verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
clarify a point (=make it clearer)
▪ Could you clarify a couple of points for me?
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
further
▪ The Public Health Act of 1875 further clarified the duties of sanitary authorities.
▪ This is not absolutely necessary but it would stretch your imagination and further clarify the entire research process from beginning to end.
▪ In another, slightly later apocryphal work, the Acts of Thomas, the issue is further clarified.
▪ To further clarify the benefit of the combination of topical techniques for tumour destruction and external beam radiotherapy randomised studies are required.
▪ The structure can be further clarified by using headings and the layout of the document.
▪ He must submit a budget during the first week in February, which should further clarify his revenue needs and sources.
▪ At the meeting, I further clarified the position as follows: - 1.
▪ Lyotard further clarifies this distinction in discussion of fantasies and hallucination.
how
▪ New large telescopes may clarify how galaxies form - at present a surprisingly difficult puzzle - and why they cluster.
■ NOUN
attempt
▪ For all that, the teacher can hardly be absolved from the attempt to clarify his own mind.
▪ This may sound unduly harsh, but most attempts at clarifying organizational values produce numbingly similar results.
▪ It is when we make an attempt to clarify it that the confidence begins to desert us in the face of difficulties.
issue
▪ If all plausible values fall on one side of this point, this result may clarify the issues and thus assist decision-making.
▪ District Judge Leonard B.. Sand to clarify legal issues.
▪ The prophet Elijah's approach to this was direct: Confront the people and clarify the issues.
▪ Let us illustrate in order to clarify the issue.
▪ As a result of that discussion, Mr Lilley was dispatched to television and radio studios to clarify the issue.
▪ First, it can clarify concepts and issues and so help with the assessment and understanding of clients' problems.
▪ A return to ready-made art might clarify the issues.
▪ Research over the next 10 years should greatly clarify the issue.
law
▪ Officials sought to simplify the judicial process and clarify the criminal law.
▪ That is why it is important to clarify the law.
▪ Government during this period sought to clarify the law and simplify judicial procedure.
▪ One of the primary reasons for the Bill is to clarify the law.
▪ While they can clarify crucial points of law, some decisions appear contradictory.
▪ This would, perhaps, clarify the law.
▪ By contrast, legalising something may either clarify the law where it was previously unclear, or introduce or extend rights.
matter
▪ The Advertising Standards Authority upheld my complaint and ruled that the advertisements should be amended to clarify the matter.
▪ Everyone agreed that further conversations might help clarify the matter.
▪ Please could you clarify this matter.
▪ To clarify matters, let us go back a step and ask some basic questions.
▪ Nevertheless, some general, if brief, discussion of some of the more directly relevant philosophical issues may help clarify matters.
meaning
▪ Many of the amendments have been introduced to clarify the meaning of the regulations and do not change their scope.
▪ Whether they are made implicitly or explicitly, the problem still remains of clarifying their meaning.
▪ Examples of the two extremes may clarify the meaning.
nature
▪ Oakeshott's objective in Experience and its Modes is to clarify the nature of philosophy.
▪ A major activity of psychological research is to try to clarify the nature of constructs and verify their existence.
▪ Our results do not clarify the nature of the GOR-asthma relation or the mechanisms of reflux induced asthma.
▪ They are intended merely to clarify the specific nature of this difficulty.
▪ The purpose is to begin clarifying the nature of any problem or decision.
point
▪ It is important however to clarify some of the points made in relation to this often complex issue.
▪ A simple calculation will clarify the point.
▪ An official statement the companies were hammering out also at press time was unlikely to clarify that point.
▪ Alistair was called in to clarify a point for the judge in camera, as was Judy.
▪ We clarified a number of points before the legislation was introduced.
▪ From there, indicate that you want to clarify a few points so this type of problem does not occur again.
▪ We apologise to Mr Souness and are happy to clarify the point.
▪ However, the House will have further opportunities during the debate to clarify that important point.
policy
▪ Can you clarify Labour party policy by saying whether Labour is in favour of Bolshevism or against it?
▪ Mr Kinnock will also have to clarify several confusions in policy.
position
▪ But the commission did clarify Gloucester's position in one area of the north where it had previously been somewhat equivocal.
▪ It had not been able to clarify its position on vital issues such as Punjab violence and communalism.
▪ I and my colleagues understand the anxiety caused by uncertainties like this and will clarify the position as early as possible.
▪ Therefore, I have raised an invoice for the tape, but will cancel it once we have clarified the position.
▪ The establishment of the Accounting Standards Board has not clarified the position.
▪ Can he clarify the position in relation to 15 Para and talk in terms of numbers rather than amalgamations?
▪ It was now of the utmost importance for the Unionists to clarify their own position.
problem
▪ In this situation the salesperson should question the nature of the objection in order to clarify the specific problem at hand.
