Work or Works? What’s the Difference?

Vocabulary / By

The difference in using “work” or “works” will heavily impinge on whether you want to use either word as a noun or a verb. While all versions and variations will relate to some form of labor and effort, the –s at the end will make a huge difference. It will affect context, meaning, plurality, and idea conveyance.

This is going to require a solid command and understanding of what a noun is versus what a verb does in English sentence structure.

“Work” or “Works” as a Noun

As a noun, “work” or “works” refers to a body of effort or labor someone, a group of people or object put into something. You add the –s when you need to refer to “work” in the plural, which will need verb conjugation agreement.

  • Singular: His work is near and dear to his heart.
  • Plural: His works are near and dear to his heart.
  • Singular: This entire body of work is a lifelong pursuit over the course of 20 years.
  • Plural: These entire bodies of works are a lifelong pursuit over the course of 20 years.

“Work” or “Works” as a Verb

Of course, “work” and “works” can also be a verb; meaning they will describe the action performed by a subject or noun. But, the addition of the –s will depend on the conjugation.

  • I, You, They, We – WORK
  • He, She, It – WORKS

I work seven days a week.

We work at the factory down the street.

She works very hard at her job.

It works now that I fixed the stereo.

More Examples

Peruse the few examples below to see “work” and “works” as both a noun and a verb in the same sentence. This will help clarify the differences and their proper place in English sentence structure.

The works (noun) of Van Gogh work (verb) on the imagination of people to this day.

She works (verb) hard to create this beautiful body of work (noun).

Our works (noun) speak to how much we work (verb).

You work (verb) very little as evidenced by the lack of work (noun) available.

Conclusion

The difference between “work” and “works” will all depend on if you tend to use them as a noun or a verb. As a noun, it’s the product of labor or effort. As a verb, it’s the action of labor or effort.

 

Conor
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