Meaning
to understand or find meaning in something
Primary Function
expresses comprehension
Communicative Purpose
to discuss interpreting complex information
Pattern
make sense of
Core Structure
make sense of
Função primária
expresses comprehension
Propósito comunicativo
to discuss interpreting complex information
Situações de gatilho
problem-solving, learning, data analysis
Contextos
academic, professional, everyday
Padrão
make sense of
Estrutura central
make sense of
Slots de substituição
noun phrase indicating the thing being understood
Colocados típicos
- try to
- hard to
- easy to
- be able to
- struggle to make sense of
Substituições comuns
- understand
- comprehend
- decipher
- interpret
Erros comuns
'make sense from'; 'give sense to'
Similar / contraste
figure out, grasp, fathom, get one’s head around
Interferências
French ‘donner un sens à’ differs; learners may avoid using ‘of’
Família do chunk
- understand
- grasp
- figure out
- get one’s head around
Nuance
implies an active effort to understand; stronger than simply ‘understand’
Efeito pragmático
conveys analytical effort and uncertainty in comprehension
Dica de memória
I can’t make sense of these instructions.
Nota
This chunk is often followed by a noun phrase or a gerund (-ing form) to specify what is being understood. It can also be used in questions to seek clarification.
Upgrade path
use ‘decipher’, ‘interpret’, ‘elucidate’ in formal style
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