requesting understanding

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "requesting understanding" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you are asking someone to be empathetic or to comprehend a situation or perspective you are presenting. Example: "I am requesting understanding as I explain my decision to leave the project early due to personal reasons."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Nikos Zigras, a first cousin and onetime business partner and confidant of the former minister, pleaded guilty and apologized to the court, requesting "understanding and leniency".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

"The Romanian National Television has requested understanding and tolerance regarding its disastrous financial situation, which has been understood by EBU, which until now has postponed drastic measures," TVR said on Saturday.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

"Or, be made whole". An email to the campaign requesting their understanding of the agreement was not returned by our deadline.

The Washington Post

On the other side, if the infosec team does not understand the hard work that went in to building an application -- meeting strict deadlines, dealing with a gazillion feature requests, understanding the criticality of vulnerabilities that may not need to be fixed now (or maybe ever) -- then pointing out security flaws will be ignored, at best.

Forbes

"In hopes you'll agree with our request, understanding our complaint, we send you our best regards". "Lots of mail pouring for your readers, with newspaper's clippings included...

Los Angeles Times

Therefore, these parents requested more understanding from the officials and professionals.

International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy

"I fully appreciate the support received this week from key staff at the Pirates in resolving the many issues arising and request the understanding of supporters.

BBC

The situation is similar in the United States, where applicants with dyslexia, for instance, may request help understanding the questions on the application form, or someone with a visual impairment may need any written materials provided during an interview to be printed in a large font, Vickers explains.

Science Magazine

For therapists requesting a scientific understanding of psychopathy to tailor their therapies (Salekin et al., 2010), our finding that instructions to empathize can reduce group differences indicates that therapeutic efforts may actually not need to create a capacity for empathy, for such a capacity may already exist (at least in our sample of incarcerated psychopathic offenders).

Brain

During the lecture, the instructor can check the learners' understanding by requesting learners to construct a learner map.

Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning

Mired in politeness and caution, people with mental health difficulties across the UK have gently requested kindness and understanding.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When you are "requesting understanding", ensure that you provide sufficient background information or context to facilitate comprehension. This helps the recipient grasp the nuances of your request.

Common error

A common mistake is to assume that others automatically understand the situation for which you're "requesting understanding". Always explicitly state the context and reasons to ensure clarity and avoid misinterpretations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "requesting understanding" functions as a verb phrase often used to preface an explanation or justification. It signals a need for empathy, comprehension, or patience from the audience. Ludwig AI indicates that this is a correct and usable phrase in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Reference

8%

Academia

7%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "requesting understanding" is a grammatically correct and usable verb phrase that signals a need for empathy or comprehension. As Ludwig AI clarifies, this phrase serves as a courteous introduction to sensitive topics across different contexts. While not exceedingly common, it appears most frequently in "news & media", "science", and "formal & business" domains. When employing this phrase, ensure you provide adequate context to facilitate the desired understanding, avoiding assumptions about implicit knowledge. Alternatives such as "seeking comprehension" or "asking for empathy" can be used depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

seeking comprehension

This alternative uses a more formal term for understanding, making it suitable for academic or professional contexts.

asking for empathy

This phrase focuses specifically on seeking emotional understanding or compassion from others.

appealing for patience

This suggests a need for understanding in the context of waiting or enduring a difficult situation.

desiring acceptance

This phrase highlights the wish for others to accept one's views or actions, which is related to seeking understanding.

needing clarification

Implies a need for more information to facilitate understanding.

soliciting indulgence

This is a more formal way of asking for understanding, often used when admitting a fault.

requiring acknowledgement

Highlights the need for recognition and understanding of a particular situation or perspective.

expecting consideration

Suggests the speaker believes they deserve thoughtful understanding from others.

aiming for mutual understanding

This phrase emphasizes the reciprocal nature of understanding between parties.

calling for recognition

This highlights the need for recognition of a situation before understanding.

FAQs

How can I use "requesting understanding" in a sentence?

You can use "requesting understanding" to introduce a potentially difficult or sensitive topic, as in, "I am requesting understanding as I explain my decision."

What are some alternatives to "requesting understanding"?

Some alternatives include "seeking comprehension", "asking for empathy", or "appealing for patience", depending on the specific context.

Is it more appropriate to say "requesting understanding" or "asking for understanding"?

"Requesting understanding" is slightly more formal than "asking for understanding", but both are grammatically correct and can be used interchangeably in many situations.

What is the difference between "requesting understanding" and "demanding understanding"?

"Requesting understanding" is a polite way of asking for empathy or comprehension, while "demanding understanding" implies a forceful insistence, which may come across as aggressive.