VOA · Ask a Teacher
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01Hello!
02This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Alvaro about the usage of the words insight and thought.
03Dear Teacher, I want to ask you the difference between insights and thoughts.
04Best regards, Alvaro.
05Thank you for writing to us, Alvaro.
06I'm happy to answer this question.
07Thoughts is a more general word than insights.
08A thought can be specific, as the following examples show.
09I think we should go shopping tomorrow.
10I think the dog might be hungry.
11Thoughts can also be a collection of ideas about a subject.
12For example, we ask, what are your thoughts on this?
13That can mean we want people to share any ideas they have about the subject.
14It can also mean that we want to know a person's opinion.
15To have insight means to have a special understanding of something.
16A person with insight might notice something that most people do not see or understand.
17A person with insight might find a new solution to a problem.
18Insight often results from having a lot of experience with a particular subject or activity.
19We can say that someone has insight into someone or something.
20For example, a good psychologist might have insight into why a person is feeling or behaving in a particular way.
21Notice that with the noun insight, we often use the preposition into after it.
22With insight, we often use the verbs have or gain, as in the following examples.
23Their manager has a lot of insight into what the workers need.
24By carefully watching the children's behavior, the researchers gained insight into how children try to solve problems.
25The adjective form of insight is insightful.
26And the adjective form of thought is thoughtful.
27To be thoughtful has two meanings.
28It can mean to be kind or to take care of the needs of others.
29For example, a thoughtful person may listen carefully to a friend who is upset and then offer to help that person.
30So, when someone does something nice to help us, we might say, Oh, that is so thoughtful of you.
31Thanks.
32Thoughtful can also describe someone who has been thinking carefully.
33For our readers and listeners, what are your thoughts about American English?
34Do you have any insights to share?
35Or perhaps you simply have a question about particular words.
36We'd like to hear from you.
37Send us an email at learningenglish at voanews.com And please include where you are from in your email, too.
38And that's Ask a Teacher.
39I'm Andrew Smith.
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