is broken / torn

[Ju]

What are the differences of the usage of :

• is broken
• is torn

If the wrapping of the book is broken and the pages are gone, shall I say

• The book is broken.
• The book is torn.

Thank you.

 

[JMurray]

What are the differences of the usage of :
is broken
is torn
If the wrapping of the book is broken and the pages are gone, shall I say
The book is broken.
The book is torn.

Ju.
Regarding books, if the rigid part of the cover, meaning the boards (if it's a hardback, not a paperback) and especially the spine that runs down the back of the book are damaged then they are sometimes said to be "broken". But they may just be "bent", "creased" or "buckled", or have rips in them so that they could be called "torn".
The parts made of paper, for example the pages inside and the loose outer wrapping, which is called the dust jacket, become torn, not broken. Of course, if it is a paperback then the thin cardboard cover can be torn (or creased etc).

For your example of the book with no pages, I would say it was destroyed.

not a teacher

 

[The Dude]

The difference is clear:

'broken' is applied to hard things such as a window, telephone, vase or chair.

'torn' is for softer materials such as paper and cloth.

A book is somewhere between the two, being pretty solid but made of paper. So whilst the wrapping by itself, being paper, could be torn, you would describe the book as damaged, never broken.