clear
Use the word “clear” as an adjective for things that are easy to see through or understand. You can also use “clear” as a verb when making an area safe or free from obstructions (removing things that might get in a person’s way).
- The window is clear.
- What you said is perfectly clear.
- The teacher made it clear to the students who was in charge.
- The roads are clear.
- Snowplows cleared the roads of snow. (They removed the snow.)
The sky is mostly clear today except for a few clouds.
a. clear = clean; unobstructed
When an area is clean, or when something has been done to remove dirt, garbage, or other obstacles, use “clear” as an adjective or as a verb.
- We have a beautiful clear, blue sky today.
- The air is clear today.
- Reducing the emissions of carbon dioxide from vehicles and factories really helps to clear the air.
- Snowplows came by earlier to clear the snow from the road.
- The teacher asked the students to clear their desks when she gave them their tests.
- I won’t have a clear conscience about this if I don’t do something to make the situation better. (a clear conscience = no guilt or worries)
- A person with a clear conscience can sleep well at night.
a. clear = clean; unobstructed
- The water here is clear.
- Under a clear blue sky we went skiing and hiking despite the cold temperatures.
b. clear = easy to understand
If a form of communication is easy to understand, you can say the message, the idea, or the person is clear.
- Am I making myself clear? (Do you understand what I am trying to say?)
- These instructions are not very clear. (It’s difficult to understand the instructions.)
- Her message was clear.
- The sound coming from the radio was loud and clear.
- The CEO sent a very clear message to his employees that they will have to work harder to reach their goals.
- The employees had a clear understanding of what the boss meant.
- This is a pretty clear choice. (Everyone can see which choice is better.)
b. clear = easy to understand
- The message of peace and understanding is quite clear in the song that she wrote.
- The Democratic Party in the United States offers a clear choice over the Republicans when it comes to supporting equal rights for all people, regardless of gender or ethnicity.
c. Use "clearly" as an adverb.
Add “ly” to “clear” to form the adverb, “clearly.”
- She speaks English very clearly.
- He’s clearly mistaken. (It’s easy to see that he has made a mistake when thinking about something
- Clearly, he’s made a mistake. (This word may be used to introduce an idea at the beginning of a sentence.)
- The kids in the car clearly violated the law.
- The directions show very clearly what we have to do next.
- You clearly don’t know what you are doing.
c. Use "clearly" as an adverb.
- Clearly, she’s very unhappy about something.
- He’s speaking clearly so that other people can understand what he has to say.