When I first looked at the words, I thought "They all mean the same thing", but they don't. Example. For a task: Completed means that the task has been accomplished. That everything has been done. "We have completed the new bridge" Finished means that the final elements of the task have been completed. Other work on the task was done before the final work. "The Bridge was finished last week" Ended means that the task was stopped, or for some other reason ceased at a particular time. "Repair works ended on the bridge on the 23rd August"
Explains only two. How about all three comparatively? Btw, I had seen Samsundar's explanation a few days ago, but it still nagged me. I also added the third term. How about this? After I had one son and one daughter my family was completed. [Note the sense of being fulfilled]. After his family was killed in an accident he felt his life was finished. [Note the sense of being deprived]. After getting the news of family wiped he ended his life. [A sense of an irreversible finality].
Interesting. You are using a different definition of finished to mine, but neither is wrong I think. My "finished" is the past participle of finishing. Ending a process. There is also a definition which means dispensing with something. "She finished with me" There could be many more subtle variations of meaning, depending on the context.
Lol @ kellygram Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Now, I will never forget how to utilize these words properly after reading that!
As I understand it, they are related to different outcomes. The carpenter ended his work on the house so we had to find another. The plumber completed his job so the electrical crew moved in. The house was finished.
Time defined processes or activities, things taking place through time and/or until a certain time, are ended. A single, unitary, coherent task or construction defined by a time-independent state is finished. Collections of things forming a pre-defined set are completed. The word chosen for the event of being over or done or whatever changes the meaning of the reference - changes the point of view of the narrator. So one finishes a table (note the pun, meaningful, in that the last step involves the table as a whole), the finished table completes the dining room set, and at the completion of the dining room set one's job ends. Or one completes a table (the implication is that the last of four legs was bolted on or something like that - an arrangement now has all its components in place), that ends the dining room set - now seen as an activity one was performing for a while in one's life, "set" read as a series of doings, the reference vaguely humorous as if there had been a time of no light in the tunnel, and one has finished the job - now seen as a unitary structure with pre-defined state or goal independent of time, achieved.
Finished can also mean something positive. In engineering, the finishing process cleans any dirt or burrs from the job, and leaves it smooth, shining and ready for despatch. It is "finished" Also, there is the phrase, "The Finished Product". Again positive. Odd that. "This is the finished product" and "This product is finished" have very different meanings.
There may not be much difference but you can soon see that some choices just don't seem correct. The house was finished sounds OK The house was ended Never heard of that! The house was completed not too bad either. Finished is the best for some of the final work to a house is the "finishing" the finer detailed work. But for payment of the last installment the builder will remind you the work on the house was "completed" on such a date.
Not always.... The relationship ended last week. Never have I seen a relationship end in neutrality. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Very good.Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Have you seen MR's Poltergeist Video. It is very frightening.
