The Student Room Group
Reply 1
On 10 Jul 2002 15:18:03 -0700, [email protected] (M_RUDKY) wrote:

[q1]>I feel confused when using the "developing" and "development". Would anyone tell me the difference[/q1]
[q1]>between them.\?[/q1]

The words are related but are not always used in conjunction. For instance--

"I am developing some new software," or "I am developing a picture," refers to the act of innovative
creation. It means more than just making something, it usually means making something new that
hasn't been made before.

It is not usual to refer to the software I developed or the picture I developed as a development
however. You'd think it would be logical to say that, but often the word isn't used that way.
Software is software and a picture is a picture, not a development.

"We await developments," means that we are waiting to see what happens. "One of the developments of
the September 11th disaster was a general tightening of airport security," is another example of the
use of that word. A development in this sense is a significant consequence.

Strangely, building a group of houses results in what we call a development, even though we say the
houses are being built or constructed, not developed. The whole group of houses however is referred
to as a developing development.

On the other hand sometimes developing something does result in a development. On a chess board, a
developing opening results in a good or bad development according to the skill of the player.

Often the only way to learn such usages is by rote. There are often no nice clear, concise rules to
go by in English usage.