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Anonymous Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

realize / find out /learn

HI,

I didn't realize I had left my wallet at home until I got there by taxi.

Can I use 'find out' or 'learn' instead of 'realize' here? If yes, is there any subtle difference among them?

Thanks.
  

Top answer

This would be my usage, I think: You suddenly remembered that you'd left it at home: realize. You tried to get it out of your pocket, handbag, etc. and discovered it wasn't there: find out , discover or realize .

— Mr Wordy

  • This would be my usage, I think: You suddenly remembered that you'd left it at home: realize.
  • You tried to get it out of your pocket, handbag, etc.
  • and discovered it wasn't there: find out , discover or realize .
  • Someone else told you that you'd left it at home, or you discovered the fact through some similarly indirect method: find out or learn.
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8 Answers
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This would be my usage, I think:

You suddenly remembered that you'd left it at home: realize.

You tried to get it out of your pocket, handbag, etc. and discovered it wasn't there: find out, discover or realize.

Someone else told you that you'd left it at home, or you discovered the fact through some similarly indirect method: find out o
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Hi Mr Wordy,

Thank you very much for your kind reply.

Can I say
'I found out/learned the news by reading the newspaper or reading something else/by watching TV'?

To find out more, visit our website.
Are 'learn', 'discover' or 'realize' fine here?

Thanks a lot.
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I found out/learned/discovered the news by reading the newspaper/by watching TV -- to me, these are not massively natural things to say, but are all OK I guess, provided that "the news" refers to a particular item of news. The sentence doesn't really work if "the news" is meant as "the news in general". "Realize" does not work here.

To find out/learn/discover more, visit our web
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Hi Mr Wordy,

Thank you very much for your explanation.

"Someone else told you that you'd left it at home, or you discovered the fact through some similarly indirect method: find out or learn."

Can I use 'discover' here, too?

How do you say it if "the news" is meant as "the news in general"?

Thanks a lot.
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Anonymous "Someone else told you that you'd left it at home, or you discovered the fact through some similarly indirect method: find out or learn."

Can I use 'discover' here, too?

Yep, I guess so. That was probably an oversight on my part.
AnonymousHow do you say it if "the news" is meant as "the news in general"?
I th
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Hi Mr Wordy,

Many thanks for your helpful reply.

"I'll call and ask Mary to learn/discover/find out if she will come over tonight."

Are 'learn', 'discover' and 'find out' all fine here?

Thank you very much.
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"Find out" is the most likely choice. However, you wouldn't normally say "... call and ask Mary to find out ...". You would just say:

I'll call Mary to find out if she'll come over tonight.


(Or you could say: I'll call and ask Mary if she'll come over tonight or I'll call Mary and ask her if she'll come over tonight.)

In this sentence, "
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Hi Mr Wordy,

Thank you very much for your great help.
Do you mean 'discover' and 'learn' are OK or not natural to use in the sentence "I'll call Mary to discover/learn if she will come over tonight"?

Thanks a lot.
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