explaining
v. · n.-
1 making something clear (v.) A2 Elementarygiving details about something so that someone can understand it.
the present participle of 'explain', used to describe the ongoing action of making a concept or situation intelligible.
ExampleThe teacher is explaining the new math lesson to the students right now.
ExampleThe scientist spent the afternoon explaining the implications of the new data to the rest of the research committee.
UsageOften followed by a 'that' clause or the preposition 'to' before the listener.
PitfallHe is explaining me the rules.He is explaining the rules to me.The verb 'explain' does not take an indirect object directly; you must explain something 'to' someone.
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2 the act of clarification (n.) B1 Intermediatethe process of telling someone how something works or why something happened.
the gerund form of 'explain', acting as a noun to denote the activity or process of providing an explanation.
ExampleExplaining the rules of cricket can take a very long time.
ExampleThe manager found that explaining the company's new policy required more patience than he had originally anticipated.
UsageFunctions as the subject or object of a sentence.