/ˈpætən/
Translation
Shapes or colours that repeat in a regular way, or a way that something happens again and again.
Word origin
From Old French patron meaning a model to copy, from Latin patronus. English split the spelling into patron and pattern.
- Origin
- Old French
- Root
- patron
- English cognates
- patron
Grammar
Examples
.
The flowers repeat, and that repeating is the pattern.
.
A pattern can also be a drawing you copy.
.
Things that happen in a regular order make a pattern too.
Used in
Grammar articles
(39)Adjective order in English: opinion, size, age, shape, colour, origin, material, purpose
Advanced articles in English: the zero article, the with names and places, and go to school vs go to the school
Articles in English: a, an, the and the zero article
As vs like in English: swims like a fish, works as a waiter, and the truth about like I said
Both, either and neither in English: the two-of-something words, agreement traps, and Me neither
Causative have and get in English: have something done, get something done and having someone do it
Cleft sentences in English: it was X who, what I need is, and how to move the emphasis
Compound nouns in English: car park, coffee cup, and why GREENhouse is not green HOUSE
Conditional sentences in English: the four types explained
Countable and uncountable nouns in English: advice, information, news and the ones you simply have to learn
Discourse markers in English: well, anyway, actually, mind you and by the way
Dummy subjects in English: it's raining, there's a problem, and why the subject slot is never empty
Emphasis in English: I do like it, my own, the very, and how to push back
For, since, already, yet and still in English: which word, and where it goes in the sentence
Future in the past: was going to, would, was about to, and the grammar of plans that failed
Gradable and ungradable adjectives: why very furious sounds wrong, and which intensifier goes where
Hedging and vague language in English: sort of, a bit, -ish, stuff and or so
Indirect questions in English: Could you tell me where the station is, and the word order that goes with it
Inversion and word order in English: the subject-verb-object spine and when it flips
Irregular verbs in English: the full list by pattern
Mixed conditionals in English: past causes with present results, and present causes with past results
Nominalisation in English: arrive becomes arrival, decide becomes decision, and why written English turns actions into things
Advanced passive structures in English: the get-passive, it is said that, and passives with two objects
Passive voice in English: rules, examples and when to use it
Past modals in English: should have, could have, must have and might have
Prepositions in English: place, time and movement explained
Present continuous tense: form, spelling and uses
Present perfect continuous: have been doing, and how it differs from the present perfect
Present simple tense: rules, examples and when to use it
Question tags in English: the mirror rule, aren't I, and tags after let's and imperatives
Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns in English: myself, yourself, each other, and when English does not bother
Reported speech in English: backshift, questions and commands
Reporting verbs in English: admit, deny, suggest, promise, and the pattern welded to each one
So, such, too and enough in English: words of degree and result
The subjunctive and the unreal past in English: I suggest he go, if I were you, and it's time we left
Time clauses in English: when, while, as soon as, until, before and after
Verb patterns with objects in English: want somebody to do, make somebody do, and see somebody doing
Wish and if only in English: wish + past, wish + past perfect, wish + would, and why I wish I would is wrong
Word formation in English: how suffixes build word families and give away the part of speech
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Go to my review queueThis word is part of lesson 40.