Meaning
to make something clear by describing it in more detail
Primary Function
clarifies information
Communicative Purpose
to teach, justify, or give reasons
Pattern
explain; to
Core Structure
explain; to
Função primária
clarifies information
Propósito comunicativo
to teach, justify, or give reasons
Situações de gatilho
teaching a class, handling customer inquiries, resolving disagreements
Contextos
academic settings, professional environments, everyday conversations
Padrão
explain; to
Estrutura central
explain; to
Slots de substituição
the thing being explained (e.g., rule, problem) and the recipient (e.g., student, client)
Colocados típicos
- clearly
- briefly
- patiently
- let me explain to you
- try to explain
Substituições comuns
- describe to
- clarify for
- illustrate to
Erros comuns
using *explain me something (incorrect double object); correct: explain something to me
Similar / contraste
describe to, clarify, demonstrate to
Interferências
many languages allow dative shift (explain me); English does not: explain to me
Família do chunk
- describe to
- clarify to
- illustrate for
- outline to
Nuance
'explain to' always requires the thing explained as direct object and a person or entity receiving it via prepositional phrase; cannot be used with two objects like some other languages.
Efeito pragmático
fundamental for instruction, reasoning, negotiation, and establishing mutual understanding in discourse.
Dica de memória
explain to
Nota
The chunk 'explain something to someone' is a fundamental expression used to convey information clearly and is essential in various contexts such as teaching, customer service, and conflict resolution.
Upgrade path
use ‘elucidate for’, ‘expound to’ in formal academic English
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