make a recognition

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "make a recognition" is not commonly used in written English and may sound awkward.
It can be used in contexts where you want to express the act of acknowledging or identifying something, but "recognize" is more appropriate. Example: "We need to make a recognition of the contributions made by our volunteers during the event."

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

The present experimental paradigm is suitable for this investigation because the participants were asked to make a recognition judgment to visually presented words that had been studied auditorily.

Cerebral Cortex

Subjects heard a series of semantically related words and were later asked to make a recognition judgment of old words, semantically related nonstudied words (lures for false recognition), and unrelated new words.

Cerebral Cortex

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

In support of this discrete-state interpretation, Clark (2012) wrote, regarding the relative judgment strategy, that "…it assumes an all or nothing theory of memory, in which the witness makes a recognition decision based on a true memory, or he or she simply guesses…" (p. 281).

Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications

The next trial did not begin until subjects made a recognition judgment.

Cerebral Cortex

I wanted to make a proper recognition of his work".

The New York Times

Most sheriff's deputies "can make a quick recognition on somebody's accent, how they're dressed," said Bruce Sands, chief of enforcement for the sheriff's department, where deputies have received training from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The New York Times

Mr McCabe added that the club was hoping to make a permanent recognition "of some kind" next year to pay tribute to all of the city's athletes who competed in the London 2012 Olympics.

BBC

Depending on the subcondition, participants were required to make a simple recognition decision (old/new items) or base their decision on more specific information related to prior experience (target/non-target/new items).

NeuroImage

It is clear that companies that make a commitment to recognition, and implement recognition programs aligned with company values, experience better results in both culture and business metrics.

Huffington Post

Consequently, after a perirhinal cortex lesion, any remaining novelty signal becomes divorced from the correct stimulus, so the animal cannot link that signal to the specific object and make an appropriate recognition choice.

Behavioral Neuroscience

"We're working with the London College of Fashion to make a low-cost recognition of 3D body shape to improve clothing shape design," he says.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity and conciseness, replace "make a recognition" with the verb "recognize". This simplifies the sentence structure and enhances readability.

Common error

Avoid using "make a recognition" when a simpler verb like "recognize" suffices. Using the longer phrase can make your writing sound unnecessarily complex and less direct.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "make a recognition" functions as a verb phrase where "make" acts as a light verb taking "recognition" as its complement. This construction expresses the action of acknowledging or identifying something. Ludwig indicates that while grammatically sound, it can often be replaced with the simpler verb 'recognize'.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

25%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "make a recognition" is grammatically correct but can often sound less natural than simply using the verb "recognize". Ludwig indicates that while acceptable, it's not always the most elegant choice. It functions to express the act of acknowledging or identifying something, with a communicative purpose of formally recognizing or validating. While appearing in both scientific and news contexts, it's less frequent than its simpler alternative. For clarity and conciseness, consider replacing "make a recognition" with "recognize" or similar alternatives like "acknowledge" or "give recognition".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

recognize

Directly uses the verb form, simplifying the phrase.

acknowledge

Emphasizes the act of admitting something is true or valid.

give recognition

Uses a different verb to convey the act of bestowing recognition.

show recognition

Similar to 'give recognition' but emphasizes the demonstration of acknowledgement.

grant recognition

Suggests a more formal or official acknowledgement.

offer recognition

Implies presenting recognition as a gesture or offer.

bestow recognition

A more formal and ceremonial way to say 'give recognition'.

afford recognition

Implies providing recognition, often in an official capacity.

accord recognition

Similar to 'grant recognition' but with a slightly more formal tone.

pay recognition

Highlights the act of giving due attention or acknowledgement.

FAQs

What does "make a recognition" mean?

The phrase "make a recognition" means to acknowledge or identify something. However, it's often more concise and clear to simply use the verb "recognize".

How can I use "make a recognition" in a sentence?

While grammatically correct, consider if you can replace the phrase with the single verb "recognize" for better clarity. For example, instead of saying "We need to make a recognition of his efforts", say "We need to recognize his efforts".

What can I say instead of "make a recognition"?

You can use alternatives like "recognize", "acknowledge", or "give recognition" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "make a recognition" or simply "recognize"?

In most cases, using "recognize" is preferable because it's more direct and less verbose than "make a recognition". The latter can sound awkward in many contexts.