Main Difference – Made Of vs. Made From
We often face difficulties when choosing the preposition that comes after ‘made’. Many prepositions can be used after the past participle of make, ‘made’. Made of, made in, made by and made from are only a few examples for this. However, the meaning of each of these prepositional phrases differs. We have to be very careful to use the appropriate phrase that suite the occasion. The main difference between made of and made from is that ‘Made of’ is used when talking about the basic materials, qualities of an object while ‘Made from’ is used when talking about the substances used in manufacturing. In this article, we are going to elaborate the difference between made of and made from and where to use them.
‘Made Of’ Meaning
We often use ‘made of’ when we are talking about the basic materials or qualities of something. It has a similar meaning to ‘composed of’ or ‘manufactured by using.’ Look at the examples below, to understand this concept better.
“This cabin is made of wood.”
“This bottle is made of glass.”
“His coat is made of leather.”
‘Made Of’ Usage
There is another way to determine the usage of ‘made of’. If the material out of which the substance is created has not undergone a change in the process of making the material, then ‘made of ‘can be used. Consider a table made of wood. Here, even though we are using the word ‘table’, the object is still wood. Material may be cut and polished, but the basic composition remains the same.
The cabin is made of wood.
‘Made From’ Meaning
‘Made from’ is also used to describe the origins of a material. We use ‘made from’ when we are talking about how something has been manufactured. For example,
“Vine is made from grapes.”
“Paper is made from trees.”
“Plastic is made from oil.”
If you observe the above sentences carefully, you’ll notice that the material or object and the substances used to make these materials are different in nature. We use ‘made from’ if the original material undergoes a significant change before becoming the final product. Here the final material does not resemble the original substance.
Cheese is made from milk.
Difference Between Made Of and Made From
Meaning of Made Of and Made From
Made of is used when talking about the basic materials, qualities of an object.
Made from is used when talking about the substances used in manufacturing.
Change Process
Made of is used if the original material has not undergone a major change before becoming the final object.
Made from is used if the original material has undergone a significant change before becoming the final object.
Resemblance
Made of is used if the final object and the original materials resemble each other or share the same chemical properties.
Made from is used if the final object and the original materials do not look alike, and chemical properties have changed.
Directness
Made of is used if the object is directly made out of something.
Made from is used when the object is not directly made out of something.
