construction

Everyday

1. Construction is the work of building things such as houses, roads and bridges. tree →
2. A construction is something that has been built, or a structure made of parts. tree →
3. In grammar, a construction is the way words are put together. tree →
4. In maths, a construction is a drawing made exactly with a ruler and compass. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and safety: construction sites are dangerous — keep out, watch for machines, and obey signs. In science and technology lessons, children build constructions from straws, card or blocks. In maths, «constructions» are accurate drawings of shapes and angles. Phrases: «under construction», «construction site», «construction worker», «construction paper».

Examples

• The new library is still under construction. tree →
• Never play on a construction site. tree →
• Construction workers wear hard hats and bright vests. tree →
• Our tower of spaghetti and marshmallows was a wobbly construction. tree →
• We used coloured construction paper to make the cards. tree →
• The road is closed for construction. tree →
• In maths we did a construction of a triangle with a compass. tree →
• Lego is a construction toy. tree →
• Architecture next engaged his attention, and in 1657 he designed a house at Viry for his brother and supervised its construction. tree →

Note

Uncountable for the work («a lot of construction»), countable for a built thing («strange constructions»). From the verb «construct» (to build). «Under construction» means it is being built and not finished. In a problem, it often goes with costs, numbers of bricks, days of work: read what is being counted.