EXPLAIN


Meaning of EXPLAIN in English

verb

ADVERB

▪ in detail

I ~ed the issues in great detail.

▪ fully

The reasons for the accident have not been fully ~ed.

▪ adequately , properly , really , satisfactorily , well

▪ partially , partly

This partly ~s why he was so late.

▪ exactly

▪ briefly

▪ quickly

▪ easily , readily , simply

This phenomenon can be easily ~ed.

▪ clearly

▪ carefully

▪ calmly

▪ helpfully , patiently

The doctor ~ed patiently what the treatment would be.

▪ concisely , succinctly

The general principles behind the method used are ~ed clearly and concisely.

▪ excitedly

VERB + EXPLAIN

▪ be able to , be unable to , can

I know I'm late, but I can ~ why.

▪ attempt to , seek to , try to

It is a book which seeks to ~ the birth of Greek tragedy.

▪ help (to)

▪ purport to

Many theories purport to ~ growth in terms of a single cause.

▪ be difficult to , be hard to

It's difficult to ~ exactly how the system works.

▪ hasten to

She saw his quick frown and hastened to ~.

▪ let sb

Let me ~ what I mean.

PREPOSITION

▪ about

She tried to ~ about her fears and anxieties.

▪ to

She ~ed the plan to me very carefully.

PHRASES

▪ ~ everything

I have a letter here which ~s everything.

▪ go a long way, some way, etc. towards/toward ~ing sth

This goes some way towards/toward ~ing the hostility between the two groups.

Explain is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑ article , ↑ difference , ↑ document , ↑ factor , ↑ leaflet , ↑ letter , ↑ page , ↑ paragraph , ↑ report , ↑ theory

Explain is used with these nouns as the object: ↑ absence , ↑ background , ↑ basics , ↑ complexity , ↑ concept , ↑ conduct , ↑ decision , ↑ detail , ↑ difference , ↑ disappearance , ↑ discrepancy , ↑ disparity , ↑ effect , ↑ existence , ↑ extent , ↑ fact , ↑ failure , ↑ feeling , ↑ finding , ↑ idea , ↑ implication , ↑ importance , ↑ inability , ↑ incidence , ↑ incident , ↑ meaning , ↑ motivation , ↑ motive , ↑ mystery , ↑ nature , ↑ occurrence , ↑ origin , ↑ paradox , ↑ phenomenon , ↑ popularity , ↑ predicament , ↑ principle , ↑ reason , ↑ reasoning , ↑ reluctance , ↑ rule , ↑ shift , ↑ similarity , ↑ situation , ↑ success , ↑ teaching , ↑ term , ↑ thing , ↑ thinking , ↑ variation , ↑ view , ↑ workings

Oxford Collocations English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь словосочетаний .