an ear to determine

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an ear to determine" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the ability to listen carefully in order to make a judgment or decision. Example: "The committee had an ear to determine the best candidate for the scholarship."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Eustis, who was twice the age of most of the marchers, tilted an ear to determine the words of a chant — "Hey hey! Ho ho! Homophobia has got to go!" — and joined in with full-throated verve.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

It really requires a specialist's ear to determine how the work has actually developed over 20 years, both pieces having gestures in common, most notably the wind players' instruction to blow furiously without producing an actual pitch.

The Guardian - Music

The headphones in all cases can detect their orientation, and even their proximity to a user's ear to determine in which mode they should be operating.

TechCrunch

Scientists are expected to conduct tests on its scales and otolith (a structure in the inner ear) to determine its age and how long it may have lived in the waters that lead to Lake Michigan.

The New York Times

Feel the end of the ear to determine whether or not it has filled out completely.

WikiHow

If you want long sideburns, trim from the bottom of your ears; if shorter, you can use the depression below your cheekbone or the tragus (the thick flap of skin at the front of the ear) to determine where the bottoms of your sideburns should be.

WikiHow

Quantification of spiral ganglion neurons (SGN) was performed in left ears to determine if there was a correlation between minocycline treatment and the respective ABR measurements.

BioMed Research International

The Life Band Touch is launching this spring in the U.S., along with the Heart Rate Earphones, which use an optical sensor to measure the blood flow to your ears to determine your heart rate, and add that data to the information collected by the Life Band Touch itself.

TechCrunch

CF bats use echolocation in much the same way as FM bats: both measure the time elapsed from call emission to echo return to judge the distance to an object, and time and intensity differences at the two ears to determine direction (Schnitzler and Denzinger, 2011; Fenton et al., 2012).

Biology Open

She tweaked its limbs, pried open the mouth and peered into the dog's ears to determine if it could calmly tolerate being poked and prodded by a stranger.

The New York Times

After negotiations between the union and C.P.S., this year's letters of non-renewal must indicate the person's ineligibility for re-employment by C.P.S. "We're depending on one person's eyes and ears to determine the permanent fate of someone's career," said Lillian Kass, a teacher and union delegate.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "an ear to determine" when you want to emphasize the act of listening carefully in order to make a judgment or understand something more fully. This phrase suggests a deliberate and thoughtful approach to listening.

Common error

Avoid using "an ear to determine" when the situation requires more than just listening. If visual cues, context, or other senses are equally important for making a decision, a broader phrase like "paying attention" or "careful observation" might be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an ear to determine" functions as an infinitive phrase, highlighting the purpose of listening. It shows intent and capability in discerning something. According to Ludwig AI, the phrase is correct and usable in written English, referring to the ability to listen carefully to make a judgment or decision.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

10%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "an ear to determine" is a grammatically correct and usable infinitive phrase that highlights the importance of listening for discernment. Ludwig AI confirms its validity, though it is relatively rare in occurrence. It finds application across diverse fields, including news, science and general knowledge, and signifies a deliberate and thoughtful approach to listening. When writing, consider its emphasis on careful listening before making a judgment. Alternative phrases such as "listen attentively to discern" or "use hearing to determine" can offer similar nuances depending on your communicative goal.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

use hearing to determine

Simplifies the phrase to its core components, focusing on the direct use of hearing.

listen attentively to discern

Focuses on attentive listening as a means of discernment, adding emphasis on the active engagement of listening.

lend an ear to understand

Focuses on listening for the purpose of understanding, rather than necessarily making a determination.

carefully listen to evaluate

Emphasizes the careful and evaluative nature of the listening process, suggesting a more analytical approach.

listen closely to figure out

Replaces "determine" with the more informal "figure out", making the phrase more conversational.

pay close attention to judge

Shifts the focus to paying close attention, which can involve more than just hearing, leading to a judgment.

be all ears to decide

Uses the idiomatic expression "be all ears", implying eagerness to listen and then decide.

incline an ear to ascertain

Uses more formal language ("incline", "ascertain") and implies a deliberate act of listening for confirmation.

monitor sounds to assess

Highlights the monitoring aspect, implying a continuous listening process for assessment.

hark to decide

Uses the archaic term "hark", meaning to listen, giving the phrase a more old-fashioned feel.

FAQs

How can I use "an ear to determine" in a sentence?

You can use "an ear to determine" when describing someone's ability to discern or judge something based on careful listening. For example, "The judge lent "an ear" to the arguments to determine the truth."

What are some alternatives to "an ear to determine"?

Alternatives include "a keen sense for discerning", "the ability to evaluate through listening", or "attentive listening to assess" depending on the specific context.

Is it more formal to say "an ear to determine" or "listening carefully to decide"?

"An ear to determine" can be perceived as slightly more formal than "listening carefully to decide", though both are acceptable in many contexts. The formality depends more on the surrounding vocabulary and sentence structure.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "an ear to determine"?

Use "an ear to determine" when the act of listening is central to the process of understanding or making a decision. It implies a focused and intentional effort to gather information through sound.