What's the main difference between "rip" and "tear"? Are they interchangeable?

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

They are interchangeable! I'd say the one difference is that rip has more of a violent or harsh action connected to it. "Tear" can also be violent and harsh, but it's also used for less violent and smaller actions. Ex: I tore off a piece of paper from your notebook for the shopping list. Ex: My jeans are ripped from riding my skateboard every day. Ex: I'm going to tear up all my letters from him when I get home! Ex: Martin already ripped up the document. What do we do now?

How do native speakers use this expression?

Share this post

Popular Q&As

10/04

1
What's the main difference between "glow" and "shine"?
"Glow" means that the light is illuminating from something as if heated. Whereas "shine" is light that comes from something or is about the surface of an object. They can sometimes both mean to emit light. In this case, if something is "shining", it's usually more intense than a "glow". Ex: There was a warm glow around the fire that night, and the stars were shining. Ex: My phone screen was shining so bright in my face. Ex: Her eyes were glowing. Ex: Natalie's shoes were so shiny.

2
Is it common to put "man" next someone's name?
No, it is not generally common to put "man" next to someone's name, however, it is common to use "man" by itself as a way for a male to address another male in a friendly way. In this case, however, "Pan Man" seems to be a nickname given to Panda simply because it rhymes. Here's an example of using "man" to address someone: Ex: Hey man, do you have any cash?

3
Is "cool" used as an adjective? What does "cool" mean? Which situation can I use this expression?
"Cool" is a great adjective to know because it is appropriate to use in many different casual situations. It can be used to say that something is nice, good, trendy, or looks great. Ex: This shirt looks really cool (great). Ex: I like BlackPink. They have a cool (trendy, nice) sense of style. It can also be used as an expression of agreement, like "sure" or "okay." Ex: A: Is it okay if we meet tomorrow instead of today? B: I'm cool with that. (I'm okay with that.) Ex: A: Ross is coming over today. B: Cool. (Sure.)

4
What's "work ethic" mean?
"Work ethic" is the manner or way in which you do your work to strengthen your character and abilities. It's a set of morals regarding work such as responsibility, discipline, strategy, dedication, cooperation, and many more. Ex: I always admired her work ethic in class. Ex: He doesn't have a great work ethic. I'm not sure how helpful he'll be with this project. Ex: I need to work on my work ethic to be more productive.

5
Could you introduce some other expressions I can use instead of "gonna work"?
Expressions you can use instead of "it's gonna work" are "it will be successful" and "it is going to succeed". Ex: I don't know how our business will be successful unless we work hard. Ex: Our plan is going to succeed if we try harder.

Complete the expression with a quiz!