Identifying means recognizing or establishing who or what someone or something is.

The idea

Use identify with a person or thing; use identify something as to name what it is. The past is identified.

Examples

  • The witness identified the driver from a photograph.
  • The team identified a leak in the roof.
  • Can you identify the cause of the delay?
  • Scientists identified the plant as a rare orchid.
  • Please identify yourself at the reception desk.
  • The survey helped residents identify local needs.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic English voice on your device. Quality and availability vary; it does not assess pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not add to before the object: say identify the cause.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the correct answer. The mechanic ___ the fault yesterday. (identified / identifies)

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    identified

    identified places the discovery yesterday.

  2. Choose the correct answer. The guide identified the bird ___ an eagle. (as / for)

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    as

    as introduces the name given to the bird.

  3. Choose the correct answer. Please identify ___ before entering. (yourself / your)

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    yourself

    yourself refers back to the person being addressed.

Use it today

Describe a problem you identified and how you found its cause.