What does briefcase mean?
Word: Briefcase
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Briefcase means a flat bag with a handle, used for carrying papers, files and documents.
How do you spell briefcase?
Syllables: brief - case
Tricky part: The first half follows the rule i before e, so write ie, not ei.
Watch out for: breifcase, briefkase, breefcase
Memory tip: Brief and chief share the same ie and the same f ending: picture the chief carrying his papers to work.
Briefcase in a sentence
Example 1: Mummy packs her laptop and files in a black briefcase every morning.
Example 2: The bank manager opened his briefcase and took out a thick folder.
Example 3: Grandpa still has the leather briefcase he carried to the office for thirty years.
Fun Fact
The word briefcase is fairly young: it came into use only about a hundred years ago, in the 1920s.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) briefcace
b) folder
c) stapler
d) envelope
Show answer
a) briefcace. The second half is spelt with an s: c-a-s-e.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
brieficase
a) f
b) i
c) c
d) s
Show answer
b) i. Nothing comes between the f and the c; the i is extra.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
sbacieefr
a) briefing
b) briefcase
c) staircase
d) bookcase
Show answer
b) briefcase. Briefing needs an n and a g, bookcase a k and two o's, and staircase a t; all nine letters make briefcase.
Word Makeup
Choose the correctly spelt compound word:
a) toothbrash
b) raincote
c) briefcase
d) newspapper
Show answer
c) briefcase. Raincoat, toothbrush and newspaper each have a slip, so briefcase is the only correct compound.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What would you usually carry in a briefcase?
a) office papers
b) a packed lunch
c) a week's clothes
d) a cricket kit
Show answer
a) office papers
2. How is a briefcase different from a school bag?
a) it is flat and holds papers
b) it has wheels for long trips
c) it is worn on the back
d) it is made of soft cloth
Show answer
a) it is flat and holds papers
