MADE OF or MADE FROM?

PRO TIP

MADE OF is used to describe the basic general material or physical characteristics of something. It does not describe a process, assembly, or change.

Examples:

"The chair is made of wood"

"The door is made of metal"

MADE FROM is used to describe the materials used to make something; these materials are changed, assembled, or processed in some way.

Examples:

"The chair is made from 3 pieces of recycled wood and a flat piece of metal" 

(different materials were processed and assembled to make the chair)

"Gasoline is made from oil"  (the oil was changed or processed to make gas)

WORDS IN CONTEXT

See if you can use the rules above to choose the correct answers.

1. Architectural concrete and structural concrete are both_________________ portland cement, aggregate, and water, but they have entirely different concrete mix designs.
   
   ANSWER

   MADE FROM (materials were processed and mixed)
2. Flashing may be_________________sheet metal, copper, lead, stainless steel, galvanized steel, or aluminum, plastic, or composite materials.
   
   ANSWER

   MADE OF (describes the properties, not the process)
3. Garden retaining walls are generally_________________small units of stone, masonry, or wood.
   
   ANSWER

   MADE FROM (walls are assembled)
4. Tempered Glass is_________________ plate glass by reheating and sudden cooling and is 3 to 5 times stronger than plate glass.
   ANSWER

   MADE FROM (materials were processed)
5. The bulb of halogen lamps is usually_________________quartz to resist high internal temperatures.
   ANSWER

   MADE OF (describes the properties, not the process)
6. Thresholds in doorways that lead to rooms with a ceramic tile floor are often_________________marble or another stone.
   
   ANSWER

   MADE OF (describes the properties, not the process)