Apart vs. A Part – How to Use Each Correctly

/ September 24, 2017/ Usage

apart versus a part

What’s the Difference Between Apart and A Part?

Apart and a part have the same pronunciation, but they have different definitions and grammatical rules. Therefore, you cannot interchange the two.

Apart primarily acts as an adverb that can mean into pieces or separately. It can also be part of the phrasal verb take apart.

  • The young girl loves to take her toys apart to see how they work.

A part is actually two words. The first word is the article a, which refers to a single, indefinite object. The second word is the noun part, which means piece of a whole.

  • In the popular fairy tale, the mermaid was so in love with the human prince. She simply wanted to be a part of his world.

Let’s look at some further details about this word and phrase in order to help you avoid making any errors.

Using Apart in a Sentence

When to use apart: Apart is usually an adverb, but it can also act as an adjective. It also appears as part of the phrasal verb take apart and the prepositional phrase apart from. It refers to something that is in pieces or that is separate from something else.

For example,

  • These cookies are a disaster. All the pieces are crumbling apart. (adverb)
  • All the students graduated into the next grade, apart from Stacy Dunbar, who failed. (prepositional phrase)
  • After living on an Amish farm, life in the big city of Philadelphia seemed like it was a world apart. (adjective)
  • Don’t take apart your computer or you’ll void the warranty. (phrasal verb)

Apart comes from the Old French expression meaning to the side.

Using A Part in a Sentence

When to use a part: A part refers to a single, indeterminate piece of something. If it is an exact part, you could use the part.

For example,

  • Scotland is a part of the United Kingdom, although it wasn’t always.
  • Being flexible is a big part of being a dancer. (here a part is separated by an adjective, big)

Part can refer to any portion or division of a whole.

Remembering Apart vs. A Part

You can use the spelling of each word, specifically the space or lack of a space, to help you remember which is which.

Apart has no space because it functions as an adverb. Like most other adverbs, it has no space. Some other examples of adverbs without a space include quickly and happily.

A part does have a space because it is two words. It is a single, countable noun (part) preceded by the determiner a. A can precede any indefinite, countable object that doesn’t begin with a vowel sound. Other examples include a cat, a table, and a pizza.

Outside Examples

  • The Thornton triceratops, likely a young adult, died on a dry land surface, falling apart over time in a way similar to a cow lying in a field. –Denver Post
  • John Michael Vasquez, 42, of Bellflower was arrested on Wednesday, Aug. 30 in Tijuana. Vasquez is suspected of robbing two Chevron gas stations two-days apart earlier this month. –OC Register
  • “They are still a part of the Chicago White Sox as a team, and that cannot be lost,” Renteria said. –Chicago Sun Times
  • It makes me think that people, first, are taking the time to make sense of an all-too-complicated program, and second, are recognizing how large a part these benefits will play in their lives. –Wall Street Journal

Quiz: A part vs. Apart

Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the correct word, a part or apart in the correct form.

  • _______________ from John, everyone in the fraternity wants to have a Christmas party.
  • It’s important to keep my dog and cat ____________ because they always get into a fight when they are in the same room.
  • I can’t eat this whole pizza. You’ll have to eat _______________ of it.

See answers below.

Article Summary

Should I use apart or a part? This word and phrase are similar in pronunciation and can even both refer to the idea of being separate. However, you can never use these two interchangeably.

  • Apart can act as an adverb, adjective, part of the phrasal verb take apart, or part of the prepositional phrase apart from. It relates to being separate from or in pieces or parts.
  • A part is a determiner and a noun that means an indefinite portion of a whole.

Be aware of which meaning you wish to convey so that you can follow the appropriate grammatical rules.

Answers

  • Apart
  • apart
  • a part