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Difference among expressions

English translation: Yes...

11:08 Jan 27, 2016
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Engineering (general) / Instruction Manual
English term or phrase: Difference among expressions
Please shown me the defference in feeling or nuance when you come accross the following expressions as a condition to start a machine.
(1) Check the safety door is properly closed.
(2) Confirm the safety door is properly closed.
(3) Verify that the safety door is properly closed.
In my opinion, (1) is rather different from (2) and (3), while (2) and (3) are similer.
In (1), emphasis seems to be put on the action to examine, investigate, or test that the safety door is closed. while in (2) and (3), emphasis seems to be put on confirmation, validation, etc. that the safety door is closed.
Is my understanding correct?

Especially, I am waiting for replays from those who speak English as the mother tonge.
Shingi
Japan
Local time: 07:38
Selected answer:Yes...
Explanation:
your understanding is correct. There are really only tiny nuances of meaning between these though those nuances can still impact on the overall meaning or determine which word is best in the text.

Check (that)..=test to ensure that the door isn't loose at all and that it won't open
Confirm (that)...= You are pretty sure the door is closed but now you make doubly sure. Double-check (check again) that the door is properly closed and that there is no looseness at all
Verify (that)...=Is the door truly closed? Confirm for yourself or for someone else (perhaps check someone else has closed it properly?) and possibly record for validation/certification. Perhaps you have some convincing evidence that the door truly is closed?

All three are OK to use for a safety or instruction manual. I'd probably use 1 or 2 rather than 3. But it would really be a toss-up as to whether I used "check that" or confirm that". If there was a series of steps to take I'd use "check" and then the final step would be "confirm"
However, while none of them need "that" when speaking or informal writing it is better to put it in when writing in this context/register.
Selected response from:

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 23:38
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +1Confirm
Rose Padgett (X)
4 +2Yes...
Yvonne Gallagher
4 +1Check that...
Jack Doughty
Summary of reference entries provided
FYI
cinefil

Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Confirm


Explanation:
First, (1) requires the word "that" between "check" and "the". This is the same "that" that appears in (3) after "verify". This "that" is optional in (2) and (3), but (1) is not grammatical without it.

In regard to your question, you are generally correct that while (1) emphasizes the action of checking, (2) and (3) emphasize that you're trying to make sure a certain condition is met. I would prefer (2). The word "verify" is not necessarily wrong, but it definitely gives me more of a sense of evaluating a statement than a condition.

Rose Padgett (X)
United States
Local time: 15:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Maynard Hogg: But I would prefer the more colloquial "make sure."
6 days
neutral  Tony M: Don't agree with your comment: no 'that' is needed in (1): 'check the door is closed' is perfectly grammatical EN.
7 days
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7 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
difference among expressions
Check that...


Explanation:
I think "check" is the most likely to be used in English here, but I prefer "Check that the safety door is properly closed".

Jack Doughty
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:38
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 86

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Harry Crawford
1 day 21 hrs
  -> Тhank you.
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7 days   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
difference among expressions
Yes...


Explanation:
your understanding is correct. There are really only tiny nuances of meaning between these though those nuances can still impact on the overall meaning or determine which word is best in the text.

Check (that)..=test to ensure that the door isn't loose at all and that it won't open
Confirm (that)...= You are pretty sure the door is closed but now you make doubly sure. Double-check (check again) that the door is properly closed and that there is no looseness at all
Verify (that)...=Is the door truly closed? Confirm for yourself or for someone else (perhaps check someone else has closed it properly?) and possibly record for validation/certification. Perhaps you have some convincing evidence that the door truly is closed?

All three are OK to use for a safety or instruction manual. I'd probably use 1 or 2 rather than 3. But it would really be a toss-up as to whether I used "check that" or confirm that". If there was a series of steps to take I'd use "check" and then the final step would be "confirm"
However, while none of them need "that" when speaking or informal writing it is better to put it in when writing in this context/register.

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 23:38
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 32
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: I'd say 1) and 3) are exact synonyms, albeit with a difference of register ('verify' being more formal); as you say, in 2), 'confirm' somehow seems to imply that it is expected that the door IS going to be closed.
12 hrs
  -> Thanks, yes, sometimes it's hard to explain nuances or why one term is preferred over another but there's definitely a difference in register
agree  AllegroTrans
2 days 4 hrs
  -> Many thanks:-)
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Reference comments


1 hr peer agreement (net): -1
Reference: FYI

Reference information:
http://micottan.blogspot.com/2014/08/confirm-verify-check.ht...
http://www.glova.co.jp/mailmg/vol12_1.html
http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/5789/whats-the-di...

(2), (3)は、構文としてはあり得ても、用法としてはまずあり得ないともいます。
私ならこの2つは、「閉まっているか」ではなく、「閉まるかどうか／閉めることができるかどうか」を確認・検証するという文脈で使用するとおもいます。

cinefil
Japan
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
disagree  Rose Padgett (X): （2）と（３）は「閉まっているか」とちゃんと意味しています。「閉まるかどうか」なら、"Confirm/verify that the door can properly close"になります。
7 hrs
  -> 分かってないね。
neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: It's an En> En question so comments/answers should be in that language. I have no idea if this is right or wrong...
7 days
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