Explaining 
Explaining 

1. What you say when you are explaining something

this means  that /  which means that	used when saying  what  the  results or
effects of what you have just said are:
 Computer technology is constantly being improved. This means that the computer that 
you have just bought will probably be out of date in only a few months' time.
 There is a shortage of hospital doctors, which means that patients often have to wait 
a long time for treatment.
 The bank's current interest rate is 3.5%. This means that for every 100 you have in 
your savings account, you will get 3.50 in interest.

STUDY NOTE: Grammar 
You use This means that at the beginning of a sentence. You use which means that at 
the beginning of a clause.

that is	used  when explaining  the meaning of the  previous  word  or  phrase, by giving
more information:
 The book is about art in the modern period, that is, art since 1900.
 Her son suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. That is, he finds it difficult
to pay attention or stay quiet for more than a short period of time. 

Ie /i.e. used  when  explaining the meaning of  the  previous word or phrase,  by giving
more information:
 The new law will come into force at the end of next month, ie March 31st.
 There has been a decline in the number of 'good' jobs, i.e. ones that are highly skilled
and well-paid.

STUDY NOTE: Grammar 
ie is the abbreviation for id est, which is Latin for that is.
In formal essay writing, it is usually better to use that is.

in other words /  to put  it another way	used when  saying something  in a 
different way, either in order to explain it more clearly, or to emphasize the point that you 
want to make:


 Average  incomes fell, while the  incomes of the  top  20  percent of  the population
increased. In other words, the rich got richer.
 In a democracy, the government  must be accountable  to  the people.  The  people
should, in other words, be able to get rid of their rulers through elections. 
 Using this software would offer a 15% saving in space. To put it another way, this will
mean an extra 12Gb free on an 80Gb disk.

to put it simply used when saying something in a simple way so that the reader can
understand what you mean:
 What the treatment aims to do, to put it simply, is to make the skin grow back over the 
wound. 
 A romantic novel should demand a certain level of emotional involvement on the part of
the  reader.  To put  it simply, the novel  should  not  just describe  a love  relationship; it
should allow the reader to participate in it.

specifically adverb used when saying exactly what you are referring to, when you are 
explaining something:
 Several prisoners reported some kind of physical abuse. Specifically, 42 were beaten;
eight were roughly handled; and four more were forced to remain standing for hours at a 
time.
 What we need is a stable economic climate that encourages companies to invest on a
long-term basis.	More specifically, we need  to  get rid of  the  current high taxes on
investment income.



2. Words meaning to explain something 

explain	verb  [intransitive  and transitive] to  give someone the  information that they
need in order to understand something:
 He was the first scientist to explain how the process of evolution works.
 The book begins by explaining the difference between psychology and psychiatry.
 There are a number of theories which seek to explain why (=try to explain why) zebras 
have stripes. 

give / offer / provide an explanation to explain something: 

 He attempts to give a simple explanation of his theory.
 It is possible that some recent research by NASA scientists could offer an explanation
for this phenomenon.
 They were unable to provide a satisfactory explanation for their behaviour.

set out phrasal verb to explain facts, reasons, plans etc by stating them clearly and in 
a carefully planned order:


 He sets out his plans for an ideal Roman city in the first volume of his work.
 The document sets out exactly how the money will be spent. 

go through phrasal verb  to explain all the details about something in the right order, 
so that someone can understand it:
 She begins her article by going through all the reasons why people have opposed the
use of nuclear energy.

outline verb  [transitive]  to explain the  main ideas about something, without giving all 
the details:
 In his introduction, Piaget outlines the four main stages in a child's development.
 The  purpose of this chapter is to	outline  the basic principles which form  the
foundations of the English legal system.

expand on phrasal verb to add more details or information to what has already been 
said:
 Melville saw the ocean as the source of all life. He expands on this idea in his novel, 
'Moby Dick'.
 The author expands on this theme at length (=writes a lot about it).

clarify verb [transitive] to make something clearer:

 This chapter aims to clarify some of the most important issues in genetics today.
 In his speech the prime minister attempted to clarify his position on economic reform.
