What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
quarried
Example
The company quarried marble from the nearby quarry. [quarried: past tense]
Example
The workers were busy quarreling the large blocks of granite. [quarrying: present participle]
dig
Example
I dug a hole in the backyard to plant a tree. [dug: past tense]
Example
The archaeologists were digging for artifacts at the ancient site. [digging: present participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Dig is more commonly used than quarry in everyday language. Dig is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while quarry is less common and refers to a specific type of material extraction.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between quarried and dig?
While quarry is typically associated with a more formal or technical tone, dig is more versatile and can be employed in various formality levels, allowing it to be used in both formal and informal contexts.