If you put something into perspective you look at it in a wider context. This usually means comparing it with something similar, in order to get a clearer picture of how important it is - or more usually, how unimportant it is. For example, if the journalist has written a book about the current economic situation in his country, he would put it into perspective by comparing it to previous crises which were more serious, or by comparing it to more serious situations in other countries. This 'bigger picture' will give the readers a more accurate idea about the relative significance of the situation. Another typical example of putting something into perspective is if you are unhappy about not having enough money to buy a new designer handbag, and then you read a news article about how many people in the world don't even have food to eat or clean water to drink. Thinking about these people puts your situation into perspective - you realise that you don't have a problem at all compared with most people in the world.

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Hi Lydia, Putting something in perspective is looking at something from all the different angles in order to gain an understanding of its position - relative to everything else. It's like comparing something to other things, in order to fully understand that thing, or what the relationship of that thing/person/problem is to everything else. For example: John felt bad about the small argument he had with his wife this morning, but it helped to put it into perspective by listening to his work colleges all complaining about their own unhappy marriages. The above example illustrates how John viewed the problem relative to everybody else's problems. As it turns out, his problem was small compared to all of theirs. So by listening to everybody else, it gave him perspective on his own problem. Another example could be something like - You might get all worked up because somebody puts a scratch on your car in the shopping centre car park, but then later on you find out your friends car has been stolen, and now they have no car at all. This suddenly puts the little scratch on your car into perspective - that it really isn't that big an issue, compared to your friends problem. It would help you more if you thought of perspective more as gaining an understanding of something in relation to other things, rather than straight out opinion.

I understand now! Thanks for your explanation and example. It really helps :)

Hello Lydia, Great question, put something into perspective means: To try to see what the story (or topic you are talking about) is all about. For example: Let's put something into perspective, shall we, I have never sold a useless product. He is saying: Try to think of this thoroughly (he is telling the person to think this subject through well and to try and understand his opinion), I have never sold something that was not useful to my customer so therefore he will not be selling YOU something that is not useful. PUT SOMETHING INTO PERSPECTIVE = THINK THINGS THROUGH