In command

To be in command

Today I want to show you different ways to use the word “in command” or just “command.”

Earlier today you heard that Alex Trebek is always in command of the show, Jeopardy! To be in command means to have control of something and to be in charge. The person who is in command is confident , knows what’s going on, doesn’t put up with any troublemaking from anyone else. From the moment he walks onto the stage, you know who’s in charge. He’s nice, but you know he’s in command. He’s the one in control once the show starts.

When there’s an emergency or a difficult situation, you want someone who can be in command, someone who knows what’s going on, who has the confidence to be in charge and to get stuff done . Sometimes there’s nobody in charge, so someone has to take command of a situation. We’ve all been in a situation like that, right? You’re in a situation and you just need a leader, but nobody steps up . What you really need is for someone to take command of a situation—to put him or herself in charge to make decisions and get things under control.

Another common way to use “in command” is with the phrase “second-in-command.” That means like the second-most important person , or the person just below the one who’s in charge. It is often said that the vice president in the United States is second-in-command. If the president dies or resigns his office, then the vice president becomes the president; for that reason he is second-in-command. At big companies, the CEO is usually the top officer, but the CFO, the chief financial officer, is sometimes considered the second-in-command. JR would be second-in-command of this program. If for some reason I couldn’t continue doing Plain English, then JR would take over since he’s second in command around here. In other words, you’d better hope nothing happens to me!

That’s all for today’s episode. Thanks again for being part of the best audience in the world. JR and I will be back on Monday for another episode. Don’t forget our partner MosaLingua, which you can find at PlainEnglish.com/learn . Six thousand vocabulary words all in context! That’s really something. PlainEnglish.com/learn . See you on Monday!