Difference Between Apart and A Part

Main Difference – Apart vs. A Part

Apart and a part are two words that often create trouble for us as they sound and look similar. The only visible difference between these two words is the space between ‘a’ and ‘part’ in a part. However, it is this space that changes the whole meaning of the two words. The main difference between apart and a part is that apart is an adverb meaning separated by a certain distance or time whereas a part is a noun meaning a piece of something.

What Does Apart Mean

Apart is an adverb that refers to a distance. When talking about two or more things or people, apart means separated by a specified distance in time or space.

“They ended their affair after having understood that they were pole apart.”

“The rocks fell 40 feet apart.”

“No one could drive them apart.”

“I could tell that he was an introvert from the way he was standing apart and observing others.”

When apart is followed by the preposition ‘from’, it means aside from or except for.

“Apart from one nasty incident, my holiday went by smoothly.”

“The world seems to be accusing him, apart from his parents.”

 Apart vs A Part

They were driven apart by their religions.

What Does A Part Mean

A part is made up of two words; the noun “part” and the indefinite article “a”. A part refers to a piece or a portion. It refers to an amount or section which, when combined together, form a whole of something.

“A part of England’s population is made up of Chinese people.”

“Verbs are a part of the language, perhaps the most important part.”

‘Can I have a small part of this cake?’

Remember that the indefinite article can be dropped in certain occasions. The indefinite article can be omitted when ‘part’ is not followed by an adjective.

‘He is part of this community.”

“The novel tells only part of the story.’

If you observe all the examples given above, you’ll notice that part of followed by of in all of them. One of the easiest ways to remember when to use a part is to keep in mind that part is mostly followed by of.

A part can also refer to a role given to actors, for example,

“She played the part of Desdemona in Othello.”

“He got a part in the play, but it was not an important one.”

Difference Between Apart and A Part

A part of the puzzle is missing.

Difference Between Apart and A Part

Meaning

Apart refers to a distance or a separation.

A part is similar to a piece, portion, segment. A part also refers to a role given to an actor.

Grammatical Form

Apart is an adverb.

A part is a noun preceded by an indefinite article.

Distance

Apart indicates a separation.

A part indicates a union.

Preposition

Apart is often followed by the preposition ‘from.’

A part is always followed by the preposition ‘of.’
Apart vs A Part

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