underline

Everyday

1. To underline is to draw a line under a word or words to show they are important or to mark a title. tree →
2. To underline something is to show or stress that it is important: «the accident underlines the need for helmets». tree →

In the lessons

In school, pupils «underline the title and the date», underline key words in a question, or underline answers with a ruler. In grammar tasks, «underline the verbs» or «underline the adjectives». In maths, «underline what the question is asking». Teachers use underlining to show important ideas. Phrases: «underline with a ruler», «underline the key words».

Examples

• Underline the title with a ruler. tree →
• Underline all the nouns in the sentence. tree →
• She underlined the important words in red. tree →
• Underline the answer in your book. tree →
• His mistake underlines why we check our work. tree →
• The teacher underlined «important» twice. tree →
• Underline what the question asks before you start. tree →

Note

Past: underlined. One word. In typing, use the U button for underline. «Underline» in the second sense is like «highlight» or «stress».