What does “align” really mean? Am I using it correctly? Watch this short video to learn the correct way here.
Hi, my name is Jessica. I’m an English tutor.
And in today’s lesson we’re going to talk about using the word “align” “coordinate” and “agreement.”
Many English language learners that are in the business environment, they will use the word
“We’re going to align our goals” or “We’re going to align a meeting.”
Now when most American English speakers hear the word “align” we think of measurement so
getting everything in one line or aligning it and making sure things measure correctly.
So, whenever American English speakers would use a phrase to talk about making sure that
they’re coordinating something or matching something we might say, “Coordinate a meeting,
agree upon a new procedure,” not “Align a new procedure.”
So technically, the word “align” also means to come into an agreement or to coordinate.
However, this is not how most American English speakers actually talk, so I would suggest
using instead of saying, “Align a meeting” that “You’re going to coordinate a meeting.”
Or “Align goals” you could say, “Agree on specific goals” that’s sounds more like a native English
speaker.
I hope you found this video lesson helpful and if you enjoyed it, please subscribe to this
channel.
Have a wonderful day!
Do you need to improve your English?
Try our 1-on-1 Skype lessons to gain fluency in English.
It’s a great way to correct your mistakes and get accent reduction.
Don’t wait! Sign up for a trial lesson now.