Extended/extensive

Dear Dr English,

If I want to talk about a service or a product that gives a lot of benefits, should I say that it has "extended" or "extensive" benefits?

Kanchana Yuyen

Look at the two sentences below:

Jane enjoyed her stay at the ranch so much that she asked her boss for an extended holiday.

Join our membership scheme today and enjoy extensive privileges that no other club can offer you.

In the first sentence, Jane enjoyed staying at the ranch very much and wanted to stay longer than she had planned. When Jane asked for an extended holiday she asked that her holiday last longer than usual; and this is what "extended" means.

"Extensive privileges" in the second sentence means covering many details; so if you join the club you will receive a great number of privileges.

Now you should be able to choose the right word, which is "extensive" benefits.

And just a little information for you: "extensive" also means "covering a large area", as in:

Houses and farms in many provinces were affected by the extensive flood.

And if you describe an effect as extensive, it is very great:

The flood brought with it extensive damage to farm land.

By Dr English

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