verb
BAD : The former Soviet Union comprised of fifteen union republics.
GOOD : The former Soviet Union comprised fifteen union republics.
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CONTAIN · INCLUDE · ENCLOSE · CONSIST OF · COMPRISE · BE COMPOSED OF · BE MADE UP OF
Contain Use contain (1) when you say what a box, bottle, bag etc has inside it. ‘The bag contained some old clothes.’
(2) when you mention one or more of the things that something is made of or has in it: ‘Water contains hydrogen and oxygen.’ ‘The film contained a number of violent scenes.’
Include If something includes another thing, it has it as one of its parts: ‘The holiday package includes a two-day cruise along the Rhine.’ ‘The price includes a small charge for postage and packing.’
Enclose Use enclose when you tell someone what you are putting in the envelope or parcel that you are sending them: ‘I’m enclosing a copy of the book review that you asked for.’
Consist of, comprise (formal) be composed of, be made up of When you mention all the parts that something has in it, use consist of/comprise/be composed of/be made up of : ‘The book consists of six chapters and a brief introduction.’ ‘The earth’s atmosphere is composed mainly of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide.’ ‘The house comprises two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room.’ ‘The US government is made up of two legislative assemblies.’ Note that you will sometimes see comprised of two separate packages. ‘ Most careful users consider this to be incorrect, preferring: ‘This investment scheme comprises two separate packages.’