Which should you use, comprise, constitute or constitue of? The verb comprise means to consist of. The verb constitute means to form part of; the phrase constitute of is incorrect. The whole comprises the parts; the parts constitute the whole.
| Incorrect: |
Teenage boys and girls comprise 85-95% of new smokers.
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| Correct: |
Teenage boys and girls constitute 85-95% of new smokers.
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| Incorrect: |
The team constitutes of business developers, idea partners, and product developers.
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| Correct: |
The team comprises business developers, idea partners, and product developers.
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