They made big lanterns from/out of paper and let them float into the sky.

Question

They made big lanterns from/out of paper and let them float into the sky.Does "from" fit in the above equally well as "out of?" If not, why not? Thanks.

Hoa Thai · Accepted Answer

AngliholicThey made big lanterns from/out of paper and let them float into the sky.

Does "from" fit in the above equally well as "out of?" If not, why not? Thanks.

Hi,

'Out of' means from inside. Therefore, somebody might argue against using it.

I, myself, think both are fine. If you do not feel comfortable, here is a site for you to validate: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper

Clive · Answer

Hi,

They made big lanterns from/out of paper and let them float into the sky.

Does "from" fit in the above equally well as "out of?" If not, why not? Thanks.

'Out of' means from inside. Therefore, somebody might argue against using it. 'Perhaps you are thinking of a phrase like 'he came out of the house'. That's a different kind of usage than we have here.

Here, 'made out of' really means 'constructed from'. 'Out of ' is similar to 'from'. However, I would say that it stresses the idea of transforming a material from one shape or form to another.

eg Her necklace was gold. Her necklace was made of gold. These focus on the idea that the necklace was 'yellow and shiny and valuable'. Her necklace was made out of gold adds the idea that someone took raw gold and transformed it into a necklace.

'Out of' is commonly used in this way. To me, it sounds fine to say They made big lanterns out of paper and let them float into the sky.

Best wishes, Clive

Hoa Thai · Answer

CliveHi,

They made big lanterns from/out of paper and let them float into the sky.

Does "from" fit in the above equally well as "out of?" If not, why not? Thanks.

'Out of' means from inside. Therefore, somebody might argue against using it. 'Perhaps you are thinking of a phrase like 'he came out of the house'. That's a different kind of usage than we have here.

Here, 'made out of' really means 'constructed from'. 'Out of ' is similar to 'from'. However, I would say that it stresses the idea of transforming a material from one shape or form to another.

eg Her necklace was gold. Her necklace was made of gold. These focus on the idea that the necklace was 'yellow and shiny and valuable'. Her necklace was made out of gold adds the idea that someone took raw gold and transformed it into a necklace.

'Out of' is commonly used in this way. To me, it sounds fine to say They made big lanterns out of paper and let them float into the sky.

Best wishes, Clive

Hi Clive,

As I stated in my previous post, they are both fine.

I was a bit concerned about the misinterpretation of 'out of' according to a definition from a dictionary. Thus, I quoted a source to show the usage of "made out of paper" is valid.

They made big lanterns from/out of paper and let them float into the sky.

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