What’s the difference between a library and bookshop?

This week we are looking at different buildings associated with books: library and bookshop or bookstore.

library

function playAudio(url) { new Audio(url).play(); }

A library is a building where books are kept that people can look at or borrow.

You can borrow the book from your local library.

A library is also a private collection of books, or a room in a large house where books are kept.

I once stayed in one of his houses and saw his library.

bookshop

function playAudio(url) { new Audio(url).play(); }

In Britain, a shop where you can buy books is called a bookshop.

I went into the bookshop to buy a present for my son.

bookstore

function playAudio(url) { new Audio(url).play(); }

In America, it is called a bookstore.

My wife works in a bookstore.

Find out more in our English Usage article.

This blogpost is based on Collins COBUILD English Usage, written for learners of English. For more examples of English usage points, please visit:  https://grammar.collinsdictionary.com/english-usage.

All opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company, HarperCollins.

Related Articles

Other Articles

Irregular verbs in English

Irregular verbs are verbs that do not form the past simple tense and the past participle by adding -ed to the base form. There are three main groups of irregular verbs in English. In Group A, the base form, the past simple and the past participle are the same: The base form, e.g. put The… Read More

Regular verb forms in English

English verbs have up to five different forms. These are: the base form, e.g. pull the 3rd person singular, present simple tense, e.g. pulls the past simple tense, e.g. pulled the past participle, e.g. pulled the present participle, e.g. pulling Regular verbs are all formed in the same way, by building… Read More

Contractions of auxiliary verbs in English

Auxiliary verbs very often used in contracted forms. Contracted forms are more informal than full forms. They are therefore more common in spoken English. Full forms are usually preferred in formal written English. In the case of be and have, the contracted form can involve linking the subject and the auxiliary verb into… Read More