ENGLISH
REFERENCE

gear towards

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford General-service

phr. v.. to design or organize something so that it is suitable for a specific group of people or a particular purpose.

phr. v.. to adjust, adapt, or prepare something to meet the specific requirements or interests of a particular audience or goal; typically used in the passive voice.


SIMPLE

The course is geared towards beginners.

CONTEXTUAL

The new marketing campaign is specifically geared towards young professionals living in urban areas.

COMPLEX

While the initial research was broad, the final report was geared towards providing actionable insights for the executive board.

Particles
towards
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
be + geared + towards + object
Usage

most commonly used in the passive voice ('be geared towards') followed by a noun or a gerund.

Teaching tip

point out that 'towards' and 'to' are both acceptable, though 'towards' is more frequent in this phrasal construction; contrast with 'aimed at'.

Pitfall

The book gears towards children.The book is geared towards children.this phrase is almost always used in the passive voice to describe the intended purpose of an object or program.

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