resumed her position on the bench after a brief discussion with the lawyers.
- leave
to go away from a place or position, the opposite of returning to it
文法句型
resume + noun phrase (position/seat/role)
用法筆記
Takes objects that represent physical locations (seat, place) or formal roles (duties, position, post). Common in formal and official contexts. Distinguish from sense 1 (START AGAIN): sense 2's object is a position or location, not an activity.
常見錯誤
❌ 'He resumed his reading after finding his place.' (when meaning sense 2 — returning to a position) — this belongs to sense 1 (START AGAIN). Sense 2 only applies to places, positions, or statuses.
resume — noun
1. a short written or spoken account that gives only the most essential information
a short written or spoken account that gives only the most essential information from a longer document, report, or event — for instance, a one-page resume of a meeting's main decisions.
The chairperson gave a brief resume of the main decisions made during the meeting.
give a resume of + noun phrase
Piotr prepared a short resume of the key findings from the three-hundred-page report.
Each chapter begins with a resume of the arguments from the previous pages.
The news programme ended with a resume of the day's most important stories.
文法句型
a resume of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Formal; less common than 'summary' in everyday speech and writing. Often introduces the key points of a longer document or discussion. In this sense the word is sometimes written with French accents (résumé), though the plain spelling is increasingly standard.
常見錯誤
❌ 'Please send me your resume.' (when you mean a summary of a meeting, not a job application document) — This creates ambiguity. Use 'a resume of the meeting' for sense 1 (summary) or 'your resume/CV' for sense 2 (job document).
2. a formal written document that lists your education, previous jobs, and relevant
a formal written document that lists your education, previous jobs, and relevant skills, which you send to companies as part of applying for a job.
Salma updated her resume before applying for the marketing position at the tech company.
update resume (common collocation)
Employers often spend less than ten seconds looking at each resume they receive.
Mert attached his resume and a cover letter to the job application email.
A good resume should show your skills and work experience on two pages or fewer.
The company received over two hundred resumes for just one accounting job.
- CV
standard term in British English and academic contexts; typically longer and more detailed than a resume
- curriculum vitae
the full Latin form of CV; very formal
- job application
broader term that includes the resume, cover letter, and any other required documents
文法句型
send/submit/update your resume
a resume for a job
用法筆記
In American English, 'resume' is the standard term for this document. In British English, 'CV' (short for curriculum vitae) is more common. In formal or academic contexts in the US, a 'CV' is a longer, more detailed document than a resume.
常見錯誤
❌ 'I wrote a resume of the conference.' (when you mean a summary of events) — This uses the word in the 'summary' sense but the context suggests the job-document sense. Use 'a summary of the conference' or 'a report on the conference' to avoid confusion.
❌ 'My resume is two pages long and includes a resume of my volunteer work.' — Avoid using 'resume' to mean both the document and the summary within the same sentence.