Grammar fix
figure out
understand after thinking
To find the answer to something by thinking about it carefully.
phrasal verbB1common
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
It took me a while to figure out how to use the new coffee machine.
In my last job, I often had to figure out solutions to unexpected problems, which really improved my problem-solving skills.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: I can't figure out it.
Say: I can't figure it out.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'figure it out'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Figure out' is the everyday verb for working something out; 'comprehended the mechanism' is bookish.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
figure out + problem
- how it works
- what to do
- the answer
- why