[Vocabulary] explain/enlighten

[hhtt21]

Before asking the questions and for clarifications, would you please check these phrases? 2 seems to me wrong whereas 1 seems perfectly correct.

1. To explain something to someone.

2. to explain to someone something.

 

[Rover_KE]

1. To explain something to someone.:tick:

2. to explain to someone something.:cross:

 

[emsr2d2]

The same word order that makes #2 unnatural/awkward/wrong is what also makes your "2 seems to me wrong" sound odd (to my ears). We generally say either "2 seems wrong to me" or "To me, 2 seems wrong".

 

[hhtt21]

The same word order that makes #2 unnatural/awkward/wrong is what also makes your "2 seems to me wrong" sound odd (to my ears). We generally say either "2 seems wrong to me" or "To me, 2 seems wrong".

For such mistakes, is there any clear distinction whether they are "unnatural" or "wrong" as there could be some unnatural cases that could be correct.

 

[emsr2d2]

I would say that "It seems to me to be wrong" or "It seems to me that it is wrong" are correct but not the shorter version. It's hard to explain "unnatural" - it's just something native speakers know! An example is "I have a red big apple". It's grammatically correct but it doesn't follow the accepted natural order of adjectives. A native speaker would know immediately that it should be "I have a big red apple".

 

[hhtt21]

I would say that "It seems to me to be wrong" or "It seems to me that it is wrong" are correct but not the shorter version. It's hard to explain "unnatural" - it's just something native speakers know! ".

Thanks for the new examples but would you please consider these: "This seems to me good" whose formulation is verb + preposition + object + adjective?

 

[jutfrank]

A general rule is that we tend to keep complements and direct objects unseparated from their verbs.

This seems good to me.
explain something to someone

The green and blue parts like to stay next to each other.

 

[hhtt21]

I would say that "It seems to me to be wrong" or "It seems to me that it is wrong" are correct but not the shorter version. It's hard to explain "unnatural" - it's just something native speakers know! An example is "I have a red big apple". It's grammatically correct but it doesn't follow the accepted natural order of adjectives. A native speaker would know immediately that it should be "I have a big red apple".

Okay, but do poets sometimes refer to unnatural constructions for sound harmony in the poem?

 

[emsr2d2]

Poetry and song lyrics frequently flout grammatical "rules". The writers of both are more interested in rhythm, metre and rhyme.

 

[hhtt21]

In this context, a professor is trying to make a time machine, and a journalist is conducting a review* with the professor.

1. With respect to sentence meaning, do the sentences mean the same?

2. Just considering words meaning, do "enlighten" and "explain" mean the same?

a. Would you enligten us about your time machine?

b. Would you explain your time machine to us?

 

[jutfrank]

1. Possibly.
2. No.

 

[Tarheel]

Poetry and song lyrics frequently flout grammatical "rules". The writers of both are more interested in rhythm, metre and rhyme.

Guilty as charged.
;-)

 

[hhtt21]

1. Possibly. 2. No.

How they work with respect to grammar is different, but it is still quite a difficult thing for me to distinguish between "enlighten" and "explain" with respect to both words' meanings.

First of all, the two verbs are used for the same purposes that is "to want information about something", and both can be applied to the same situations, that is "asking about something" or "wanting explanations about something".

I have looked at the definitions of them too, and the definitions seems quite same to me.

From Oxford,

Enlighten: Give (someone) greater knowledge and understanding about a subject or situation

Explain: Make (an idea or situation) clear to someone by describing it in more detail or revealing relevant facts. As I know "explain" is quite common whereas "enlighten" is rarely used.

So would you please reveal or show the main difference between "enlighten" and "explain" with respect to their meanings and usages?