Substitute for blue agave shows grade level based on the word’s complexity. He doesn’t know but I do. WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS? Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up.

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift. A substitute is someone or something that takes the place of another person or thing. As a verb, to substitute means to make such a switch. Substitute is used in a variety of contexts, but it is perhaps most commonly associated with substitute teachers and players in team sports who replace a player in the game.

In both cases, the word is often shortened as sub. Jones was sick today so we had a substitute. The first records of substitute come from the 1300s. Substitute teachers replace the regular teacher when they are unable to teach, typically because they are sick. A substitute usually only serves in that role for a day or two, but there are also long-term substitutes who replace a teacher for longer periods of time, such as when they’re on maternity leave.

In sports, a substitute is a player who replaces a player who is currently playing. This can be done for a number of reasons. In basketball, subs are used throughout the game to give players a break. Substitute is used in many other contexts as both a noun and a verb.

In grammar, substitute is used as a noun to refer to a word that serves as a particular kind of replacement. In chemistry, to substitute is to replace one or more elements or groups in a molecule. Substitute is synonymous with replacement, and it can appear in phrases and expressions that discuss replacing things, as in There is no substitute for hard work. What are some other forms related to substitute? What are some synonyms for substitute?