Jan 27, 2016 11:08
8 yrs ago
English term
Difference among expressions
English
Tech/Engineering
Engineering (general)
Instruction Manual
Please shown me the defference in feeling or nuance when you come accross the following expressions as a condition to start a machine.
(1) Check the safety door is properly closed.
(2) Confirm the safety door is properly closed.
(3) Verify that the safety door is properly closed.
In my opinion, (1) is rather different from (2) and (3), while (2) and (3) are similer.
In (1), emphasis seems to be put on the action to examine, investigate, or test that the safety door is closed. while in (2) and (3), emphasis seems to be put on confirmation, validation, etc. that the safety door is closed.
Is my understanding correct?
Especially, I am waiting for replays from those who speak English as the mother tonge.
(1) Check the safety door is properly closed.
(2) Confirm the safety door is properly closed.
(3) Verify that the safety door is properly closed.
In my opinion, (1) is rather different from (2) and (3), while (2) and (3) are similer.
In (1), emphasis seems to be put on the action to examine, investigate, or test that the safety door is closed. while in (2) and (3), emphasis seems to be put on confirmation, validation, etc. that the safety door is closed.
Is my understanding correct?
Especially, I am waiting for replays from those who speak English as the mother tonge.
Responses
| 4 +2 | Yes... |
Yvonne Gallagher
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| 5 +1 | Confirm |
Rose Padgett (X)
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| 4 +1 | Check that... |
Jack Doughty
|
Change log
Feb 3, 2016 16:31: Yasutomo Kanazawa changed "Language pair" from "Japanese to English" to "English"
Responses
+2
7 days
Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Ireland
Native in English
&
English
Ireland
right word, right place. everytime
Native in: English (Variants: US, Canadian, Irish, UK) 
Works in: French to English, Spanish to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
32
Selected
Yes...
your understanding is correct. There are really only tiny nuances of meaning between these though those nuances can still impact on the overall meaning or determine which word is best in the text.
Check (that)..=test to ensure that the door isn't loose at all and that it won't open
Confirm (that)...= You are pretty sure the door is closed but now you make doubly sure. Double-check (check again) that the door is properly closed and that there is no looseness at all
Verify (that)...=Is the door truly closed? Confirm for yourself or for someone else (perhaps check someone else has closed it properly?) and possibly record for validation/certification. Perhaps you have some convincing evidence that the door truly is closed?
All three are OK to use for a safety or instruction manual. I'd probably use 1 or 2 rather than 3. But it would really be a toss-up as to whether I used "check that" or confirm that". If there was a series of steps to take I'd use "check" and then the final step would be "confirm"
However, while none of them need "that" when speaking or informal writing it is better to put it in when writing in this context/register.
Check (that)..=test to ensure that the door isn't loose at all and that it won't open
Confirm (that)...= You are pretty sure the door is closed but now you make doubly sure. Double-check (check again) that the door is properly closed and that there is no looseness at all
Verify (that)...=Is the door truly closed? Confirm for yourself or for someone else (perhaps check someone else has closed it properly?) and possibly record for validation/certification. Perhaps you have some convincing evidence that the door truly is closed?
All three are OK to use for a safety or instruction manual. I'd probably use 1 or 2 rather than 3. But it would really be a toss-up as to whether I used "check that" or confirm that". If there was a series of steps to take I'd use "check" and then the final step would be "confirm"
However, while none of them need "that" when speaking or informal writing it is better to put it in when writing in this context/register.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Tony M
: I'd say 1) and 3) are exact synonyms, albeit with a difference of register ('verify' being more formal); as you say, in 2), 'confirm' somehow seems to imply that it is expected that the door IS going to be closed.
12 hrs
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Thanks, yes, sometimes it's hard to explain nuances or why one term is preferred over another but there's definitely a difference in register
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| agree |
AllegroTrans
2 days 4 hrs
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Many thanks:-)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
+1
8 hrs
Confirm
First, (1) requires the word "that" between "check" and "the". This is the same "that" that appears in (3) after "verify". This "that" is optional in (2) and (3), but (1) is not grammatical without it.
In regard to your question, you are generally correct that while (1) emphasizes the action of checking, (2) and (3) emphasize that you're trying to make sure a certain condition is met. I would prefer (2). The word "verify" is not necessarily wrong, but it definitely gives me more of a sense of evaluating a statement than a condition.
In regard to your question, you are generally correct that while (1) emphasizes the action of checking, (2) and (3) emphasize that you're trying to make sure a certain condition is met. I would prefer (2). The word "verify" is not necessarily wrong, but it definitely gives me more of a sense of evaluating a statement than a condition.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Maynard Hogg
: But I would prefer the more colloquial "make sure."
6 days
|
| neutral |
Tony M
: Don't agree with your comment: no 'that' is needed in (1): 'check the door is closed' is perfectly grammatical EN.
7 days
|
+1
7 days
Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
&
English
United Kingdom
Translator since 1953
Native in: English
Works in: Russian to English, German to English, English
Related KudoZ points
:
86
Check that...
I think "check" is the most likely to be used in English here, but I prefer "Check that the safety door is properly closed".
Reference comments
1 hr
Reference:
FYI
http://micottan.blogspot.com/2014/08/confirm-verify-check.ht...
http://www.glova.co.jp/mailmg/vol12_1.html
http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/5789/whats-the-di...
(2), (3)は、構文としてはあり得ても、用法としてはまずあり得ないともいます。
私ならこの2つは、「閉まっているか」ではなく、「閉まるかどうか／閉めることができるかどうか」を確認・検証するという文脈で使用するとおもいます。
http://www.glova.co.jp/mailmg/vol12_1.html
http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/5789/whats-the-di...
(2), (3)は、構文としてはあり得ても、用法としてはまずあり得ないともいます。
私ならこの2つは、「閉まっているか」ではなく、「閉まるかどうか／閉めることができるかどうか」を確認・検証するという文脈で使用するとおもいます。
Peer comments on this reference comment:
| disagree |
Rose Padgett (X)
: （2）と（３）は「閉まっているか」とちゃんと意味しています。「閉まるかどうか」なら、"Confirm/verify that the door can properly close"になります。
7 hrs
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分かってないね。
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| neutral |
Yvonne Gallagher
: It's an En> En question so comments/answers should be in that language. I have no idea if this is right or wrong...
7 days
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Discussion
In both 1) and 3), one might equally write "check / Verify whether the door is open or closed", whereas in 2), we will really only "Confirm that it IS closed"