WIN vs. BEAT

Good morning. Today's Daily Vitamin was originally sent in April of 2004. I am dedicating it to my student Jesús, since he brought it up in class last week.

Today we look at two verbs that can sometimes cause confusion: to beat and to win. Both these verbs are used for sports and competition, but with slightly different meanings.

TO BEAT means: to defeat someone (a person or a team) in a game or other type of competition (election, battle, etc.). Remember that this verb always carries an object.

Example 1:
It has been a long time since Real Madrid has beaten Barcelona in Camp Nou.

TO WIN means: to defeat everyone else in a game or match, but without specifying the person (or team) that lost.

Example 2:
Spain won the last world cup. They beat Holland in the final.

Now let's do a little test. Which do you think is the correct option for Example 3?

Example 3:
I have never ________ my brother in a game of poker.
A. beaten
B. won

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I hope you have a nice day.

PS: The correct answer is A.