[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/clarifying.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / clarifying

[← C](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/C/)

# clarifying

«clarifying» in Mova's school dictionary: **Making something clearer or easier to understand, by…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

present participle and adjective of clarify (clarify, clarifies, clarified, clarifying)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Making something clearer or easier to understand, by explaining it more. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clarifying/#m1)

2) (cooking) Making a liquid, such as butter or soup, clear by removing the bits in it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clarifying/#m2)

3) (adjective) Helping to make something clear: «a clarifying question». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clarifying/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In school pupils ask clarifying questions when they don't understand the task: «Do you mean the total or the difference?» In maths, clarifying the question before solving stops mistakes. In cooking, clarified butter has the white milky part taken out. Phrases: «a clarifying question», «clarifying the rules», «clarified butter».

### examples

- Can I ask a clarifying question, please? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clarifying/#x1)
- The teacher was clarifying the rules of the game. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clarifying/#x2)
- Thanks for clarifying that; now I understand. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clarifying/#x3)
- Clarifying the question first helps you solve it. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clarifying/#x4)
- Mum is clarifying butter for the curry. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clarifying/#x5)
- The coach drew a picture, clarifying where everyone should stand. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clarifying/#x6)

### note

Spelling: clarify → clarifies, clarified (y changes to i), but clarifying keeps the y. Noun: clarification. Formal-ish; in everyday speech people say «explain» or «make clear».

### In the corpora

- [A clarifying question asks about one part you did not understand, such as "What does 'erupt' mean?"](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/50-listening-following-talk-asking-good-questions/13/)
- [A clarifying question asks what a word or idea means before arguing about it.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/39-how-to-argue-reasons-and-evidence/13/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «clarifying» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/clarifying/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.