This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity. He doesn’t know but I do. WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR Substitute for rosemary? 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.