▪ It is well worth pausing from time to time to clarify what problem each person thinks he or she is solving.
▪ Further work is in progress to clarify this problem.
▪ You clarify the problem as visually as possible; and then you get ten different solutions shouted out.
▪ What is needed is some new observation or insight to clarify the problem.
▪ In order to clarify the problem, and put it into perspective, a number of questions need to be asked.
▪ But most of these can be regarded as experimental works designed to clarify the problems that Picasso was facing in his painting.
question
▪ He teaches by asking questions to help the student clarify his question.
▪ There is much debate about which medication is more effective, and future studies may clarify that question.
▪ A look at some examples of the so-called progressive rock of the mid - and late 1960s may clarify this question.
▪ They 71 write, add details, clarify questions, and expand important parts.
▪ At this point, I should like to clarify a question or two which the reader may find puzzling, such as anti-semitism.
▪ He shrugged his shoulders and waited for her to clarify her question.
▪ Listen carefully, clarify with questions if necessary, but don't challenge that person's expertise.
relationship
▪ The Administration proposed a declaration clarifying the relationship between this Article and international law.
▪ The Administration proposed an understanding clarifying the relationship between these goals and other traditional goals of the penal system such as punishment.
role
▪ The conference wished to clarify the role of management committees and review the suitability of the name of the committee.
▪ Senior management failed to take a lead in clarifying the role of the Beacon in the department's services to under fives.
▪ Its objectives are to clarify the role of scientists and engineers in the process of technological change.
▪ Further work is necessary to clarify the role of this environmental organism in chronic enteritis in man.
situation
▪ It's in your interests to clarify the situation.
▪ What none of the trio could get used to was Evelyn's continued refusal to make a move to clarify her situation.
▪ It was time to clarify the confused political situation in Berry.
▪ I hope that this will clarify the situation for your readers while in no way putting them off the certified training scheme.
▪ But, for the data analyst who is prepared to use judgement as well as arithmetic, smoothing can clarify many otherwise ragged situations.
▪ For example, trying to get organized or to clarify your situation when you are at your wits' end may not work.
▪ But at least they would clarify the current situation and offer the Prince a place in history alongside his great uncle.
▪ The thematic advance which clarifies the central situation.
■ VERB
ask
▪ But he confirmed he would be asked to clarify what his remarks were intended to mean.
▪ Where possible, data items were cross checked against one another and the establishments were asked to clarify the few inconsistencies that arose.
▪ If in doubt ask the person to clarify it for you.
help
▪ We hope our advisory group will help us clarify our responses to these and other questions during the consultative process.
▪ Everyone agreed that further conversations might help clarify the matter.
▪ The results of this investigation should help to clarify some of the complex issues involved in the debate on gender and schooling.
▪ Perhaps it would help them clarify their thinking.
▪ He teaches by asking questions to help the student clarify his question.
▪ We are here to help you clarify the themes of your life.
▪ You've helped clarify my thoughts.
▪ An example might help to clarify what I mean.
need
▪ The division of powers between president and parliament needs to be clarified.
▪ But distinctions between the definitions of tenancies and licence are unclear and need to be clarified legally.
▪ Only ask questions on these topics if there is something you are genuinely unsure of and need to clarify.
▪ Furthermore, the use of subsidies needs to be clarified and directed more towards rural electricity and renewable energy.
▪ Further studies are needed to clarify the presence of H pylori in saliva or plaque, and also in faeces.
▪ Before continuing with our main theme there are a few points that may need clarifying.
seek
▪ It can seek to clarify thinking about other aspects of the relationship between language and thought.
▪ The research will seek to clarify the influences that lead to this.
try
▪ Rather, the sociologist tries to clarify the complexity of the real world.
▪ A major activity of psychological research is to try to clarify the nature of constructs and verify their existence.
▪ Let's try to disentangle and clarify some of them.
▪ The man in charge of the crew has spent much of the day trying to clarify the situation with aid workers in Bosnia.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ I hope this statement has helped to clarify a few points.
▪ Illustrations are provided to help clarify the written instructions.
▪ The senator tried to clarify his position on abortion.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ After it finished all the clarifying, State Street immediately had a chance to put its new communications focus to work.
▪ All the rules and definitions that we have outlined so far will be clarified and simplified by the examples that follow.
▪ As it is thereby illustrated and developed its implications should clarify.
▪ Government during this period sought to clarify the law and simplify judicial procedure.
▪ Officials sought to simplify the judicial process and clarify the criminal law.
▪ The first rehearsals of an opéra would often be chaos if his talents, or activity, did not clarify the performance.
▪ Tutors learn to clarify their thinking, and tutees often experience cognitive conflict from being exposed to the views of peer tutors.
▪ Use your abilities to negotiate, clarify, request, and assess instead.