In most cases, BEGIN and START are interchangeable.
However, there are a few cases where only START is possible.
[Tweet “START (verb) means to cause something to happen or to cause someone to pursue something.”]
START (verb) means to cause something to happen or to cause someone to pursue something. In other words, START is used to indicate when inaction turns into action.
- I will start the car in 5 minutes.
- Can you start the washing machine?
- He started a new restaurant business.
Only START can be used in the cases above.
When we’re talking about machines or business, we can only use START.
[Tweet “BEGIN means to take the first step in performing something or to come into being.”]
BEGIN means to take the first step in performing something or to come into being. BEGIN is more formal than START.
- The conference will begin at 8:00.
- We will begin the test in half an hour.
- The show is about to begin.
START can also be used in the examples above. (The conference will start at 8:00)
The main difference between START and BEGIN:
1. Only START is used when we’re talking about machines or business
2. BEGIN is used in formal cases (official proceedings).
P.S. START can be a verb and a noun. BEGIN is only a verb (beginning – noun).
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