Also, it is very typical to see the expressions "tear it up" or "rip it up" which mean the same as how Alex defined "to shred." Shredding tends to be used more when the task is done through the help of a machine. Besides paper you also shred cheese, and you call it "shredding" because you use some tool or machine rather than your bare hands.

Hi Ryan. A tear is when you pull or rip (something) apart or to pieces with force. For example it could be a piece of paper such as a letter. To shred something is to tear it into very small, fine pieces. In the example of a letter, you would shred it so tye address or headed paper of your company couldn't be recognised when putting the tiny pieces back together. A shredder (machine) performs this task. A rip more often refers to a rip in a curtain, in clothes (often trousers), or other material. It is often unintentional and is more negative; you would want to repair it or replace it. Hope that helps :-)