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Tenacious Learner Posted 13 years ago
Grammar

'Know' synonyms 'recognize; identify'

Hi teachers,
There has been a car accident and two people among others are watching it.
Would, 'recognize; identify' be appropriate synonyms for 'know' in the following dialogue?
A: Oh, my! I know the driver and the car.
B: Do you really know the driver and the car?

Thanks in advance.
  

Top answer

recognize works well here, but you'd have to change the grammar a little to use identify. It's done like this, with 'can': I can identify the driver .... Can you really identify the driver ...?

— CalifJim

  • recognize works well here, but you'd have to change the grammar a little to use identify.
  • It's done like this, with 'can': I can identify the driver ....
  • Can you really identify the driver ...?
  • CJ
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6 Answers
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recognize works well here, but you'd have to change the grammar a little to use identify. It's done like this, with 'can':

I can identify the driver ....
Can you really identify the driver ...?

CJ
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CalifJimrecognize works well here
Hi Jim,
Thanks for your help.
Would 'identify' without 'can' be used in situations like for example: a person had died in an accident and is in the morgue. The police ask a family member to come 'identify' the body.
Another one, the police ask a witness to 'identify' the suspects.

TL
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Tenacious LearnerWould 'identify' without 'can' be used in situations like for example: a person had died in an accident and is in the morgue. The police ask a family member to come 'identify' the body.Another one, the police ask a witness to 'identify' the suspects.
Correct. In that sense to identify someone is to say who they are, to verify who they are.
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Hi Jim,
Thanks for your help.
CalifJimSo you never say, "See that guy there at the next table. I identify him. I just met him yesterday."(It would mean that you are in the habit of giving his name to someone. But why would anyone do that?)
In this case I would say,' See that guy there at the next table. I know him.
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Tenacious Learnerright?
Exactly.

CJ
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CalifJimExactly.
Hi Jim,
Thanks for your reply once again.

TL
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