survey

Everyday

1. A survey is when you ask many people the same questions to find out what they think or do. To survey people is to ask them. tree →
2. To survey a place is to look at it carefully, or to measure land to make a map. tree →
3. A survey is also a careful look over something. tree →

In the lessons

In maths and statistics: a count of answers: people asked, how many chose each answer, often shown in a tally, table, bar chart or pictogram; the total asked is the whole and the groups are its parts. In science: a survey of birds in the school garden. In geography: land surveys make maps. Phrases: carry out a survey, take a survey, survey results, a class survey.

Examples

• In a survey of 30 students, 12 liked apples best. tree →
• She surveyed 50 people about their pets. tree →
• How many more chose red than blue in the survey? tree →
• The survey shows 8 students walk to school. tree →
• Our class did a survey of favourite fruits. tree →
• We made a bar chart of the survey results. tree →
• The farmer surveyed the damage after the storm. tree →
• The team surveyed the land to draw a map. tree →
• Through the gap near which they stood they could with ease survey the whole of the large hall. tree →

Note

Noun stress SUR-vey, verb stress often sur-VEY. Plural «surveys». The total asked is the whole; the groups are its parts. Trap: the parts should add up to the number surveyed; if a person can choose two answers, they may not.

In Jewish tradition

God asks Job whether he has measured and understood the earth.

Interpretation. Tradition reads these questions as showing how small human understanding is next to God's creation.

Examples

• Hast thou surveyed unto the breadths of the earth? (Writings JOB.38.18, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Noun stress SUR-vey, verb stress often sur-VEY. Plural «surveys». The total asked is the whole; the groups are its parts. Trap: the parts should add up to the number surveyed; if a person can choose two answers, they may not.