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### 2.5 Two Frequently Used Options

To understand how to run `tar` in the three operating modes listed previously, you also need to understand how to use two of the options to `tar`: `--file` (which takes an archive file as an argument) and `--verbose`. (You are usually not required to specify either of these options when you run `tar`, but they can be very useful in making things more clear and helping you avoid errors.)