Cool MateSeparate vs There's nothing that links them
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Separate
Top 1,000 (very common)A2adjective
There's nothing that links them
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Most common: Separate
| Separate | There's nothing that links them | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈseprət/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈseprət/"]/ | 🇬🇧 //ðeəz ˈnʌθɪŋ ðæt lɪŋks ðɛm//🇺🇸 //ðɛrz ˈnʌθɪŋ ðæt lɪŋks ðɛm// |
| Meaning | To put things apart from each other. | There are no connections between them. |
| Example | It's important to keep the separate components of the experiment organized. | The players did not communicate well; there's nothing that links them on the field. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 1,000 (very common) | Top 5,000 (fairly common) |
| CEFR level | A2 | - |
| Part of speech | adjective | |
| Collocations | be, become, remain, somewhat, very, essentially, from, go your separate ways, be, become, remain, somewhat, very, essentially, from, go your separate ways | link them, links between, nothing that connects, kind of links, links at all |
| Antonyms | combine, join, unite | - |
| Common mistakes | 'Seperate' is a common misspelling., 'Separating' is sometimes incorrectly used with a direct object when it should not be. | Using 'link' instead of 'links' when referring to multiple connections., 'There’s' sometimes incorrectly expanded to 'There is' which alters the informal tone. |
| Usage notes | Use 'separate' when discussing dividing items or concepts. It's neutral, suitable for both written and spoken contexts. Avoid in overly casual conversations. | Use in informal discussions or when describing a lack of connection between ideas or people. Avoid in academic writing. |
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Frequently asked questions: Separate vs There's nothing that links them
What's the difference between Separate and There's nothing that links them?
Separate: To put things apart from each other. There's nothing that links them: There are no connections between them.
Which is more common: Separate and There's nothing that links them?
Separate is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Separate: It's important to keep the separate components of the experiment organized. There's nothing that links them: The players did not communicate well; there's nothing that links them on the field.
Can I use Separate and There's nothing that links them interchangeably?
Not always. Separate and There's nothing that links them are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.