extend their understanding

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "extend their understanding" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the process of deepening or broadening someone's knowledge or comprehension of a subject. Example: "The workshop aims to extend their understanding of environmental issues and promote sustainable practices."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

At about the same time, the company's staff psychologists were beginning to extend their understanding of how habits are formed.

The New York Times

YDS established the Lifelong Learning Program this year to provide clergy and lay people opportunities to deepen and extend their understanding and practice of their faith traditions, said Debora Jackson, who was appointed director of lifelong learning in January.

Yale University

Extending their course work from two to three years, students in the concentration will develop individual programs of study to extend their understanding of both their home discipline and the concentration topic with the goal of broadening their intellectual formation.

Yale University

In some cases, courts in the United Kingdom are still reluctant to extend their understanding of human rights protection; litigants who have exhausted their remedies in English courts can still pursue a claim before the European human rights tribunals, as in a case that established the right of transsexuals to marry and required a legislative change to English law (the Gender Recognition Act 2004).

Encyclopedia Britannica

Because the program combines two years of studio-based activities with a variety of opportunities (both course-related and individually conceived) to extend their understanding of architectural design and its meaning within a broader cultural and social context, students in the M.Arch.

Yale University

They praised tasks in which students had to "reach or extend their understanding a little beyond what was explicitly taught," "defend their thinking," "support their argument," and take responsibility for "weighing the evidence".

International Journal of STEM Education

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

They then extend their understandings of the many important uses of DNA.

The New York Times

He confirms their understanding via online quizzes and then extends their understanding in class by working with the students to complete more difficult problem sets.

Yale University

The feedback from the testing phase was used to create the final AM Taxonomy Framework (AMTF), and served as an original and practical guide for practitioners, further extending their understanding of AM.

Frontiers of Architectural Research

In order to help students during this time of transition it is going to be necessary to spend time explaining the rationale of this altered design, giving them the opportunity to reflect on their own learning ability and extending their understanding of the part they play in the teaching and learning process (Ghislandi & Raffaghelli, 2015).

F1000Research

Doing so will extend their relevance to better understanding eating behavior and better developing solutions to overeating.

Nature

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "extend their understanding" when you want to emphasize the process of building upon existing knowledge, skills or awareness to achieve a more comprehensive grasp of a subject.

Common error

While both words suggest growth, "extend" implies building upon something already present, whereas "expand" suggests increasing the scope or size. Be mindful of the context; use "extend" when referring to deepening an existing understanding, and "expand" when referring to broadening the range of knowledge.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "extend their understanding" functions as a verb phrase, indicating an action aimed at enhancing comprehension. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage in academic, scientific, and general contexts, illustrating its versatility.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

Academia

30%

News & Media

20%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Formal & Business

4%

Wiki

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "extend their understanding" is a grammatically correct and useful expression for describing the process of deepening or broadening comprehension. As Ludwig AI confirms, it finds application across diverse fields such as academia, science, and news media. While not exceptionally frequent, it is a valuable tool for precisely articulating the goal of expanding knowledge, improving skills or awareness and gaining a more comprehensive grasp of a subject. Consider alternatives like "deepen their knowledge" or "broaden their perspective" for nuanced expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

deepen their knowledge

Implies a more profound, intensive understanding.

improve their grasp

Focuses on gaining a firmer hold of a concept.

enrich their comprehension

Focuses on making understanding more complete.

broaden their perspective

Focuses more on viewpoint than specific knowledge.

advance their learning

Highlights progress in acquiring knowledge.

build upon their knowledge

Suggests adding to existing understanding.

enhance their awareness

Highlights becoming more conscious or informed.

develop their insights

Emphasizes gaining intuitive understanding.

expand their horizons

Suggests exploring new areas of knowledge or experience.

gain a better appreciation

Implies developing a more nuanced understanding.

FAQs

How can I use "extend their understanding" in a sentence?

You can use "extend their understanding" to describe efforts to deepen comprehension. For example, "The course is designed to "extend their understanding" of quantum physics".

What are some alternatives to "extend their understanding"?

Alternatives include "deepen their knowledge", "broaden their perspective", or "enhance their awareness" depending on the context.

Is "extend their understanding" formal or informal?

"Extend their understanding" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its appropriateness depends more on the surrounding vocabulary than the phrase itself.

What is the difference between "extend their understanding" and "improve their understanding"?

"Extend their understanding" suggests building upon existing knowledge, while "improve their understanding" implies making their current comprehension better. The former focuses on growth, the latter on refinement.