FIND VS. FIND OUT
@thinkenglish
The verb find is used when you locate an object or person. It can be by accident or on purpose. “Find” is usually followed by a noun:
- After searching for an hour, I found my keys under the bed.
- Today’s my lucky day! I found a dollar on the sidewalk.
- I’m trying to find Barbara – have you seen her anywhere?
You can find an object or a thing. You can even find a person. You can find something that you lost, or find something you are searching for. You usually find something by your own action. We use find + [something] and find + [someone]. The usual grammar is find + noun. Remember, find is an irregular verb, so we say find, found, found.
The phrasal verb find out is used specifically for discovering information. Again, it can be by accident or on purpose. Find out means discover some information. You can find out something about someone, some place, etc. You usually find out something by doing research or from someone else. “Find out” is usually followed by a subject/verb or a question word:
- Don’t let your husband find out that we’re planning a surprise party for him.
- I finally found out why the TV remote wasn’t working – the batteries were dead.