Find Out, Figure Out, Work Out
Explore how these three phrases describe getting information, solving problems, and reaching a result in short app-support chats.
Preview
Questions with solutions-
1. Wybierz poprawną odpowiedź.
What does “find out” mean here?
User: “Where can I find out how much the monthly plan costs?”
Support: “The price is on our Plans page.”- Learn the price of the monthly plan.
- Solve a problem with a monthly payment.
- Agree on a new monthly price with support.
What information would the Plans page give the user?
Show solution
- Learn the price of the monthly plan.
“Find out” means getting information you did not have before. Here, the page provides the price.
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2. Wybierz poprawną odpowiedź.
What does the user know now?
User: “I finally figured out how to turn off the alerts.”
- They know why the app sends alerts.
- They know that all alerts are already off.
- They know how to stop the alerts.
Notice the words “how to.”
Show solution
- They know how to stop the alerts.
“Figured out how to” means understood the method. It does not necessarily mean the user has done it yet.
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3. Wybierz poprawną odpowiedź.
What does “worked out” describe?
User: “Support helped me get back into my account. Everything worked out in the end.”
- The situation became more difficult.
- The situation ended successfully.
- The solution still needs to be tested.
The user can access the account again.
Show solution
- The situation ended successfully.
“Everything worked out” describes a good final result, not the steps used to reach it.
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4. Uzupełnij lukę.
User: “I've just ___ out that my free trial ends tomorrow.”
- find
- found
- finding
“I've” means “I have.” Think about the verb form that follows it.
Show solution
User: “I've just found out that my free trial ends tomorrow.”
After “have,” use “found,” the past participle of “find.” “I've just found out” introduces information learned very recently.
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5. Uzupełnij lukę.
User: “Where can I find out ___ the app's new features?”
- for
- with
- about
The new features are the topic the user wants information on.
Show solution
User: “Where can I find out about the app's new features?”
Use “find out about” before a topic: “find out about the features” or “find out about the update.”
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6. Wybierz poprawną odpowiedź.
What does “works out to $60” express?
Support: “The plan costs $5 per month. That works out to $60 for twelve months.”
- The total cost for twelve months.
- An extra fee paid every month.
- The amount saved each month.
Think about adding twelve monthly payments.
Show solution
- The total cost for twelve months.
“Works out to” can introduce the result of a calculation. Here, twelve payments of $5 total $60.
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7. Uzupełnij lukę.
User: “The privacy settings were confusing, but I finally ___.”
- figured out them
- figured them out
- them figured out
“Them” refers to the privacy settings. Where does this pronoun belong?
Show solution
User: “The privacy settings were confusing, but I finally figured them out.”
An object pronoun goes between “figure” and “out”: “figure them out.” With a noun, both “figure out the settings” and “figure the settings out” are possible.
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8. Wybierz poprawną odpowiedź.
What still needs to be agreed on?
Support: “We can help you by phone. Let's work out a time for the call.”
- Why the previous call failed.
- Whether phone support is available.
- When the call will happen.
Support has already offered a phone call.
Show solution
- When the call will happen.
“Work out a time” means arrange a suitable time. “Work out” can describe making a practical plan together.
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9. Uzupełnij lukę.
User: “I need to find out ___ before I close my account.”
- when my subscription ends
- when does my subscription end
- when ends my subscription
This question is part of a longer sentence, not a direct question.
Show solution
User: “I need to find out when my subscription ends before I close my account.”
After “find out,” an indirect question uses statement word order: “when my subscription ends,” not “when does my subscription end.”
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10. Wybierz poprawną odpowiedź.
What was happening when support called?
User: “I was still trying to figure out why the app kept closing when support called.”
- The user had already solved the problem.
- The user was still looking for the cause.
- Support had already explained the cause.
Pay attention to “was still trying.”
Show solution
- The user was still looking for the cause.
“Was trying to figure out” describes an effort in progress. It does not report a completed discovery or solution.
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11. Wybierz poprawną odpowiedź.
Why does the user ask support to wait?
User: “Please don't reset it yet. I think I can figure it out myself.”
- They want support to reset it immediately.
- They believe the problem has already disappeared.
- They want to try solving the problem on their own.
What does “myself” add to the message?
Show solution
- They want to try solving the problem on their own.
“Figure it out myself” means solve or understand it without another person's help. “I think I can” expresses belief in that ability, not completed success.
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12. Wybierz poprawną odpowiedź.
What happened “by accident”?
User: “I found out by accident that I have two accounts.”
- The user learned about the accounts without looking for that information.
- The user created a second account by mistake.
- The user searched for a second account but could not find one.
Which action does “by accident” describe in this sentence?
Show solution
- The user learned about the accounts without looking for that information.
“By accident” describes the discovery. The sentence does not tell us whether creating the second account was a mistake.
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13. Wybierz poprawną odpowiedź.
What is support saying about the result?
Support: “We haven't fixed it yet, but I think things will work out.”
- A good result has already been confirmed.
- A good result is expected, but has not happened yet.
- A good result is no longer possible.
Compare “haven't fixed it yet” with “will.”
Show solution
- A good result is expected, but has not happened yet.
“Will work out” looks ahead to a successful result. “I think” makes this an expectation, not a guarantee.
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14. Wybierz poprawną odpowiedź.
What is the user struggling to understand?
User: “I understand the error message, but I can't figure out why it keeps appearing.”
- Where to read the error message.
- The meaning of the words in the message.
- The cause of the repeated error.
The user separates understanding the message from understanding “why.”
Show solution
- The cause of the repeated error.
Understanding an error message is not the same as identifying its cause. “Figure out why” focuses on finding an explanation.
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15. Wybierz poprawną odpowiedź.
What has support achieved?
Support: “We still haven't found out why your card was rejected, but we've worked out another way for you to pay.”
- An explanation for the card problem, but no way to pay.
- A way to pay, but not an explanation for the card problem.
- Both an explanation and a repair of the card problem.
One part is still unknown; the other part has a practical solution.
Show solution
- A way to pay, but not an explanation for the card problem.
You can work out an alternative solution without finding out the original cause. Here, payment can move forward even though the card problem remains unexplained.