What's the Difference Between 'Left over' and 'Leftover'?
In this blog post we look at when to use left over and when to use leftover.
'Left over' or 'Leftover'?
"Leftover" and "left over" are two different phrases with the same meaning.
They both refer to something that remains after the majority has been used or consumed. For example, food that remains uneaten after a meal, or money that is left unspent after bills have been paid.
"Leftover" can be used as an adjective or a noun. As an adjective it is used to describe something that remains after use and as a noun it refers directly to an object that remains unused.
"Left over" is used as an adverbial phrase, indicating the action of something remaining after use.
In terms of usage, "leftover" is more commonly used in written and spoken language. It is considered more colloquial and informal than "left over". While "left over" is considered more formal.
For example, "I had some leftover pizza from last night's dinner" is more common than "I had some pizza that was left over from last night's dinner."
It's important to note that "leftover" and "left over" have the same meaning and can be used interchangeably in most cases. However, the context and tone of the sentence may require the use of one over the other.
In conclusion, "leftover" and "left over" are two different phrases with the same meaning. "Leftover" can be used as an adjective or noun and "left over" is a two-word phrase, used as an adverbial phrase.
Both can be used interchangeably, but "leftover" is considered more colloquial and informal, while "left over" is considered more formal.
Here are some examples of “left over” and “leftover” used in context:
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"I had some leftover pizza from last night's dinner" (leftover used as adjective)
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"I had some pizza that was left over from last night's dinner" (left over used as an adverbial phrase)
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"I'll save the leftovers for tomorrow's lunch" (leftovers used as a plural noun)
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"There's some paint left over from the last project, should we save it?" (left over used as an adverbial phrase)
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"I love to make recipes with my leftovers" (leftover used as noun in plural form)
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"I always have left over money at the end of the month" (left over used as an adverbial phrase)
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"I froze the leftover soup for later" (leftover used as an adjective)
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"I'll use the yarn that was left over for a small project" (left over used as an adverbial phrase)
