give sense

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "give sense" is not a correct part of a sentence in written English.
Instead, you could use the phrase "make sense" to express that something is understandable or logical. For example: "His argument makes sense; I can see why he thinks the way he does."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

Babe, Terror started in early 2008, mainly due to my desire to make some homemade music, to attend and to give sense to this stage in my life.

The New Yorker

In Six Walks in the Fictional Woods, the playful and profound series of essays on writing by Umberto Eco, he likens the act of reading to playing a game: "a game by which we give sense to the immensity of things that have happened, are happening or will happen in the world".

The Guardian - Books

We shall need several results from [13] in order to give sense to the integrals of bounded vector fields with divergence in L p.

Boundary Value Problems

Beauty and ugliness are the primary aesthetic notions, which give sense to the wider class that contemporary aestheticians include as "aesthetic".

SEP

Second, we make use of the framework of noncommutative geometry and of our noncommutative residue to define lower-dimensional volumes in pseudohermitian geometry, e.g., we can give sense to the area of any 3-dimensional CR manifold endowed with a pseudohermitian structure.

Journal of Functional Analysis

According to Realdon et al. (2006), an adequate scaffolding structure for the training of communicative competence in an e-learning environment entails fixing both contextual boundaries and degrees of freedom to let the learner have the opportunity to give sense to the perspective selected.

International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

Giving Sense the boot would be a welcome change, if I may be be so bold.

TechCrunch

Therefore, it is the nature of the action under consideration that shapes and gives sense to knowledge production.

Health Research Policy and Systems

L2 means the area of given sensing field.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Hence, for a given sensing model, a spatial correlation model is not necessitated for sensor data.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

But she does not give us sense.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to convey that something is understandable or logical, replace the phrase "give sense" with the idiomatically correct phrase "make sense".

Common error

Avoid using "give sense" in formal writing. While it may appear in some contexts, it is not grammatically correct. Always opt for "make sense" or other alternatives like "provide meaning" to ensure clarity and correctness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "give sense" primarily functions as a verb phrase that aims to convey the idea of providing meaning or understanding. However, as Ludwig AI points out, it's not considered grammatically correct in standard English. The examples show attempts to use it in contexts where "make sense" would be more appropriate.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

30%

News & Media

30%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "give sense" appears in various sources, including news and scientific contexts, it's generally considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests using "make sense" as the correct and idiomatic alternative. The intent behind using "give sense" is usually to explain or clarify something, but it's best to avoid this phrase in formal writing. Instead, opt for alternatives like "make sense", "provide meaning", or "impart understanding" to ensure clarity and grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

make sense

Replaces "give" with "make", which is the idiomatically correct verb in this context. It directly conveys the idea of something being understandable or logical.

provide meaning

Substitutes "sense" with "meaning", keeping "give" as is, but emphasizing the provision of significance.

impart understanding

Uses "impart" in place of "give" and "understanding" instead of "sense", conveying a more formal tone.

lend significance

Replaces "give sense" entirely, using "lend significance" to denote adding importance or meaning.

add clarity

Focuses on making something clearer, using "add clarity" as a substitute for providing understanding.

offer insight

Shifts the focus to providing a deeper understanding or perspective, using "offer insight".

bestow relevance

A more formal alternative indicating the act of granting importance or pertinence.

clarify the matter

Emphasizes the act of making a specific issue or topic more understandable.

illuminate the issue

Suggests shedding light on a particular subject to make it more comprehensible.

bring insight

Focuses on offering a new perspective or understanding to a situation or topic.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "give sense"?

The correct way to express that something is understandable or logical is to use the phrase "make sense". For example, instead of "This doesn't give sense", say "This doesn't make sense".

Are there alternatives to "give sense"?

Yes, depending on the context, you can use phrases like "provide meaning", "impart understanding", or "lend significance". However, "make sense" is generally the most direct and idiomatic choice.

Why is "give sense" considered grammatically incorrect?

The verb "give" doesn't collocate well with the noun "sense" in the context of imparting understanding. The idiomatic and grammatically correct verb is "make", as in "make sense", which is a set phrase meaning 'to be logical or understandable'.

In what situations might I encounter the phrase "give sense", and should I use it?

While you might find "give sense" in informal or non-native English, it's best to avoid it in formal writing or speech. Always prefer "make sense" or other suitable alternatives to maintain grammatical correctness and clarity.