Research on the meaning of English words - Native speakers help needed

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amica

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Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Ekaterina, I’m an English student. I’m doing a scientific research on the meaning of English words, and I need some help from native speakers of English. I would greatly appreciate, if any of you could help me out with that matter.

Please grade sentences with reference to the norm of standard English.

Meaning of the Verbs to Discover, to Learn, to Find out


NOTE:


To prevent possible misunderstanding, please
  • Do not try to assess the “degree of synonymy” of the words analysed.
  • Do not develop possible contexts that may seem to be implied by the words used in the statements; assess the acceptability of the utterances judging by the way the information is presented.
However, if you feel that the context is insufficient to assess the acceptability of the sentence, suggest your own context in the column “Comments” and rate the utterance according to the context offered by you.
When grading the sentences, rely on the following grades.

Grades
1 - Acceptable, preferred
2 - Acceptable, not preferred
3 - Not preferred
4 - Marginally acceptable
5 - Unacceptable

So here are the sentences.
1
A I tried hard to find out how much money he earns.
B I tried hard to learn how much money he earns.
C I tried hard to discover how much money he earns.
2
A Learn how to distil large quantities of information into their bare essentials.
B Discover how to distil large quantities of information into their bare essentials.
C Find out how to distil large quantities of information into their bare essentials.
3
A I did not find out how much she sold the garments for because she left me standing outside.
B I did not learn how much she sold the garments for because she left me standing outside.
C I did not discover how much she sold the garments for because she left me standing outside.
4
A Find out how much you can afford to borrow.
B Learn how much you can afford to borrow.
C Discover how much you can afford to borrow.
5
A We keep finding out why certain things don't tally.
B We keep learning why certain things don't tally.
C We keep discovering why certain things don't tally.
6
A And we've watched the video before, yes, and we keep learning and we keep coming to tell you don't we?
B And we've watched the video before, yes, and we keep finding out and we keep coming to tell you don't we?
C And we've watched the video before, yes, and we keep discovering and we keep coming to tell you don't we?
7
A You will never stop discovering new reactions and compounds, but the elements will remain the same.
B You will never stop finding out new reactions and compounds, but the elements will remain the same.
C You will never stop learning new reactions and compounds, but the elements will remain the same.




You can post your answers like 1) a 1, b 3, c 2, etc. or choose any other form of answering that appeals to you.

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me.

Thank you very much for taking your time.

Best regards,
Ekaterina
 

5jj

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English Teacher
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I have given my initial reactions, trying not to think too long. I have a suspicion that I might give different responses if I did this again tomorrow

1
A I tried hard to find out how much money he earns. 1
B I tried hard to learn how much money he earns. 2
C I tried hard to discover how much money he earns. 1
2
A Learn how to distil large quantities of information into their bare essentials. 2
B Discover how to distil large quantities of information into their bare essentials. 1
C Find out how to distil large quantities of information into their bare essentials. 1
3
A I did not find out how much she sold the garments for because she left me standing outside. 1
B I did not learn how much she sold the garments for because she left me standing outside. 1
C I did not discover how much she sold the garments for because she left me standing outside. 1
4
A Find out how much you can afford to borrow. 1
B Learn how much you can afford to borrow. 2
C Discover how much you can afford to borrow. 2
5
A We keep finding out why certain things don't tally. 1
B We keep learning why certain things don't tally. 2
C We keep discovering why certain things don't tally. 1
6
I don't like any of these:
A And we've watched the video before, yes, and we keep learning and we keep coming to tell you don't we?
B And we've watched the video before, yes, and we keep finding out and we keep coming to tell you don't we?
C And we've watched the video before, yes, and we keep discovering and we keep coming to tell you don't we?
7
A You will never stop discovering new reactions and compounds, but the elements will remain the same. 1
B You will never stop finding out new reactions and compounds, but the elements will remain the same. 4-5
C You will never stop learning new reactions and compounds, but the elements will remain the same. 4-5
 

amica

New member
Joined
Jun 8, 2011
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Russian
Home Country
Russian Federation
Current Location
Russian Federation
Thank you fivejedjon! :) You have helped me a lot.

Hopefully, there will be more replies.

Anyway, thanks again and have a nice day!
 
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